Low Level Of Urbanization Research Articles

Environmental, geographical and time‐related impacts on avian malaria infections in native and introduced populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus), a globally invasive species

AbstractAimThe increasing spread of vector‐borne diseases has resulted in severe health concerns for humans, domestic animals and wildlife, with changes in land use and the introduction of invasive species being among the main possible causes for this increase. We explored several ecological drivers potentially affecting the local prevalence and richness of avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) populations.LocationGlobal.Time period2002–2019.Major taxa studiedAvian Plasmodium parasites in house sparrows.MethodsWe analysed data from 2,220 samples from 69 localities across all continents, except Antarctica. The influence of environment (urbanization index and human density), geography (altitude, latitude, hemisphere) and time (bird breeding season and years since introduction) were analysed using generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) and random forests.ResultsOverall, 670 sparrows (30.2%) were infected with 22 Plasmodium lineages. In native populations, parasite prevalence was positively related to urbanization index, with the highest prevalence values in areas with intermediate urbanization levels. Likewise, in introduced populations, prevalence was positively associated with urbanization index; however, higher infection occurred in areas with either extreme high or low levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, the number of parasite lineages increased with altitude and with the years elapsed since the establishment of sparrows in a new locality. Here, after a decline in the number of parasite lineages in the first 30 years, an increase from 40 years onwards was detected.Main conclusionsUrbanization was related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced bird populations. In invaded areas, altitude and time since bird introduction were related to the number of Plasmodium lineages found to be infecting sparrows.

Structural Changes in Human Mobility Under the Zero-COVID Strategy in China

Over the past two years, China has wrested domestic control of the COVID-19 pandemic through non-pharmaceutical interventions. However, the extent to which the pandemic has changed people’s travel behavior in the new normal under the zero-COVID policy is not yet clear. This study investigates the profound effects of the zero-COVID strategy on human mobility in 365 Chinese cities over time. Our results suggest the following: (1) Even between city pairs with no local cases, intercity mobility decreased by an average of 16%, whereas intra-city mobility increased by 9% compared with the pre-pandemic baseline. Long-distance travel decreased substantially, while trips below 100 km increased slightly. These new trends indicate a localized pattern which is presumably caused by the wide adoption of teleworking and virtual classes, as well as concerns about the safety and availability of public transportation. (2) Containment measures caused a considerably acute decline in intercity short-distance trips but exerted a markedly lasting effect on long-distance trips. (3) Cities with lower levels of urbanization, smaller population sizes, less labor force, and lower GDP and GDP per capita experienced greater reductions in mobility, which may be due to their insufficient management capabilities. (4) The Chinese government has adopted adaptive measures to contain outbreaks. Stricter and more timely responses led to faster recoveries in the second half of 2021 compared with the first half. Inter- and intra-city mobility decreased by 41% and 26%, respectively, within the first 2 weeks of an outbreak, and it took 6-7 weeks to return to pre-outbreak levels.

Survival and characteristics of older adults receiving home-based medical care: A nationwide analysis in Taiwan.

In Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Administration initiated the integrated home-based medical care (iHBMC) program in 2016 to improve accessibility to health care for homebound patients. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of older people receiving iHBMC services in Taiwan as well as the relationship between patient characteristics and survival. All older adults registered in the iHBMC application dataset were enrolled between March 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. Data on social determinants of health (income level, residential area), functional status, consciousness status, nasogastric tube or urinary catheter placement, and major diseases were retrieved from the database. Data on the frequency of multidisciplinary team members' visits were collected. The survival rate was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards univariate regression was conducted to analyze factors influencing survival rates. A total of 41,079 patients aged ≥65 years were enrolled in iHBMC services. The results showed that the one-year survival rates were 72.1%, 67.4%, and 14.7% in the home-based primary care (HBPC), home-based primary care plus (HBPC-Plus), and home-based palliative care (HBPalC), respectively. Nearly two-thirds of the HBPC-Plus patients underwent nasogastric tube placement. The Cox proportional hazards univariate regression analysis showed that a low urbanization level, a low income level, a low functional status, and an impaired consciousness status were significant predictors of poor survival after adjustment for confounding variables. Older adults receiving iHBMC services had a high mortality rate. The high rate of feeding tube use indicated that education and support for both clinical practitioners and family caregivers regarding careful hand feeding are warranted. There was a relationship between low income levels and poor survival in rural areas. Further research on whether social care could impact prognosis should be considered.

Metabarcoding of trap nests reveals differential impact of urbanization on cavity-nesting bee and wasp communities.

Urbanization is affecting arthropod communities worldwide, for example by changing the availability of food resources. However, the strength and direction of a community's response is species-specific and depends on species' trophic level. Here, we investigated interacting species at different trophic levels in nests of cavity-nesting bees and wasps along two urbanization gradients in four German cities using trap nests. We analysed bee and wasp diversity and their trophic interaction partners by metabarcoding the DNA of bee pollen and preyed arthropods found in wasp nests. We found that the pollen richness increased with increasing distance from city centres and at sites characterized by a high percentage of impervious and developed surface, while the richness of pollinators was unaffected by urbanization. In contrast, species richness of wasps, but not their arthropod prey, was highest at sites with low levels of urbanization. However, the community structure of wasp prey changed with urbanization at both local and regional scales. Throughout the study area, the community of wasps consisted of specialists, while bee species were generalists. Our results suggest that Hymenoptera and their food resources are negatively affected by increasing urbanization. However, to understand distribution patterns of both, wasps and bees in urban settings other factors besides food availability should be considered.

EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON DENSITY OF THE GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY AND MORTALITY FROM THE DISEASES OF CIRCULATORY SYSTEM.

The aim: Comparative analysis of average life expectancy, mortality from diseases of the circulatory system, gross regional product, and density of general practitioners in regions with different levels of urbanization. Materials and methods: We compared the following characteristics of groups classified by level of urbanization: average density of general practitioners per 10,000, average life expectancy and mortality from diseases of the circulatory system per 1,000, average gross regional product per 1 person. Results: The groups did not differ in average life expectancy. The highest rate of mortality from diseases of the circulatory system- in the group with average level of urbanization, the lowest- in the group with low level of urbanization (p<0.05). The highest value of gross regional product per person is in the group with high level of urbanization, and the lowest is in the group with low level (p<0.05). The lowest density of primary care doctors per 10,000 is in the group with high level of urbanization, and the highest is in the group with low level of urbanization (p<0.05). Conclusions: When planning staffing of health care institutions, it is necessary to take into account the level of urbanization of the region and ensure status of the general practitioner as a leading medical specialist responsible for medical care during the first meeting with the patient and his subsequent follow-up.

Demographic Aspects of Syria&amp;apos;s Socio-economic Recovery

The demographic aspects of countries and regions today is an important factor in their not only social, but also economic development and position in the world. Demographic trends are especially important for a state in whose territory, as in the Syrian People&amp;apos;s Republic (SAR), a military conflict continues, largely related to external intervention. Until 2011, i.e. before the outbreak of the military conflict, Syria remained one of the most economically developed countries in the West Asia region. But the result of the military conflict was numerous and serious demographic and socio-economic losses. Therefore, the author substantiates the point of view that among the most important tasks of the state remains the speedy restoration of not only the socio-economic sphere, but also positive demographic processes. The purpose of the article is to analyze the demographic situation in Syria in the XXI century, to identify the factors that influenced its formation and new trends and processes, their interrelation and interdependence. The research was carried out on the basis of statistical data provided by international organizations, primarily UNCTAD, for the period from 2000 to 2021, as well as on the basis of the analysis of available domestic and foreign scientific literature on the subject under consideration. The study showed that along with the growth of the share of the population of the SAR in regional indicators, the country retains significant specifics. The author notes, first of all, the preservation of relatively high birth rates of the population, a relatively low level of urbanization.

The U-shaped association between urbanization and post-stroke disability: A nationwide longitudinal study in China

BackgroundIn the 21st century, China experienced a rapid increase in urbanization, which has enhanced medical service availability, but has also increased exposure to adverse environmental and socioeconomic factors. Urbanization-related factors can affect the prognosis of stroke patients, particularly the progression of neurological disabilities. However, the overall association between urbanization and post-stroke disability remains unknown. MethodA total of 21,678 stroke patients were selected from the China National Stroke Screening Survey (2013–2018); all included patients had at least one follow-up record. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS), a clinician-reported functional outcome measure for recovery from stroke, was utilized to assess post-disability at each visit. A larger mRS score means severer disability. The urbanization level before each visit was evaluated based on 5-year average satellite measurements of night-time light (NTL) or urban land cover (i.e., proportion of impervious surface). We used a fixed-effects model to estimate the association between urbanization level and risk of disability (i.e., mRS score). The non-linear relationship was modelled by penalized spline functions. ResultsAccording to linear models with multivariate adjustment, every 10 digital number (DN) increment in NTL was associated with a 0.050 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.026, 0.074) increase in mRS score, and every 10% increment in impervious surface was associated with a 0.052 (95% CI: 0.034, 0.070) increase in mRS score. The association was stronger in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, dyslipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes compared with the corresponding reference group. Non-linear analysis showed a U-shaped relationship between urbanization and the mRS score, which indicates that high and low urbanization levels were both associated with an increased risk of post-stroke disability. ConclusionsOur study revealed a complex association between urbanization and post-stroke disability. The optimal level of urbanization to prevent neurological disabilities in stroke patients could be inferred from the U-shaped curve. The reasons for the complex association between urbanization and post-stroke disability should be further explored to establish causality.

Association of urbanization with psychological well-being in Chinese adults aged 50 years and older: a population-based study.

To examine the association between urbanization and psychological well-being (PWB) in China. Data were obtained from the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and included 3,071 men and 3,385 women aged 50 years or older who lived in 288 communities across 12 provinces and municipalities. The urbanization index, which summarizes 12 urbanization dimensions at community level, was categorized into tertiles representing low, medium, and high levels of urbanization. PWB was assessed by scoring three self-reported questions. Gender-stratified multilevel analyses were used to estimate the association between urbanization and PWB. After controlling for individual-level factors, the urbanization index was associated positively with PWB. More specifically, an increase of one SD in the score of community population density, economic activity, housing, education, sanitation, or diversity was associated significantly with PWB in both genders. In addition, increases in the score of community communications, social services, transportation, or modern markets were associated significantly with PWB in women, but not in men. Urbanization has, on average, had an independent and positive effect on PWB in middle-aged and older Chinese populations, with many components of urbanization being separately and positively associated with PWB, especially in women.

Patterns and reasons of migration to urban Odisha

The study of changing patterns and reasons for migration has tremendous policy implications. Odisha as an economically developing state of India represents a very low level of urbanization but around fifty percent of the urban population are migrants. Analysing census of India data through commonly used measures of descriptive statistics, this paper studies the changing patterns and reasons for migration to urban places of Odisha. This paper is descriptive, yet has come up with new findings and raised a few questions requiring further investigation. The rising trend of urban-to-urban migration along with the feminisation of migration are two such issues.

Exploring the impact of emissions trading schemes on income inequality between urban and rural areas

While the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are the two most important global governance agendas, in practice they have been implemented in isolation. This calls for the need to focus on the potential policy synergies between emission reduction policies and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper therefore aims to explore whether the emissions trading scheme (ETS) policy—one of the most effective ways to fulfill the target determined by the Paris Agreement, would facilitate reducing income inequality (SDG10). By combining a difference-in-difference estimation and propensity score matching technique based on a balanced panel dataset for 31 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2018, we quantify the impact of ETS policy on income inequality between urban and rural areas in China. The results demonstrate that compared with the regions without ETS, the Theil index between rural and urban areas with ETS decreased by 0.018 on average in China. In addition, the ETS would perform better in regions with low urbanization level and high coal dependence. Hence it is vital to speed up the establishment of a unified ETS market in China. This is particularly true for inner underdeveloped regions in China. These findings proven to be robust according to a series of tests challenge the view that SDG 10 has the least relevance to climate action and suggest rethinking the effectiveness and applicability of ETS. Therefore, our research can not only serve as a reference for the development of ETS in China and elsewhere, but also inform decision makers who are seeking for policy synergies between the Paris Agreement and SDGs.

Assessment of the market potential of African countries

The aim of the article. The purpose of the article is to development of a methodology for assessing the attractiveness of the market of African countries for domestic enterprises. The results of the analyses. The reasons that prevent the development of the African sales market have been identified: the opposition of world power centers; non-transparency of funding and total corruption at all levels of government; low level of technology development; cultural, religious and social contradictions in many countries; complex epidemiological situation; lack of necessary transport infrastructure; low level of population urbanization; low level of literacy. A methodology for assessing the attractiveness of the market of African countries is proposed based on the use of five criteria: potential market capacity, dynamics of market sales, complexity of marketing efforts for the enterprise, project payback terms, product complementarity to the enterprise's current business. Conclusions and perspectives for further research. For successful work in the African market, it is necessary to perform the following actions: make more significant efforts in studying the foreign market and carefully adhere to the principles of marketing; set high requirements for the quality, knowledge, technical level of goods, service, advertising, packaging, design; strictly take into account the requirements of foreign markets, their conditions, potential, opportunities for diversification on it; use close direct relations with foreign consumers, intermediaries, brokers, participate in auctions, fairs and exhibitions, use leasing and other methods that would contribute to the expansion of foreign economic relations; take into account the peculiarities of the global market: the presence of competitors, their prices, terms of sale of goods, volume of sales, advertising, methods of distribution and promotion of goods and services

Effects of Environmental and Socioeconomic Inequalities on Health Outcomes: A Multi-Region Time-Series Study.

The gradual increase in temperatures and changes in relative humidity, added to the aging and socioeconomic conditions of the population, may represent problems for public health, given that future projections predict even more noticeable changes in the climate and the age pyramid, which require analyses at an appropriate spatial scale. To our knowledge, an analysis of the synergic effects of several climatic and socioeconomic conditions on hospital admissions and deaths by cardiorespiratory and mental disorders has not yet been performed in Brazil. Statistical analyses were performed using public time series (1996-2015) of daily health and meteorological data from 16 metropolitan regions (in a subtropical climate zone in South America). Health data were stratified into six groups according to gender and age ranges (40-59; 60-79; and ≥80 years old) for each region. For the regression analysis, two distributions (Poisson and binomial negative) were tested with and without zero adjustments for the complete series and percentiles. Finally, the relative risks were calculated, and the effects based on exposure-response curves were evaluated and compared among regions. The negative binomial distribution fit the data best. High temperatures and low relative humidity were the most relevant risk factors for hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases (lag = 0), while minimum temperatures were important for respiratory diseases (lag = 2 or 3 days). Temperature extremes, both high and low, were the most important risk factors for mental illnesses at lag 0. Groups with people over 60 years old presented higher risks for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, while this was observed for the adult group (40-59 years old) in relation to mental disorders. In general, no major differences were found in the results between men and women. However, regions with higher urbanization levels presented risks, mainly for respiratory diseases, while the same was observed for cardiovascular diseases for regions with lower levels of urbanization. The Municipal Human Development Index is an important factor for the occurrence of diseases and deaths for all regions, depending on the evaluated group, representing high risks for health outcomes (the value for hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases was 1.6713 for the female adult group in the metropolitan region Palmas, and the value for hospitalization for respiratory diseases was 1.7274 for the female adult group in the metropolitan region Campo Mourão). In general, less developed regions have less access to adequate health care and better living conditions.

Urbanization increases fluctuating asymmetry and affects behavioral traits of a common grasshopper.

Urbanization has a major impact on biodiversity. For many organisms, the urbanization process means environmental stress caused by fragmentation and increased temperatures in cities and atmospheric, soil, light, and noise pollution. Such environmental stress can influence both the morphology and behavior of animals. Hence, individuals might be selected for survival-facilitating traits under high pressures in urban areas. The specific impact of urbanization on insect behavior is still largely unexplored. We studied the impact of urbanization on one of the most common grasshopper species in Germany, Chorthippus biguttulus, by comparing morphological and behavioral traits of individuals sampled from grasslands with low, medium, and high urbanization levels. We first investigated whether urbanization as a stressor affected body size and fluctuating asymmetry in the locomotor organs. Next, we examined whether urbanization induced changes in the individuals' boldness and activity. Our results showed that fluctuating asymmetry of grasshoppers' locomotory organs increased more than twofold with urbanization level. Further, individuals' boldness and walking activity increased from areas with low to high urbanization levels. Our results indicate strong responses of grasshoppers in terms of morphology and behavior to the urban environment. To compensate for urbanization effects on arthropod populations, management strategies need to be developed that maintain ecological processes and reduce environmental stress in urban areas.

Gender differences in association of urbanization with psychological stress in Chinese adults: A population-based study.

To investigate the gender-specific associations between exposure to urbanization and psychological stress in China experiencing rapid urbanization. Data were obtained from the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey. A total of 4,388 men and 5,098 women aged at least 18 years were obtained from 288 communities across 12 provinces and municipalities. Tertiles of the urbanization index, summarizing 12 urbanization dimensions at the community level, were used to define low, medium, and high levels of urbanization. The psychological stress was measured based on the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The gender-stratified multilevel analysis (Level-1: Individuals, Level-2: Communities, and Level-3: provinces/municipalities) was used to estimate the association between exposure to urbanization and psychological stress. After controlling for age, education status, marital status, work status, household income per capita, current smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration, BMI, and chronic conditions, the urbanization index was negatively associated with psychological stress in women (P trend = 0.017) but not men (P trend = 0.476). More specifically, a one-standard deviation increase in the score of community population density (β = -0.329, P = 0.329), modern markets (β = -0.247, P = 0.044), education (β = -0.448, P = 0.002), and housing (β = -0.380, P = 0.005) was negatively associated with psychological stress only in women, separately. Our data revealed that living in the most urbanized communities is associated with lower levels of psychological stress for women but not men. Thus, this study can help empower decision-makers to accurately target vulnerable communities and plan effective strategies to address psychological outcomes.

How urban land-use intensity affected CO2 emissions at the county level: Influence and prediction

Currently, China will promote county towns’ urbanization, and few studies have analyzed spatial effects of urban land-use intensity on CO2 emissions and predicted CO2 emissions at the county level accurately. Here, taking data from 2010 to 2015 at the county level of Zhejiang Province as an example, we analyzed the spatial effect of urban land-use intensity from three aspects of input, density and output on CO2 emissions by the spatial Durbin model (SDM). And then a machine learning method of Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) was proposed to predict CO2 emissions for 2035 nonlinearly under the different promotions of urban land-use intensity. The main result and conclusion showed that: (1) The spillover effects of urban land-use density were negatively related to CO2 emissions, and urban land-use output intensity showed positive spillover effects on CO2 emissions; (2) The prediction of BPNN showed that the improvement of urban land-use intensity would not be effective in CO2 emissions reductions for southwestern counties with both low levels of urbanization and urban land-use intensity; (3) It was effective in CO2 emissions reduction by slowing down the growth rate of urban land-use capital input intensity, especially for the northeast region which was developed by the port economy. Our study encouraged a regional differentiated urban land-use intensity improvement strategy for Zhejiang to achieve low carbon development.

What is the spatiotemporal relationship between urbanization and ecosystem services? A case from 110 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

Rapid urbanization has altered landscape patterns and ecological functions, causing a decline in ecosystem service and generating many ecological and environmental issues. Studying the spatiotemporal interaction between urbanization and ecosystem service (ES) can provide effective supports for regional sustainability and policy formulation. This research utilizes the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as a case to analyze the spatiotemporal interaction between multi-urbanization indicators and multi-ESs over a large-scale region. The results show that the urbanization process in the YREB evolves from a rapidly growing state to a steady state with a slower rise. The urbanization level of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is relatively higher than the other regions. The distribution pattern of urbanization shows an overall characteristic of lower urbanization in the west and higher in the east. From 2009 to 2016, ecosystem service value (ESV) in the YREB decreased first and then increased, ESV in 2016 showed a reduction of 12.768 billion yuan compared with the 2009 level. ESV increases gradually from highly urbanized areas to those with lower levels of urbanization. Areas with high ESV levels are distributed at the middle reaches of YREB. There is a U-shaped curve relationship between urbanization and ESV, the ESV sharply increased when the urbanization index exceeded 0.6 in 2012. Land urbanization has the greatest impact on ESV among the four subtypes of urbanization indicators. Urbanization and ESV show the synergy relationship mostly in the eastern region, accounting for 18.18% of the total 110 cities. By contrast, they present the trade-off relationship in northern, southern and central regions, occupying 47.27% of the total observations. This study is helpful to provide scientific suggestions regarding the development of new urbanization, the protection of ESV, and the issue of how to achieve synergistic and sustainable development between them.

Regional Differences of Farmers’ Willingness to Grow Grain and Its Influencing Factors in Shandong Province under the Background of New-Type Urbanization

Taking Shandong Province as the research area, we explored the willingness of farmers to grow grain and the influencing factors. By constructing the evaluation system of their willingness with 6 levels and 15 indicators based on field investigation, and quantitatively analyzing the influence degree and impact assessment of factors through a logistic regression model, the regional differences in farmers’ willingness were summarized, and the influencing factors were recognized. This study indicates that there were obvious regional differences in farmers’ willingness, which were the highest in the western region, the second in the eastern region, and the lowest in the central region. Specifically, the willingness varies significantly among cities, among which Laiwu has the highest willingness (0.76), while Tai’an has the lowest (0.41). The level of urbanization in different regions and the main influencing factors are different, and the same factor has different degrees of influence on cities, leading to regional differences. In terms of urbanization level, the main influencing factors in areas with high urbanization levels are the proportion of grain income and grain expenditure. However, in areas with a low urbanization level, it is the farmers’ planting attitude. From the perspective of influence mode, different factors have positive and negative differences in the willingness. Additionally, farmers’ willingness is becoming more and more rational, and more consideration is given to economic benefits. Among the influencing factors, the land planting mode, the proportion of grain income, and the proportion of grain expenditure are the most important factors, and 82% (11) of the cities are affected by the above three factors. Finally, the corresponding incentive measures are proposed by the regional differences in the influencing factors in various cities.

Do Cities Improve Our Health Status? A State-Level Analysis in India

While several cross-country level studies suggest urbanization increases health outcomes; national-level studies are missing. On the other hand, India is experiencing a very low level of urbanization due to policy failures. In this context, this study assesses the impact of urbanization on health outcomes in Indian states from the period of 1991 to 2011. Urbanization is measured by the total urban population and percentage of urban population as different states are having a different level of urbanization. Health outcomes are measured by total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, and life expectancy at birth. The static panel data models such as fixed-effect and random-effect panel data models suggest that the total urban population and the percentage of the urban population have a positive effect on life expectancy at birth and have a negative effect on the infant mortality rate and total fertility rate. Among the control variables, the percentage of urban households having access to electricity, urban monthly per capita consumption expenditure, and per capita net state domestic product has also had a similar effect on the health outcomes. Other important variables such as rural to urban migration, literacy rate, poverty rate, access to safe drinking water, labor force participation rate, and the extent of inequality also play an important role in increasing health outcomes. We also checked the robustness of our results by using the instrumental variable generalized method of moments. Our results support the Theory of Demographic Transition and suggest that Indian policymakers must support increasing the urbanization rate for achieving higher health outcomes. However, proper management of urbanization by providing basic services to urban dwellers is also very important in this regard.

Short-term PM1 and PM2.5 exposure and asthma mortality in Jiangsu Province, China: What’s the role of neighborhood characteristics?

BackgroundEvidence suggests that particulate matter (PM) with smaller particle sizes (such as PM1, PM with an aerodynamic diameter≤1 µm) may have more toxic health effects. However, the short-term association between PM1 and asthma mortality remains largely unknown. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the short-term effects of PM1 and PM2.5 on asthma mortality, as well as to investigate how neighborhood characteristics modified this association. MethodsDaily data on asthma mortality were collected from 13 cities in Jiangsu Province, China, between 2016 and 2017. A time-stratified case-crossover design was attempted to examine the short-term effects of PM1 and PM2.5 on asthma mortality. Individual exposure levels of PM1 and PM2.5 on case and control days were determined based on individual’s residential addresses. Stratified analyses by neighborhood characteristics (including green space, tree canopy, blue space, population density, nighttime light and street connectivity) were conducted to identify vulnerable living environments. ResultsMean daily concentrations of PM1 and PM2.5 on case days were 33.8 μg/m3 and 54.3 μg/m3. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in three-day-averaged (lag02) PM1 and PM2.5 concentrations were associated with an increase of 6.66% (95%CI:1.18%,12.44%) and 2.39% (95%CI: 0.05%−4.78%) asthma mortality, respectively. Concentration-response curves showed a consistent increase in daily asthma mortality with increasing PM1 and PM2.5 concentrations. Subgroup analyses indicated that the effect of PM1 appeared to be evident in neighborhood characteristics with high green space, low urbanization level and poor street connectivity. ConclusionThis study suggested an association between short-term PM1 and PM2.5 exposures and asthma mortality. Several neighborhood characteristics (such as green space and physical supportive environment) that could modify the effect of PM1 on asthma mortality should be further explored.

Bird lineages colonizing urban habitats have diversified at high rates across deep time.

AimUrbanization exposes species to novel ecological conditions. Some species thrive in urban areas, whereas many others are excluded from these human‐made environments. Previous analyses suggest that the ability to cope with rapid environmental change is associated with long‐term patterns of diversification, but whether the suite of traits associated with the ability to colonize urban environments is linked to this process remains poorly understood.LocationWorld.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedPasserine birds.MethodsWe applied macroevolutionary models to a large dataset of passerine birds to compare the evolutionary history of urban‐tolerant species with that of urban‐avoidant species. Specifically, we examined models of state‐dependent speciation and extinction to assess the macroevolution of urban tolerance as a binary trait, in addition to models of quantitative trait‐dependent diversification based on relative urban abundance. We also ran simulation‐based model assessments to explore potential sources of bias.ResultsWe provide evidence that historically, species with traits promoting urban colonization have undergone faster diversification than urban‐avoidant species, indicating that urbanization favours clades with a historical tendency towards rapid speciation or reduced extinction. In addition, we find that past transitions towards states that currently impede urban colonization by passerines have been more frequent than in the opposite direction. Furthermore, we find a portion of urban‐avoidant passerines to be recent and to undergo fast diversification. All highly supported models give this result consistently.Main conclusionsUrbanization is mainly associated with the loss of lineages that are inherently more vulnerable to extinction over deep time, whereas cities tend to be colonized by less vulnerable lineages, for which urbanization might be neutral or positive in terms of longer‐term diversification. Urban avoidance is associated with high rates of recent diversification for some clades occurring in regions with relatively intact natural ecosystems and low current levels of urbanization.