Interregional Variation Research Articles

Spatially-explicit environmental assessment of bioethanol from miscanthus and switchgrass in France

Bioethanol is promoted as a means of tackling climate change, diversifying energy sources and securing energy supply. However, there also concerns that their wider deployment could lead to unintended environmental consequences. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used methodology to assess the environmental performance of biofuels. However, its outcomes strongly depend on the inventory data and modeling assumptions. Agronomic variables such as crop yields, nitrogen fertilizer rates or field emissions of nitrous oxide are very sensitive inputs, as are soil carbon dynamics in response to land use changes (LUC) entailed by the deployment of energy crops. Models simulating agroecosystem processes and the economics of agricultural farms are promising tools to predict such variables and improve the reliability of LCA.Here, we combined the agro-ecosystem model CERES-EGC, the farm economic model AROPAj and the LCA approach to investigate the effect of local drivers on the environmental impacts of bioethanol from miscanthus and switchgrass over France.Overall, lignocellulosic bioethanol achieved GHG abatement targets in the 74 %–94 % range compared to gasoline, and complied with the 50 % minimum imposed by European regulations. Miscanthus-based ethanol achieved up to twice lower environmental impacts than switchgrass due to 50 % higher biomass yields overall. Low fertilizer N input rates (in the 0-30 kg N ha-1 yr-1 range) proved the most efficient strategy to optimize energy return. Significant inter-regional variability occurred, especially in terms of soil C sequestration rates, which weighed in substantially on GHG budgets. Some regions were more efficient than others as a result, which advocates a site-specific approach and a potential prioritization when planning biorefineries, taking into account local production and environmental performance potentials. Compared to previous studies, ours provided high-resolution data in terms of crop yields, nitrous oxide emissions and soil C dynamics, factoring in LUC effects at local to regional scales.

A Categorical Modelling Approach to Site and Growth of Eucalyptus Stands in Brazilian Eastern Amazon

Theoretical framework: Site index cannot be generalized to different eucalyptus clonal stands, since each clone has a distinct growth and yield pattern, in which categorical variables may add site-specific effects to assess model's interregional variability. 
 
 Objective: This study aimed to assess the statistical performance of site index, as well as growth and yield models in different configurations adding categorical variables. 
 
 Method: The study was carried out in eucalyptus stands in Eastern Brazilian Amazon with three clones of different ages and a different number of trees. Traditional Schumacher’s site model was fitted with the addition of categorical clone variable. Beck-Della Bianca’s model was fitted by ordinary least squares (OLS) and two-stage least squares (2SLS), adding dominant height as site variable and including clone variable. 
 
 Results and discussion: Schumacher’s clone model presented lower standard estimate error (9.50%) and higher adjusted coefficient of determination (0.61), correcting the lack of normality and homoscedasticity. 2SLS was more accurate than OLS for Beck-Della Bianca’s model. This model validation resulted in root-mean-squared error of 2.82% and bias of 0.03%. 
 
 Research implications: Additive and multiplicative effects on site index resulted in polymorphism. Clone variable provided more parsimonious and accurate models to estimate site index and forest growth and yield, in which 2SLS was recommended for forest prognosis.

Depicting the anatomy of the gyral white matter: ubi sumus? quo vadimus?

Abstract A cerebral gyrus is made up of an external layer of folded cortex and an inner core of white matter. The architecture of the core has specific features that make it distinct from the white matter of the deep brain regions. Limited externally by the grey matter that covers the top of the gyrus and the neighbouring sulci, this gyral white matter is made up of a mix of fibre populations with multiple directions and destinations. The presence of densely packed fibres with multiple crossings, the proximity to the cortex and the existence of inter-regional and inter-individual variations make the task of depicting this microanatomy extremely challenging. The topic is, however, of paramount relevance for both fundamental and applied neurosciences. This fibre colocalization is crucial for the functional role of each cerebral region and is key to clinical manifestations in cases of parenchymal damage. As track tracing, imaging and dissection are based on different biological or physical principles, it is natural for their results to sometimes be different, but they are often complementary. As the amount of available information increases, it becomes fragmented due to the multiplicity of methods, target phenomena and studied species. In this scoping review, we present the key concepts and map the primary sources of evidence regarding identifying the fibre pathways that compose the gyral white matter, enabling the discussion of avenues for future research. The general pattern in which these pathways are distributed in the gyral white matter was detailed, and the main variations as a function of brain topography were explained and illustrated with typical examples.

Legacies of Survival: Historical Violence and Ethnic Minority Behavior

How is the electoral behavior of minorities shaped by past violence? Recent studies found that displacement increases hostility between perpetrators and displaced individuals, but there has been paltry research on members of surviving communities. We argue that the latter exhibit the opposite pattern because of their different condition. Violence will cause cross-generational vulnerability, fear and risk-aversion—leading the surviving communities to seek protection and avoid conflict by signalling loyalty and rejecting nationalist movements. In their situation as an excluded minority in the perpetrators’ state, they will be more likely to vote for out-group parties. Exploiting exogenous battlefield dynamics that created inter-regional variation in the Palestinian exodus (1947–1949), microlevel measurements that capture the damage of violence, and an original longitudinal data set, we show that Palestinian villages in Israel more severely impacted by the 1948 war have a much higher vote share to Jewish parties even 70 years later. Survey evidence further supports our theory, revealing that this pattern exists only for members of the surviving communities, and not among displaced individuals. The findings shed new light on the complex social relations that guide political decision-making in post-war settings and divided societies that suffer from protracted conflicts.

Regional unevenness and synergy of carbon emission reduction in China's green low-carbon circular economy

This study draws upon general systems theory and Bronfenbrenner's theory of ecosystem studies. Utilizing panel data from 2000 to 2019 covering 30 provinces in China, this study applies the entropy value method to measure the index of high-quality development in China's Green Low-Carbon Circular Economy. Subsequently, the study employs the generalized matrix moment estimation to analyze the regional unevenness and synergistic pathways of carbon emission reduction in the low-carbon circular economy. Findings indicate that carbon emission reduction within China's green, low-carbon circular economy exhibited inter-regional variations from 2000 to 2019, accompanied by a significant non-equilibrium spatial distribution and a gradual evolutionary pattern. Except for the northeast region, the deviation of the high-quality development index in China's Green Low-Carbon Circular Economy from the national and regional averages converged across the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions, assuming control of other factors. Therefore, China takes action to stimulate the development momentum of each region, expediting the adoption of green production methods. Furthermore, optimizing the policy system should be prioritized to address the regional development gap. Additionally, implementing a comprehensive and intensive strategy to enhance resource recycling efficiency is crucial. These measures aim to provide valuable insights for decision-makers in formulating strategies for the transformation toward China's Green Low-Carbon Circular Economy.

Ubiquity of Amino Accelerators and Antioxidants in Road Dust from Multiple Land Types: Targeted and Nontargeted Analysis.

Amino accelerators and antioxidants (AAL/Os), as well as their degradation derivatives, are industrial additives of emerging concern due to their massive production and use (particularly in rubber tires), pervasiveness in the environment, and documented adverse effects. This study delineated their inter-regional variations in road dust collected from urban/suburb, agricultural, and forest areas, and screened for less-studied AAL/O analogues with high-resolution mass spectrometry. 1,3-Diphenylguanidine (DPG; median concentration: 121 ng/g) and N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6PPD-Q; 9.75 ng/g) are the most abundant congeners, constituting 69.7% and 41.4% of the total concentrations of AAL/Os (192 ng/g) and those of AAO transformation products (22.3 ng/g), respectively. The spatial distribution across the studied sites suggests evident human impacts, reflected by the pronounced urban signature and vehicle-originated pollution. Our nontargeted analysis of the most-contaminated road dust identified 16 AAL/O-related chemicals, many of which have received little investigation. Particularly, environmental and toxicological information remains extremely scarce for five out of the 10 most concerning compounds prioritized in terms of their dusty residues and toxicity including 1,2-diphenyl-3-cyclohexylguanidine (DPCG), N,N''-bis[2-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]guanidine (BPPG), and N-(4-anilinophenyl)formamide (PPD-CHO). Additionally, dicyclohexylamine (DChA), broadly applied as an antioxidant in automobile products, had an even greater median level than DPG. Therefore, future research on their health risks and (eco)toxic potential is of high importance.

A Study on Agrarian Economy in the Hills of Manipur with Special Reference to Thadou-Kuki Ethnic Group

Jhum-based agriculture has been the dominant mode of economic activity in terms of production and livelihoods for tribal people of Manipur. Thadou tribe has the highest population among all the tribes in Manipur, and their economy has been characterised by jhumming. But in recent times there has been a significant change in the way, these tribes practice their economic activities and livelihoods. The study is based on 15 villages of four different sub-divisions of three hill districts of Manipur where Thadou-Kukis are settled in large numbers. The study seeks to understand the occupational patterns of Thadou-Kuki group and the nature of its agrarian economy using village level data. The study finds that the occupational patterns of this group are changing and they are giving up jhum-based paddy cultivation for other cash crops and non-agricultural sectors. Settled cultivation is practiced widespread but due to the non-application of modern inputs, there has been a huge shortage of rice. Agricultural diversification is taking place in jhum area and there are inter-regional variations in the way the villages practice diversification. Some villages are growing poppy in a large scale and some high-value crops like ginger, king chilly and sesame. The nature of Thadou-Kuki agrarian economy is no more a homogenous one; it is now more of a differentiated agrarian economy. The state of the agrarian economy in the surveyed villages indicates a transitional flux where there is a huge food grain deficit and at the same time diversification is not taking smoothly.

Metabolic non-communicable disease health report of India: the ICMR-INDIAB national cross-sectional study (ICMR-INDIAB-17)

Non-communicable disease (NCD) rates are rapidly increasing in India with wide regional variations. We aimed to quantify the prevalence of metabolic NCDs in India and analyse interstate and inter-regional variations. The Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, a cross-sectional population-based survey, assessed a representative sample of individuals aged 20 years and older drawn from urban and rural areas of 31 states, union territories, and the National Capital Territory of India. We conducted the survey in multiple phases with a stratified multistage sampling design, using three-level stratification based on geography, population size, and socioeconomic status of each state. Diabetes and prediabetes were diagnosed using the WHO criteria, hypertension using the Eighth Joint National Committee guidelines, obesity (generalised and abdominal) using the WHO Asia Pacific guidelines, and dyslipidaemia using the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. A total of 113 043 individuals (79 506 from rural areas and 33 537 from urban areas) participated in the ICMR-INDIAB study between Oct 18, 2008 and Dec 17, 2020. The overall weighted prevalence of diabetes was 11·4% (95% CI 10·2-12·5; 10 151 of 107 119 individuals), prediabetes 15·3% (13·9-16·6; 15 496 of 107 119 individuals), hypertension 35·5% (33·8-37·3; 35 172 of 111 439 individuals), generalised obesity 28·6% (26·9-30·3; 29 861 of 110 368 individuals), abdominal obesity 39·5% (37·7-41·4; 40 121 of 108 665 individuals), and dyslipidaemia 81·2% (77·9-84·5; 14 895 of 18 492 of 25 647). All metabolic NCDs except prediabetes were more frequent in urban than rural areas. In many states with a lower human development index, the ratio of diabetes to prediabetes was less than 1. The prevalence of diabetes and other metabolic NCDs in India is considerably higher than previously estimated. While the diabetes epidemic is stabilising in the more developed states of the country, it is still increasing in most other states. Thus, there are serious implications for the nation, warranting urgent state-specific policies and interventions to arrest the rapidly rising epidemic of metabolic NCDs in India. Indian Council of Medical Research and Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Trends in mortality rates from chronic forms of coronary heart disease in the regions of the Russian Federation in 2017–2021

Objective. To assess the trend and variability of standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) from chronic forms of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the regions of the Russian Federation (RF) in 2017–2021. Material and methods. The investigation used the 2017–21 Russian Federal State Statistics Service (RFSS) data on the average annual population and the number of deaths in the one-year age groups in 82 RF regions on the basis of the RFSS “Brief Death Cause Nomenclature” (BDCN). The SMRs were calculated on the basis of the European standard per 100,000 population for each region; then the average regional SMRs related to the chronic forms of CHD were determined using 4 BDCN accounting lines. Results. For the period from 2017 to 2019, a decrease was noted in the average regional SMRs from all forms of CHD (from 183.9±68.5 to 176.8±65.3 cases per 100,000 population), but in 2020 and 2021, an increase was recorded in SMRs from CHD (204.3±75.4 and 207.4±76.9 cases per 100,000 population, respectively) as the proportion of these causes decreased in the structure of all-cause mortality in the COVID-19 pandemic period (18.4±7.1% in 2017 and 15.8±5.4% in 2021). there was a decrease in the average regional SMRs from all forms of chronic heart diseases (CHD) (from 183.9±68.5 to 176.8±65.3 cases per 100,000 population), but in 2020 and 2021, an increase in the SMRs from CCHD (204.3±75.4 and 207.4±76.9 cases per 100,000 population, respectively) hand in hand with a reduction in the proportion of these causes in the COVID-19 pandemic period (18.4±7.1% in 2017 and 15.8±5.4% in 2021). Results. For the period from 2017 to 2019, over a 5-year period, an annual consistent decrease was recorded in the SMR from CHD in none Russia’s regions; their annual rise was seen in 4 regions; whereas an unstable trend was noted with a decrease and a rise in SMRs in the others. There was a considerable interregional variability of SMRs from all forms of CHD (in 2017, the maximal SMR differed from the minimal one by 60 times) and from individual forms of CHD (in 2020, the regional minimum and maximum SMRs from I25.1 differed by 500 times). The paper presents hypotheses about the causes of the revealed differences and proposals to modify the accounting of deaths from CHD. Conclusion. There were substantial regional differences with an unstable 5-year trend in SMRs from CHD in the entire and individual accounting forms included in this group in accordance with the ICD. The fact that there are no unified criteria for and approaches to identifying the individual forms of CHD as the main cause of death, including that in the presence of multimorbid pathology complicates understanding the causes of death.

Impact of geography on receipt of medical oncology consultation and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple negative and HER2 positive breast cancer.

1530 Background: Consensus guidelines recommend consideration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for most patients with early-stage triple negative (TN) and HER2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer. Based on our previous work, most patients are not seen by a medical oncologist prior to surgery and do not receive NAC. Although potential barriers are not well understood, distance to cancer centres has been shown to mediate medical oncology referral and use of systemic therapy for other malignancies. We therefore aimed to characterize the impact of region of residence and cancer centre proximity on receipt of pre-treatment medical oncology consultation and NAC for patients with TN and HER2+ breast cancer. Methods: Using linked administrative healthcare datasets in Ontario, Canada, we performed a retrospective population-based geographic analysis of women diagnosed with stage I-III TN or HER2+ breast cancer from 2012-2019. Outcomes were pre-treatment medical oncology consultation and initiation of NAC. We created choropleth maps to assess the spatial distribution of outcomes across census divisions, displaying cancer centres and outcomes by colour gradient using geographic information system analysis. To assess the relationship between distance to the nearest cancer centre and outcomes, we performed a multivariable regression analysis adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical factors, including tumour extent and nodal status. Results: Within the cohort of 12,881 patients, there was no statistically significant relationship between incremental distance to the nearest cancer centre (≤5 vs. 5-10, 10-25, and ≥25 km) and rate of medical oncology consultation or receipt of NAC. Mapping analysis demonstrated high interregional outcome variability, ranging across census divisions from 12.2% to 64.3% for medical oncology consultation rate, and 9.3% to 64.3% for NAC rate. 77.7% of patients referred to medical oncology received NAC. Conclusions: Among patients with TN and HER2+ early breast cancer, rates of medical oncology consultation and NAC were not significantly impacted by distance to cancer centres but varied highly by region. This variability suggests that regional and/or provider practice patterns, rather than distance, may underlie discrepancies in referral for NAC. These findings can inform further studies and interventions aiming to improve equitable access to NAC for patients with TN and HER2+ breast cancer.

Neglected burden of injuries in Ethiopia, from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis of the global burden of diseases study 2019.

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals has given injury prevention new attention, including halving road traffic injuries. This study compiled the best available evidence on injury from the global burden of diseases study for Ethiopia from 1990 to 2019. Injury data on incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years lost, years lived with disability, and years of life lost were extracted from the 2019 global burden of diseases study for regions and chartered cities in Ethiopia from 1990 to 2019. Rates were estimated per 100,000 population. In 2019, the age-standardized rate of incidence was 7,118 (95% UI: 6,621-7,678), prevalence was 21,735 (95% UI: 19,251-26,302), death was 72 (95% UI: 61-83), disability-adjusted life years lost was 3,265 (95% UI: 2,826-3,783), years of live lost was 2,417 (95% UI: 2,043-2,860), and years lived with disability was 848 [95% UI: (620-1,153)]. Since 1990, there has been a reduction in the age-standardized rate of incidence by 76% (95% UI: 74-78), death by 70% (95% UI: 65-75), and prevalence by 13% (95% UI: 3-18), with noticeable inter-regional variations. Transport injuries, conflict and terrorism, interpersonal violence, self-harm, falls, poisoning, and exposure to mechanical forces were the leading causes of injury-related deaths and long-term disabilities. Since 1990, there has been a decline in the prevalence of transport injuries by 32% (95% UI: 31-33), exposure to mechanical forces by 12% (95% UI: 10-14), and interpersonal violence by 7.4% (95% UI: 5-10). However, there was an increment in falls by 8.4% (95% UI: 7-11) and conflict and terrorism by 1.5% (95% UI: 38-27). Even though the burden of injuries has steadily decreased at national and sub-national levels in Ethiopia over the past 30 years, it still remains to be an area of public health priority. Therefore, injury prevention and control strategies should consider regional disparities in the burden of injuries, promoting transportation safety, developing democratic culture and negotiation skills to solve disputes, using early security-interventions when conflict arises, ensuring workplace safety and improving psychological wellbeing of citizens.

Timing of perinatal death; causes, circumstances, and regional variations among reviewed deaths in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is one of the countries facing a very high burden of perinatal death in the world. Despite taking several measures to reduce the burden of stillbirth, the pace of decline was not that satisfactory. Although limited perinatal mortality studies were conducted at a national level, none of the studies stressed the timing of perinatal death. Thus, this study is aimed at determining the magnitude and risk factors that are associated with the timing of perinatal death in Ethiopia. National perinatal death surveillance data were used in the study. A total of 3814 reviewed perinatal deaths were included in the study. Multilevel multinomial analysis was employed to examine factors associated with the timing of perinatal death in Ethiopia. The final model was reported through the adjusted relative risk ratio with its 95% Confidence Interval, and variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were declared statistically significant predictors of the timing of perinatal death. Finally, a multi-group analysis was carried out to observe inter-regional variation among selected predictors. Among the reviewed perinatal deaths, 62.8% occurred during the neonatal period followed by intrapartum stillbirth, unknown time of stillbirth, and antepartum stillbirth, each contributing 17.5%,14.3%, and 5.4% of perinatal deaths, respectively. Maternal age, place of delivery, maternal health condition, antennal visit, maternal education, cause of death (infection and congenital and chromosomal abnormalities), and delay to decide to seek care were individual-level factors significantly associated with the timing of perinatal death. While delay reaching a health facility, delay to receive optimal care health facility, type of health facility and type region were provincial-level factors correlated with the timing of perinatal death. A statistically significant inter-regional variation was observed due to infection and congenital anomalies in determining the timing of perinatal death. Six out of ten perinatal deaths occurred during the neonatal period, and the timing of perinatal death was determined by neonatal, maternal, and facility factors. As a way forward, a concerted effort is needed to improve the community awareness of institutional delivery and ANC visit. Moreover, strengthening the facility level readiness in availing quality service through all paths of the continuum of care with special attention to the lower-level facilities and selected poor-performing regions is mandatory.

Variation and internal-external driving forces of grey water footprint efficiency in China's Yellow River Basin.

Grey water footprint (GWF) efficiency is a reflection of both water pollution and the economy. The assessment of GWF and its efficiency is conducive to improving water environment quality and achieving sustainable development. This study introduces a comprehensive approach to assessing and analyzing the GWF efficiency. Based on the measurement of the GWF efficiency, the kernel density estimation and the Dagum Gini coefficient method are introduced to investigate the spatial and temporal variation of the GWF efficiency. The Geodetector method is also innovatively used to investigate the internal and external driving forces of GWF efficiency, not only revealing the effects of individual factors, but also probing the interaction between different drivers. For demonstrating this assessment approach, nine provinces in China's Yellow River Basin from 2005 to 2020 are chosen for the study. The results show that: (1) the GWF efficiency of the basin increases from 23.92 yuan/m3 in 2005 to 164.87 yuan/m3 in 2020, showing a distribution pattern of "low in the western and high in the eastern". Agricultural GWF is the main contributor to the GWF. (2) The temporal variation of the GWF efficiency shows a rising trend, and the kernel density curve has noticeable left trailing and polarization characteristics. The spatial variation of the GWF efficiency fluctuates upwards, accompanied by a rise in the overall Gini coefficient from 0.25 to 0.28. Inter-regional variation of the GWF efficiency is the primary source of spatial variation, with an average contribution of 73.39%. (3) For internal driving forces, economic development is the main driver of the GWF efficiency, and the interaction of any two internal factors enhances the explanatory power. For external driving forces, capital stock reflects the greatest impact. The interaction combinations with the highest q statistics for upstream, midstream and downstream are capital stock and population density, technological innovation and population density, and industrial structure and population density, respectively.

Monte Carlo modeling of hepatic steatosis based on stereology and spatial distribution of fat droplets

Background and ObjectiveTo model hepatic steatosis in adult humans with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on stereology and spatial distribution of fat droplets from liver biopsy specimens. MethodsHistological analysis was performed on 30 adult human liver biopsy specimens with varying degrees of steatosis. Morphological features of fat droplets were characterized by gamma distribution function (GDF) in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) spaces from three aspects: 1) size distribution indicating non-uniformity of fat droplets in radius; 2) nearest neighbor distance distribution indicating heterogeneous accumulation (i.e., clustering) of fat droplets; 3) regional anisotropy indicating inter-regional variability in fat fraction (FF). To generalize the morphological description of hepatic steatosis to different FFs, correlation analysis was performed among the estimated GDF parameters and FFs for all specimens. Finally, Monte Carlo modeling of hepatic steatosis was developed to simulate fat droplet distribution in tissue. ResultsMorphological features, including size and nearest neighbor distance in 2D and 3D spaces as well as regional anisotropy, statistically captured the distribution of fat droplets by the GDF fit (R2 > 0.54). The estimated GDF parameters (i.e., scale and shape parameters) and FFs were well correlated, with R2 > 0.55. In addition, simulated 3D liver morphological models demonstrated similar sections to real histological samples both visually and quantitatively. ConclusionsThe morphology of hepatic steatosis is well characterized by stereology and spatial distribution of fat droplets. Simulated models demonstrate similar appearances to real histological samples. Furthermore, the model may help understand MRI signal behavior in the presence of liver steatosis.

Influences of Spatial Accessibility and Service Capacity on the Utilization of Elderly-Care Facilities: A Case Study of the Main Urban Area of Chongqing

With the unprecedented growth of the elderly population in China, elderly-care facilities (ECFs) are in a fast expansion process. However, limited attention has been paid to the imbalance at the actual utilization level of ECFs. This research aims to reveal the spatial inequity of ECFs and to quantitatively examine the effect of accessibility and institutional service capacity on utilization. Taking Chongqing, China, as the study area, we measured the spatial accessibility of different travel modes by the Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (G2SFCA) method and investigated distribution differences in spatial accessibility, service capacity, and utilization of ECFs by the Dagum Gini Coefficient and its decomposition. Then, the impact of spatial accessibility and service capacity on the utilization of regional ECFs was quantified by multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). The study findings can be summarized as follows. (1) Walking accessibility has the most significant impact on the utilization of ECFs and shows geographic heterogeneity. Developing a pedestrian-oriented network of pathways is essential to enhance the utilization of ECFs. (2) Accessibility by driving and bus-riding does not correlate with regional ECFs utilization, and relevant studies cannot rely on them alone for assessing the equity of ECFs. (3) In the utilization of ECFs, since the inter-regional difference is more significant than the intra-regional difference, efforts to reduce the overall imbalance should be oriented toward inter-regional variation. The study's findings will assist national policymakers in developing EFCs to enhance health indicators and quality of life for older adults by prioritizing financing for shortage areas, coordinating ECFs services, and optimizing road systems.

Transactional-governance structures:new cross-country data and an application to the effect of uncertainty

AbstractTo what extent are personal trust, mutual interests, and third parties important in enforcing agreements to trade? How do firms combine these to form transactional-governance structures? This article answers these questions in a whole-economy, cross-country setting that considers a full spectrum of transactional-governance strategies. The data collection requires a new survey question answerable in any context. The question is applied in six South American countries using representative samples, with the resultant survey weights facilitating a whole-economy analysis. Without imposing an a priori model, latent class analysis estimates meaningful governance structures. Bilateralism is always used. Law is never used alone. Bilateralism and formal institutions are rarely substitutes. Within country, inter-regional variation in governance is greater than inter-country variation. The usefulness of the data is shown by testing one element of Williamson’s discriminating-alignment agenda: greater uncertainty in the transactional environment increases the involvement of third parties.

Dynamics of the water environment in a water quantity-quality-soil model of China's Yellow River basin: imbalance and driving factors.

Dynamic assessment of the water environment reflects variations in water resources in a basin under the combined influence of nature and humans and is a prerequisite for rational water management. This study provides an integrated assessment of the water environment in a water quantity-quality-soil model. Using the long-term monthly data from hydrological monitoring stations, the water environment of the Yellow River basin is assessed from the year 2006 to 2019. The kernel density estimation and the Dagum Gini coefficient are used to analyze the spatial and temporal imbalances of the water environment. Geographic detectors are used to extract external driving factors of the unbalanced evolution. The study results reveal that (1) the water environment in the basin shows a fluctuating downward trend, which mainly depends on the organic pollution control indicators, with a contribution of 22.85%. Scores of the water environment in the midstream are lower than those in the upstream and downstream due to the heavy pollutant discharges. (2) The spatial imbalance shows a fluctuating downward trend. Inter-regional variation is the primary source of regional variation in the water environment, with an average contribution of 56.02%. (3) The temporal imbalance of the water environment is on the rise, with a degree of multipolarity. The significant left trailing feature of the kernel density curve suggests that there are areas within the basin where the water environment is extremely poor. (4) For the overall basin and upstream, economic development and technological innovation are the main external driving factors influencing the spatial and temporal imbalances of the water environment. For the midstream and downstream, population density and environmental regulations are the main drivers. The interaction of any two factors has a greater impact than the single one.

Centralization and regionalization of minimum wages: Evidence from Russia

The paper investigates recent developments in the minimum wage policy in Russia. We focus on the effects of two interventions: (1) the decision of the Russian Constitutional Court of December 7, 2017 to exclude mandatory regional compensation payments and Northern allowances from the minimum wage; (2) the decision to equate the national minimum wage with the subsistence level through two hikes in early 2018. Our empirical analysis is based on the data for 2016Q1—2022Q1, covering the period before and after the interventions. The decision of the Constitutional Court introduced an additional tier of minimum wage setting. Formerly, minimum wages were regionalized in a decentralizedway via tripartite collective bargaining at the regional level. Since 2018, this approach has been supplemented with the centralized regionalization via mandatory regional coefficients. The decision to equate the minimum wage with the subsistence level also contributed to the increase in centralization as it reduced the room the social partners to set regional minima above the federal level. As a result, the regionalization via regional tripartite agreements has basically ceased to exist, although before 2018 it showed a decent ability to adapt to local conditions. Policy developments in 2017—2018 reduced the interregional variation in the bindingness and purchasingpower of minimum wages. However, it might have happened at the expense of economically weak regions. In poor regions, the ratio of the minimum wage to the average wage has exceeded 50%, which exacerbates the risks of disemployment and welfare losses in those regions.

The assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of Verbascum gypsicola by ISSR markers for conservation purposes

The habitats of many plant species are under severe threat, especially from human activities. Therefore, it was aimed to determine the genetic potential of endemic Verbascum gypsicola in Turkey. Samples were taken from 96 individuals belonging to four populations of V. gypsicola. While the percentage of polymorphic locus at the species level was 99.5%, the average percentage of polymorphic locus at the population level was 61.1%, the Nei gene diversity was H = 0.14; the Shannon information index was determined as I = 0.24. At the same time, the total genetic diversity of the species, genetic diversity within the populations, genetic diversity among populations and gene flow values between the populations were determined as HT = 0.14, HS = 0.13, GST = 0.11 and NM = 3.72, respectively. Within‐population variation was 81%, among‐population variation was 8% and interregional variation was 11% according to AMOVA. Results from STRUCTURE analyses revealed two major groupings of populations and some divergence within one of the major groupings. While the genetic diversity at the species level was high, the genetic diversity at the population level was found to be lower than observed for previously studied Verbascum species. The most important reason for this is thought to reductions in population size, driven by environmental damage.

Interregional practice variations in the use of local therapy for synchronous colorectal liver metastases in the Netherlands.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Dutch regional practice variation in treatment of synchronous colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) over time and assess their impact on patients survival. Two cohorts of patients with synchronous CRLM were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). All patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2018 were selected to analyze interregional practice variations in local therapy (LT) with multivariable logistic regression. Overall survival (OS) was assessed for patients diagnosed from 2008 to 2013 using Kaplan Meier method and Cox regression analyses. The proportion of patients who underwent LT increased from 15.5% to 21.9%. Interregional use of LT varied from 19.1% to 25.0%. Multivariable logistic regression showed significant differences between regions in the use of LT (p=0.001) in 2014-2018. There was no association between OS and region of diagnosis for patients who underwent LT after correction for confounders.The use of LT for CRLM increased from 15.5% in 2008-2013 to 21.9% in 2014-2018. Three-year OS increased from 16% to 19% respectively. Interregional practice variations have decreased. The remaining differences are not associated with OS. The use of local therapy and 3-year overall survival have increased over time. Local practice should be monitored to prevent undesirable variation in outcomes.