Can government environmental auditing promote local low-carbon innovation? Evidence from China

Heterogeneity in Spinal Bone Mineral Density Among Young Adults From Three Eastern Provincial Capital Cities in Mainland China

Since the ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005, mainland China has experienced notable delays in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This study aims to examine the legislation and implementation of smoke-free laws in different cities in mainland China, with a particular focus on identifying factors that contribute to these differences. Through a literature review and policy mapping, we gathered information on the variations in smoke-free laws' legislation and implementation across mainland China. To delve deeper into the local specifics of implementation and the factors contributing to these variations, qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 key stakeholders in two selected cities. This group included former policy makers, policy experts, enforcement officers, and public venue owners. Although the revision of Healthy Cities standards advocates for the enactment of smoking bans post-2021, less than half of these cities have implemented comprehensive smoke-free laws. This phenomenon can be partly attributed to the tobacco industry's significant influence in the legislative process and to policy makers' limited understanding of smoking rooms/areas being temporary measures without setting clear end dates for transition periods. We also identified inconsistent implementation across selected cities, attributed to inadequate coordination and workforce shortages. Our study reveals significant variations and delays in the adoption of smoke-free laws across different cities in mainland China. We identify key factors contributing to this disparity, underscoring the urgent need for targeted measures to address these challenges, such as setting up a coordinated department and promoting policy advocacy. This study reveals geographical disparities in the legislative progress and enforcement effectiveness of smoke-free laws in mainland China. Persistent interference from the tobacco industry has obstructed the establishment of comprehensive smoke-free laws. Additionally, policy makers' limited awareness of the harm caused by designated smoking areas, regional economic disparities, and inadequate interdepartmental coordination have impeded effective policy implementation. These findings underscore the urgent need to set enforcement goals aligned with local economic contexts and strengthen policy dialogue to empower policy makers and stakeholders to mitigate tobacco industry influence and achieve successful implementation.

South–North and North–North migration patterns have received significant interest in the literature, and recently, studies have begun to investigate South–South migration. However, as yet, very few studies have addressed North–South migration or investigated the psychological facilitators and barriers that drive this growing migration pattern. With a sample from a representative group of Hong Kong adults, we evaluated the role of positive attitude in shaping the intention to migrate from Hong Kong, a more‐developed economy (a metropolitan area), to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities in Mainland China, considered a less‐developed economy (with less metropolitan areas). We found positive attitude toward GBA cities in Mainland China promoted migration intention both directly and indirectly, as mediated by situational concerns and experience of visiting Mainland GBA cities. The impact of a positive attitude on a field visit was found to be weaker among wealthier adults relative to their economically disadvantaged counterparts. The effect of a field visit on migration intention was found to be stronger among wealthier adults relative to their economically disadvantaged counterparts. The findings suggest that an understanding of social psychology has implications for policy makers through highlighting the different approaches and entry points that could be adopted to encourage migration by people of varying economic status.

The exposure-response association between humidex and bacillary dysentery: A two-stage time series analysis of 316 cities in mainland China

The thermal comfort and its changes in the 31 provincial capital cities of mainland China in the past 30 years were comprehensively evaluated using the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) indicators. The PET and UTCI values were highly correlated with each other and presented similar thermal comfort pattern, although their sensitivities might differ slightly. The results showed that these cities covered, respectively, 4–8 and 6–8 thermal comfort classes of the PET and UTCI scale. On the whole, the annual cumulative number of pleasant days was more than 160 days/year. In terms of seasonal variations in thermal comfort conditions, the 31 provincial capital cities in mainland China can be classified into 5 types, which are, respectively, characterized by pleasant summer and severe cold winter (type-I); pleasant spring, autumn, winter, and severe hot summer (type-II); pleasant spring and autumn, slightly pleasant summer, and cold winter (type-III); pleasant spring and autumn, hot stress summer, and slightly cold winter (type-IV); and pleasant spring, summer, autumn, and cool winter (type-V). Type-II cities are rare winter resorts, while type-I cities are natural summer resorts. Type-V cities are the year round pleasant resorts. In the past three decades, the cities in mainland China had experienced increasing pleasant duration in late winter and early spring and intensifying heat stress in summer. The reduction in annual cumulative number of cold stress days in higher latitude/altitude cities outweighed the increase in duration of heat stress in subtropical cities. These may provide some references for urban planning and administration in mainland China.

This study aims to investigate the effects and influencing mechanisms of regular physical activity (RPA) on the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily data from 279 prefecture-level cities in mainland China were collected from 1 January to 17 March 2020. A two-way fixed-effects model was used to identify the causal relationship between physical activity and COVID-19, while also considering factors such as patterns of human behavior and socioeconomic conditions. The instrumental variable (IV) approach was applied to address potential endogeneity issues for a more accurate causal identification, and the mediating effect model was applied to examine the mechanisms of the influence of physical activity on the epidemic. We found that regular physical activity significantly improves individual immunity, which, in turn, leads to a reduction in the probability of being infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, we investigated the heterogeneity of the influence, finding that the negative impact of physical activity on the pandemic is more pronounced in the absence of adequate medical resources, strong awareness of prevention among residents, and fully implemented public health measures. Our results provide empirical evidence for the mechanisms of influence of physical activity on the pandemic. We would suggest that not only should physical activity be actively practiced during the pandemic, but also long-term regular exercise habits should be consciously cultivated to improve the ability of the individual immune system to better cope with sudden outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.

BackgroundEmerging evidence indicates that air pollutants contribute to the development and progression of gastrointestinal diseases. However, there is scarce evidence of an association with appendicitis in mainland China.MethodsIn this study, Linfen city, one of the most polluted cities in mainland China, was selected as the study site to explore whether air pollutants could affect appendicitis admissions and to identify susceptible populations. Daily data on appendicitis admissions and three principal air pollutants, including inhalable particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were collected in Linfen, China. The impacts of air pollutants on appendicitis were studied by using a generalized additive model (GAM) combined with the quasi-Poisson function. Stratified analyses were also performed by sex, age, and season.ResultsWe observed a positive association between air pollution and appendicitis admissions. For a 10 μg/m3 increase in pollutants at lag01, the corresponding relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were 1.0179 (1.0129–1.0230) for PM10, 1.0236 (1.0184–1.0288) for SO2, and 1.0979 (1.0704–1.1262) for NO2. Males and people aged 21–39 years were more susceptible to air pollutants. Regarding seasons, the effects seemed to be stronger during the cold season, but there was no statistically significant difference between the seasonal groups.ConclusionsOur findings indicated that short-term air pollution exposure was significantly correlated with appendicitis admissions, and active air pollution interventions should be implemented to reduce appendicitis hospitalizations, especially for males and people aged 21–39 years.

For stakeholders and companies involved in civil aviation to plan and make wise decisions, accurate estimates of air passenger flow are necessary. The conclusions drawn from this model serve as an invaluable resource for pertinent choices. The top hub cities in mainland China's air travel network are predicted using a variable weight combination model that combines PLS and GA-SVR. According to the test results, the model developed in this study improves prediction accuracy. This demonstrates how well detailed information about social and economic development can be gleaned from linear development patterns and nonlinear fluctuation rules. Predictions can be made with more accuracy and a better fit as a result. Over the next five years, it is predicted that over 300 million passengers will fly between the top hub cities in mainland China, an increase of 6.51% per year. The growth in passenger traffic varies significantly between different routes. The routes from Beijing to Shanghai and Shanghai to Shenzhen saw the most travellers, while the Beijing-Chengdu route saw the fastest growth in traveller numbers. The study's findings provide useful advice for civil aviation businesses and people involved in their decision-making, fostering growth in the sector during the post-pandemic period.

BackgroundNumerous studies have demonstrated the potential association between rainfall and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), but the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between rainfall and HFMD based on a multicity study and explore the potential sources of spatial heterogeneity.MethodsWe retrieved the daily counts of childhood HFMD and the meteorological variables of the 143 cities in mainland China between 2009 and 2014. A common time series regression model was applied to quantify the association between rainfall and HFMD for each of the 143 cities. Then, we adopted the meta-regression model to pool the city-specific estimates and explore the sources of heterogeneity by incorporating city-specific characteristics.ResultsThe overall pooled estimation suggested a nonlinear exposure-response relationship between rainfall and HFMD. Once rainfall exceeded 15 mm, the HFMD risk stopped increasing linearly and began to plateau with the excessive risk ratio (ERR) peaking at 21 mm of rainfall (ERR = 3.46, 95% CI: 2.05, 4.88). We also found significant heterogeneity in the rainfall-HFMD relationships (I2 = 52.75%, P < 0.001). By incorporating the city-specific characteristics into the meta-regression model, temperature and student density can explain a substantial proportion of spatial heterogeneity with I2 statistics that decreased by 5.29 and 6.80% at most, respectively.ConclusionsOur findings verified the nonlinear association between rainfall and HFMD. The rainfall-HFMD relationship also varies depending on locations. Therefore, the estimation of the rain-HFMD relationship of one location should not be generalized to another location.

Effects and interaction of humidex and air pollution on influenza: A national analysis of 319 cities in mainland China.

This study conceptualized migration to Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities in Mainland China as an investment with both risk and potential gain. With a large-scale sample of younger adults in Hong Kong, we used k-mean cluster analysis to identify risk-takers in the migration case who were fully aware of both risk and potential gain and were still willing to migrate to GBA cities to venture for a better life, upward social mobility, or other personal objectives. Binary logistic regression was used to assess how biopsychosocial, environmental, and participating factors predicted the likelihood of a person becoming a risk-taker and being willing to tolerate the risk associated with migration. Results showed that being female, having experience of visiting a Mainland city, and not being a full-time employee in the hotel and catering industries were associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a risk-taker. Findings offer valuable policy implications for promoting GBA plans among young adults in Hong Kong.

Purpose This study is dedicated to investigate why Mainland Chinese students pursuing higher education in Hong Kong are more likely to return to first-tier cities in Mainland China rather than stay in Hong Kong after graduation, despite Hong Kong’s increasing efforts to retain them as talent. By identifying the rationale that leads them to make such a choice, a critical gap in talent retention strategies for emerging education hubs can thus be addressed. Design/methodology/approach Through semi-structured interviews among 20 Mainland Chinese students have recently graduated from Hong Kong institutions, this study analyzes the two-way push and pull factors between Hong Kong and first-tier cities in China, elucidating how international students are influenced by various factors and make the common decisions to go to first-tier cities rather than Hong Kong after graduation. Findings The study reveals that while Hong Kong’s favorable visa policies and sector-specific employment opportunities serve as significant pull factors, they are outweighed by the comparative advantages of first-tier cities in mainland China. The comparative advantages of first-tier cities in China, including stronger economic incentives, better social integration prospects and more attractive talent recruitment policies, ultimately determine students' destination choices. Research limitations/implications One major limitation lies in the relatively small and specific sample size, which may not fully capture the diversity of experiences among the targeted population. Moreover, the potential destinations of graduates are not limited to Hong Kong or the first-tier cities in China. Originality/value This research extends the traditional two-way push-pull theory by integrating comparative advantage analysis, offering a nuanced framework to evaluate international student mobility and talent retention dynamics. The research simultaneously provide insights for policymakers and higher education institutions to refine talent retention strategies, enhance the appeal of emerging education hubs and better align policies with global student mobility trends.

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an unavoidable physical environmental factor that contributes to a variety of eye diseases. Exposure to indoor solar UV radiation is an essential component of individual ocular UV exposure. However, few previous studies have attempted to quantify the exposure in term of indoor solar UV irradiance reaching the surface of the human eye under different exposure conditions. Hence, in the current study, we measured the UV exposure in rooms with four main orientations in Sanya (18.4° N, 109.7° E, the lowest-latitude city in mainland China) and Lhasa (29.7° N, 91.14° E, the highest-elevation city in mainland China) to obtain the general and maximum ocular exposure to indoor solar UV in China. A monitoring model consisting of a dual-channel spectrometer that implanted into the manikin eye was used to quantify the UV exposure at a range of times. This study revealed basic diurnal variations under different indoor exposure conditions. In summary, on a sunny summer day, if a person gazes out of an open window at a distance of 0.5 m away from the window, some danger to the eyes may exist in the solar elevation angle (SEA) range of 12° to 37° in an eastward-facing room and in the SEA range of 34° to 9° in a westward-facing room under the maximum open window UV exposure conditions in Lhasa. Similarly, the accumulated UV exposure in a southward-facing room in Sanya was in the SEA range of 67° to 88°. This study attempted to determine the maximum individual accumulated ocular unweighted UVA dose and biologically effective UV dose (UVBE) to serve as a reference for exposure to Sanya and Lhasa. These results can strengthen the understanding of human ocular health and further clarify the possible risks posed by continuous UV exposure.

This paper firstly explores the space-time evolution of city-level concentrations showed a very significant seasonal cycle type fluctuation during the period between 13 May 2014 and 30 May 2017. The period from October to April following each year was a heavy pollution period, whereas the phase from April to October of the current year was part of a light pollution period. The average monthly concentrations in mainland China based on ground monitoring, employing a descriptive statistics method and a Bayesian spatiotemporal hierarchy model. Daily and weekly average concentrations in 338 cities in mainland China presented no significant spatial difference during the severe pollution period but a large spatial difference during light pollution periods. The severe pollution areas were mainly distributed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration in the North China Plain during the beginning of each autumn-winter season (September), spreading to the Northeast Plains after October, then later continuing to spread to other cities in mainland China, eventually covering most cities. pollution in China appeared to be a cyclic characteristic of first spreading and then centralizing in the space in two spring-summer seasons, and showed an obvious process of first diffusing then transferring to shrinkage alternation during the spring-summer season of 2015, but showed no obvious diffusion during the spring-summer season of 2016, maintaining a stable spatial structure after the shrinkage in June, as well as being more concentrated. The heavily polluted areas are continuously and steadily concentrated in East China, Central China and Xinjiang Province.

Climate change is bringing more extreme weather events, which disrupt the normal functioning of cities and threaten people’s lives. The public and city managers need to know the potential change that their cities would experience to better adapt it for sustainable development, which requires better communication of climate information to non-professionals. This study quantified the changes in extreme heat and extreme precipitation in 369 cities in mainland China under 2.0 °C global warming, and a climate-analog mapping was used to visualize the expected climate state in the future of a specific city would be similar to which city’s contemporary state. Our results show that 17 % of cities would reach new extreme heat states, and 65 % of cities are becoming hotter. For extreme precipitation, 64 % of northern cities would move southward by an average of 530 km, and 21 % of southern cities would join the contemporary extreme precipitation zones. Specifically, super-large cities with populations larger than 5 million would experience more intense changes, with an average 10 %-40 % greater increases in extreme heat and extreme precipitation than that of all cities. Under significant challenges, identifying similar contemporary cities and learning from their experiences can help managers and public make better preparations to better adapt to changes in extreme weather states.