Economic Circle Research Articles

Measurement and Spatio–Temporal Pattern Evolution of Urban–Rural Integration Development in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

Measurement and Spatio–Temporal Pattern Evolution of Urban–Rural Integration Development in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

Antimicrobial and Ecological Potential of Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae with a Focus on Wastewater Treatment and Industry

A complex evaluation of antimicrobial activities of microalgae, including those relevant to wastewater treatment (WWT), in light of the integrated biorefinery concept, is performed. An example of this concept is linking a commercial microalgal system to plants, factories, or farms that emit polluted wastewater (WW). The microalgae would not only metabolize the pollutants—such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)—from the WW, thus fueling their biomass, but they would exert an antibacterial effect against the pathogenic bacteria there. The biomass then could be harvested and used for biofertilizers, biofuels, and bioplastics and might possibly be utilized as animal feed, antimicrobial and other pharmaceutical agents. A large amount of the research on the antimicrobial activity and WWT potential focuses on the families Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae, which are also some of the most commercially used strains of microalgae. For that reason, they are the species chosen for the current review. Furthermore, the increasing antimicrobial resistance necessitates the search for antibiotic alternatives, and the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae is very promising. Microalgae are rich in antibacterial compounds like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), polysaccharides, carotenoids, proteins, etc., and for that reason, their extracts possess antimicrobial effects. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae families has varied in a broad range from low to strong activity or no effect. Several strains have fulfilled the criteria for outstanding and high activity, especially C. vulgaris and other Chlorellaceae spp., with an effect equal to or better than the control antibiotics. There were several strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) below 80 µg/mL and even 10 and 1.5 µg/mL; some species also had inhibition zones (IZ) over 30 mm, even as high as 48 mm. In vivo results are also promising but scarce, and all this warrants further in vivo and in situ studies—from animal models to clinical and environmental trials. Altogether, important data in the light of the circle economy, the urgent necessity to decrease CO2 emissions to fight climate change, and to curb the harmful influence of future pandemics are presented. This review paves the way for further utilizing the total potential of a microalgal system.

Construction and Optimization Strategy of Ecological Security Pattern in County-Level Cities under Spatial and Temporal Variation of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Mianzhu, China

Climate change and human activities are seriously affecting the ecological level and economic development of county-level cities. Mianzhu City is a typical county-level city located within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The study selected primary ecological sources by analyzing high-level ecosystem service functions over time, using Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA). Ecological resistance surfaces were constructed using natural factors to address ecological risks associated with future urbanization. The construction of the ecological security pattern (ESP) followed the source–corridor–node paradigm, incorporating changes in ecosystem service risks. From 2010 to 2020, ecosystem service functions and values in Mianzhu City declined overall, with significant spatial variations. Human activities increased in ecologically fragile areas, aggravating exposure to ecological risks from climate change and urban expansion. Ecological protection and restoration zones were identified, with nature reserves in the north and the southern center as the core. In 2020, 19 ecological sources and 46 ecological corridors were identified, with a spatial distribution pattern of “more length and short resistance in the north, less length and long resistance in the south”. Additionally, 41 ecological pinch points and 16 ecological barrier points were determined. Considering the spatial distribution of the core areas of ecosystem services and lands with human-intensive activities, setting up the general idea of the ecological restoration pattern centered on forests, river corridors, and natural and artificial landscapes. The study provides new insights into constructing and optimizing the ESP, offering crucial references for the rapid urbanization of ecological restoration and development planning in urban regions.

System dynamics-multiple the objective optimization model for the coordinated development of urban economy-energy-carbon system

The deepening conflict between human societal progress and efforts to combat climate change necessitates immediate coordination among the Economy-Energy-Carbon (EEC) management. The study applies IPCC accounting methods to compute the historical carbon emissions in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle from 2005 to 2021. It assesses the developmental efficiency of various subsystems in the EEC system by employing the rank-sum ratio. Taking a typical city in the region (Chongqing) as a case study, this study integrates System Dynamics (SD) with NSGAIII to develop an EEC multi-objective optimization model. It utilizes the VIKOR model to select the optimal solution. Based on this, the analysis explores the coupled and coordinated state of the EEC system from 2022 to 2030 under the optimal solution mode. Research findings indicate that: (1) The overall carbon emissions exhibit a slight increase, where carbon sources surpass the carbon sink created by land use. (2) Compared to results from other preference-based scenarios, in the scenario where subsystem efficiencies are all optimal, the minimum cumulative carbon emissions amount to 1520.52 million tons, with the economy maintaining a favorable status. Moreover, the overall coupling coordination of the EEC is in a relatively favorable state, and it tends to improve annually. (3) To attain the coordinated development of the EEC system by 2030, the energy structure of the representative city must decrease coal consumption by 26.17%, maintain the construction land ratio below 3.7%, and guarantee forest coverage exceeds 57.77%. This study, utilizing complex system simulations and optimization analyses across various scenarios, offers pertinent recommendations for attaining urban low-carbon development while upholding societal advancement.

Construction and Optimization of Ecological Security Pattern Network Based on the Supply–Demand Ratio of Ecosystem Services: A Study from Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle, China

The exploration of ecological security patterns (ESPs) can help people find those areas that are in urgent need of restoration, which is an effective way to realize ecological protection. It is of utmost significance for promoting regional sustainable development to construct ESP and put forward sub-regional optimization suggestions based on the supply and demand ratio of ecosystem services (ESs). In this paper, we assessed the level of supply and demand for five ESs based on multi-source data in 2020 with the help of InVEST, ArcGIS, and IUEMS. Based on the results of supply and demand, we calculated the supply and demand ratio of ESs and extracted the ecological source areas (ESAs) on this basis. Then, we used the Linkage Mapper tool to construct the ESP based on the principle of the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle (CCEC). Our results indicated that there were apparent spatial differences in the supply and demand of five ESs. There were 35 ESAs in the ESP network, covering an area of about 7914 km2, and most of their land use types were woodland. The CCEC was interconnected by a network of 91 ecological corridors (ECs), spanning a total length of approximately 10,701 km. From the ECs, we extracted 29 ecological pinch points (EPPs) and 16 ecological barrier points (EBPs), which each accounted for about 0.3% of the planned area of the CCEC. Finally, we divided the ecological spaces into four types and put forward the corresponding optimization suggestions. Among them, the proportion of ecological restoration area was 7.7%, which was located in Chengdu City, northwest of the study area. The findings of this paper can give some theoretical guidance and serve as a reference for making decisions in the pursuit of ecological civilization in this region.

Does digital transformation promote local-neighborhood green technology innovation?－based on the panel data of Chinese a-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021

As China's economy continues to grow rapidly, the importance of green and sustainable development is increasingly prominent. In this context, enterprises have undergone significant changes in all aspects of the value creation process. Based on the data of Chinese a-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021, this paper links the digital transformation of enterprises with the green technology innovation of enterprises. The focuses on the relationship between the enterprises' digital transformation and the enterprises' green innovation and its Local-neighborhood effect. Research shows that the digital transformation of enterprises will promote the enterprise green technology innovation, and this relationship will have a Local-neighborhood effect in different regions, and this spatial spillover effect is mainly achieved through the transfer of high-tech industries between regions. The results of heterogeneity test show that the effect of green technology innovation is the strongest in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic circle, and the weakest in Pearl River Delta economic circle. Based on the spatial econometric model, this paper provides empirical evidence for the government and the state to formulate the regional development strategy of enterprises' digital transformation and green innovation.

Spatio-temporal differences and simulation studies of the carbon budget from fisheries in the northern marine economic circle of China

With the proposal of dual carbon goals, enhancing carbon sinks and reducing carbon emissions has become a critical issue. Fisheries, as a component of agriculture, possess the dual attributes of being a “carbon sink” (biological carbon fixation) and a “carbon source” (the carbon emissions from fishing vessels). Therefore, it is necessary to assess the carbon sink and carbon emission levels of fisheries. The northern marine economic circle, which includes Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, and Shandong, is an important site for fisheries in China, characterized by abundant aquatic resources. However, a comprehensive assessment of the carbon budget for fisheries in this region is still unclear. This study calculated the carbon sinks, carbon emissions, and net carbon emissions associated with fisheries in the region from 2013 to 2020. Additionally, we used sensitivity analysis and scenario simulation to explore the factors influencing the net carbon emissions. The results revealed that the carbon budget of the northern marine economic circle was in a carbon deficit (the amount of carbon emissions was higher than that of carbon sinks) from 2013 to 2020. However, a downward trend in the net carbon emissions was observed, indicating the potential of achieving carbon neutrality. From the perspective of provinces, significant differences among provinces (cities) were found in terms of carbon sinks, carbon emissions, and net carbon emissions, with Shandong having the largest net carbon emissions. Furthermore, the production of clams and the use of seawater trawl net have a significant impact on the net carbon emissions. Increasing the production of clams while reducing the power of trawling operations can significantly decrease net carbon emissions. Based on these results, this study provides relevant suggestions to enhance the carbon sink capacity and decrease the carbon emissions of fisheries in the northern marine economic circle.

An empirical analysis of the coupling and coordinated development of new urbanization and ecological welfare performance in China’s Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle

New urbanization (NU) and ecological welfare performance (EWP) play pivotal roles in achieving sustainable urban development, with both emphasizing social equity and environmental management. Exploring the coordinated relationship between EWP and NU is invaluable for understanding the symbiotic interplay between humans and nature. We constructed a framework to elucidate the coupling mechanism of EWP and NU from the perspective of systems theory. We quantified the levels of NU and EWP utilizing the entropy weighting method and the super-efficient SBM method, respectively. Furthermore, we assessed the degree of coupling coordination between the two using the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM). Spatial and temporal evolution analysis was conducted, and factors influencing the degree of coupling coordination between EWP and NU were explored through a spatial–temporal geographically-weighted regression model (GTWR). The results indicate: (1) During the study period, the average annual increase in EWP in the study area was 2.59%, with a narrowing relative gap between cities. Conversely, the average annual increase in the level of NU was 7.6%, with demographic and economic dimensions carrying the highest weights. (2) The type of coupling coordination between EWP and NU transitions from basic coordination to moderate coordination, with the development of EWP lagging behind that of NU. (3) City size demonstrates a positive yet diminishing trend on the coupling coordination level, with economic development exerting the greatest influence and exhibiting a "V" trend, while the impact of green technology innovation diminishes negatively. Additionally, regional disparities are significant, with city size exhibiting a negative impact in areas of high population density and low economic levels, and green technology innovation showing notable polarization characteristics in core cities. These findings serve as a foundation for fostering coordinated ecological development amid the rapid urbanization process of the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle.

Unveiling the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Driving Mechanism of Rural Industrial Integration Development: A Case of Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle, China

China’s urban–rural dichotomy has resulted in a widening gap between urban and rural areas, posing significant challenges to rural development. This study aims to investigate the spatio-temporal differentiation and driving mechanisms of rural industry integration within the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle in China. Using panel data from 2011 to 2020, we employed the entropy weight TOPSIS method to construct a comprehensive index that charts the evolution of rural industry integration across various districts and counties. Additionally, we utilized fixed-effect and spatio-temporally weighted regression models to analyze the underlying driving forces behind this integration. Our findings reveal a dynamic and varied landscape of rural industry integration, with different levels of depth and breadth across various subsystems. Spatially, we observed a transition from a dispersed to a more concentrated agglomeration pattern within the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle. This shift suggests a diffusion effect emanating from core metropolitan areas, as well as an attracting force exerted by adjacent metropolitan circles. In terms of drivers, market demand, openness level, financial development, policy support, and agricultural insurance breadth significantly contribute to rural industry integration. However, technological progress and rural human capital exhibit a weaker correlation. Notably, our models identified pronounced spatial–temporal heterogeneity among these influencing factors, highlighting a nuanced and dynamic relationship between them. Overall, our study emphasizes the crucial role of rural industry integration in bridging the urban–rural divide and fostering sustainable agricultural development and rural revitalization. The insights gained from this research provide valuable guidance for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to optimize rural development strategies and unlock the potential of integrated rural industries.

Research on the development strategy of Neijiang Zigong sports city under the background of the construction of the double city economic circle in Chengdu-Chongqing area

Research on the development strategy of Neijiang Zigong sports city under the background of the construction of the double city economic circle in Chengdu-Chongqing area

The Correlation Between Education and Income Inequality

This paper analyzes the dynamics of wealth and education inequality in the world. This topic is very useful for the current economic situation. Meanwhile, the economic circle has different views on this issue by searching different literature. Each paper comes up with a different result and a different conclusion based on a different way of calculating economic inequality, and most scholars are divided into two groups, those who think they are strongly related and those who think they are not deeply related. These papers use some special calculations to calculate economic inequality. After analyzing the experimental process and results, it was found this issue and came up with personal views. In opinion, education does have a great impact on the economic situation of the middle class, but for the richest group of people, education has little impact on them. However, this research result still has some defects, so researchers need to consult more pieces of literature and obtain more data to obtain a more accurate result, which would greatly improve the level of economic inequality and extreme poverty in the world.

A reflection on Hong Kong’s yellow economic circle

ABSTRACT Emerged from the anti-extradition law amendment bill movement in 2019, the yellow economic circle (YEC) is the first ever widely adopted political consumerism in post-handover Hong Kong, where people buycott yellow (pro-movement) and boycott blue (anti-movement/ pro-Beijing/ pro-HKSAR-government) businesses. The reflection’s prominence lies in the popular engagement in YEC, and the political consumerism still lingers in the city even after the abrupt end of the 2019 movement. Existing research lacks the exploration of the meanings YEC entailed in relation to the context of Hong Kong and the lessons YEC can impart to the city’s civil society development. By classifying YEC into “sign” and “process,” the article first examines the particular juncture at which YEC emerged to show how Beijing has tried to govern Hong Kong through the market. It subsequently delves into a discourse analysis, scrutinizing how Beijing has constructed a civility for the market, which is later reshaped by YEC. Drawing on Chantal Mouffe’s theorization of “politics” as well as Hardt and Negri’s discussion of “identitarian love,” the article continues by shedding light on the identity politics and oxymoron of liberal democracy inherent in the political consumerism. It also addresses the narrow democratic imagination reflected in different incidents arising from YEC, which may be symptomatic of Hong Kong’s current political struggle. The exploration concludes with suggestions on how the YEC can strengthen Hong Kong’s civil society after Beijing’s crackdown.

Topic Analysis of the Relationship between Green Finance, Rural Green Development Level and Rural Residents' income: Based on The Empirical Study of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

Topic Analysis of the Relationship between Green Finance, Rural Green Development Level and Rural Residents' income: Based on The Empirical Study of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

Research on Sports Public Service Supply in the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle under the Background of Regional Economic Development

Using literature, questionnaires, interviews, and mathematical statistics to investigate the current situation of sports public services in the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin-city Economic Circle. The results show that there are some problems in Chengdu–Chongqing sports public services, such as big difference in the development level of supply between urban and rural areas, low supply level, low efficiency, supply mechanism defect, lack of social sports instructors, an outstanding contradiction between the quality of sports public service and residents’ demand. To address the problems, government departments should accelerate the transformation of government functions, improve the relevant regulations and systems, increase the investment in sports public services, improve the quality of supply, cultivate the backbone team, integrate resources, and combine the national characteristics with regional characteristics, take into account the personalized needs of the residents, combine the sports public services with intelligence, and build the service system of “Internet + Fitness.”

Research on Green Logistics Development in Chengdu-Chongqing Region under the Perspective of Game Theory

Chengdu-Chongqing Twin Cities Economic Circle is an important growth pole for the formation of high-quality development in western China and has a unique and important strategic position in the overall situation of national development. Chengdu-Chongqing two places not only vigorously promote the construction of logistics corridors and infrastructure connectivity, but also promote the logistics of all kinds of factors of production, including reasonable flow and efficient agglomeration, and strive to promote the Chengdu-Chongqing two places to the green logistics, cost reduction and efficiency to make effective exploration. The paper first analyzes the current situation and problems of green logistics construction in the Chengdu-Chongqing area, and then establishes an evolutionary game model between the government, enterprises, and consumers based on the game theory perspective, to try to put forward reasonable suggestions for the development and construction of green logistics in Chengdu-Chongqing area.

Study on the Railway Effect of the Coordinated Development of the Economy and Environment in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle

Transportation infrastructure plays a crucial role in economic development and significantly influences climate change, providing direct and indirect benefits towards the attainment of Goals 8 and 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study investigates the impact of railway infrastructure on the level of economic and environmental coordination development in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle, using panel data from 16 cities spanning from 2010 to 2020. The analysis employs a coupled coordination degree model and a panel fixed effects model. The findings reveal a gradual increase in the level of economic and environmental coordination development in each city during the study period. Notably, Chongqing and Chengdu exhibit significantly higher levels compared to other cities. Railway infrastructure construction can significantly promote the coordinated development of the urban economy and environment. In areas with a high level of coordinated development of the economy and environment, the promoting effect is relatively small, while in areas with a low level of coordinated development of the economy and environment, the promoting effect is relatively large. Over the long term, railways continue to significantly promote the coordinated development of the urban economy and environment. The construction of railways can stimulate the development of the urban private economy and marketization, thereby facilitating the coordinated development of the urban economy and environment.

A Deep Neural Network-Based Intelligent Forecasting Approach for Multi-Dimensional Economic Indexes in Smart Cities

Intelligent forecasting of economic indexes has been an important demand for sustainable management of smart cities. Existing methods for this purpose were mostly established upon the basis of economic mechanism. Econometric models are the most general technical means in this area. However, in era of digital economy, increasing amount of big data has brought great change to traditional production. It is becoming more difficult for conventional technological forecasting methods to deal with multi-dimensional economic indexes. To deal with such challenge, this paper introduces the artificial intelligence algorithms to implement automatic information processing, and proposes a deep neural network-based intelligent forecasting method for multi-dimensional economic indexes in smart cities. Specifically, a deep neural network with three-layer structure is developed as the backbone methodology. For empirical analysis, the real-world data from “Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle” in China from 2012 to 2022 are selected as the main simulation scenario. Four major indexes are selected as the main research object: gross product (GDP), per capita GDP, GDP growth rate and the proportion of tertiary industry in GDP. The experimental results show that the proposal can well deal with such forecasting problem from a data-driven perspective, with a proper forecasting effect on historical data.

Exploring the destination network in the context of tourism mobility: a multi-scale analytical framework

ABSTRACT Tourist mobility has attracted considerable attention from tourism academics and industry practitioners. This study explores the destination network, which is constructed based on tourists’ digital footprint data collected from online travel diaries, by proposing a multi-scale analytical framework. In particular, to analyze the tourism destination network comprehensively, the proposed framework integrates traditional quantitative analysis (gravity center model, statistics of flow directions) and three scales of network analysis (macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic network metrics), to reveal the structural patterns of the underlying pattern characteristics; furthermore, by using the multiple regression quadratic assignment procedure (MRQAP), the framework also explores the formation mechanism of the destination network by measuring the correlation and causality between the destination network and the corresponding transportation network, combining other potential driving factors. Based on illustrative case study data, which contains 18, 939 travel diaries and 51, 603, 044 transportation records from Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in China, the empirical results show that the destination network is dynamically changed during four-year period, and the transportation network has great potential in explaining the formation of destination network. The dynamic characteristics of destination network and the exploration of formation mechanism offer the opportunities for improving destination planning and management.

Ecological Security Patterns Research Based on Ecosystem Services and Circuit Theory in Southwest China

The rapid economic development in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) has exerted significant pressure on the ecological environment of the Sichuan–Chongqing Region in China. Balancing ecological protection and economic development has become an imperative challenge that needs to be addressed. In this study, we employed land use/cover data and environmental threat factors to construct Ecological Security Patterns (ESPs) for the CCEC using the InVEST model and Circuit Theory. The research findings revealed the following key outcomes: (1) The total area of suitable habitat in the CCEC was 208,728.3 km2, accounting for 87.14% of the study area. Habitat quality exhibited regional variations, with higher quality habitats predominantly found in the western and northeastern parts, and lower quality habitats in the central region. (2) The CCEC consisted of areas with low, medium, high, and optimal habitat quality, spanning 140,912.18 km2, 15,341.89 km2, 15,578.38 km2, and 36,895.85 km2, respectively. These areas accounted for 58.83%, 6.40%, 6.50%, and 15.40% of the study area, respectively. (3) The ESPs in the CCEC encompassed 22 ecological nodes, 36 clusters of ecological corridors, and 136 ecological sources. Ecological corridors served as radial connections, linking each ecological node and ecological source along mountain ranges, forested areas, river networks, and valleys. (4) The core ecological regions forming the ESPs of the CCEC included the Qionglai–Minshan–Longquan Mountains in the west, Tiefeng–Fangdou–Qiyue–Wushan Mountains in the east and northeast, and Dalou Mountain in the southeast. These regional-scale findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to implement targeted measures for ecological protection and promote green development. They offer objective guidance and constraints for managing urban expansion and anthropogenic activities, ultimately enhancing the ecological security level of the CCEC.

Development of Higher Vocational Education in Shuangcheng Economic Circle of Chengdu-Chongqing area Evaluation and Research on Coupling and Coordination with Economic Growth

Objective: The Central Committee's meeting on the Chengdu-Chongqing economic plan highlights the role of higher vocational education in fostering technological progress and economic growth through skilled talent cultivation, aligning with the region's development opportunities. Methods: This paper uses entropy method and coupling coordination degree model to conduct empirical research on the collaborative development of higher vocational education and regional economy in Chengdu-Chongqing region from 2011 to 2020. Conclusions: 1) For Chengdu-Chongqing area, the coupling coordination degree has gradually changed from the original low level coupling coordination type to the good coordination degree.2) In order to maintain the balanced development of higher vocational education with economic and social development, our country must accelerate the transformation of government functions, promote the reform of vocational education, and promote the coordinated development of higher vocational education and regional economy.