Natural Population Growth Rate Research Articles

The Impacts of Beaver Dams on Groundwater Regime and Habitat 6510

Changes in land usage, increasing climatic uncertainty, and dynamic development of the rate of natural population growth of the Eurasian beaver will lead to increasing benefits and disadvantages from beaver activity. During three growing seasons from 2020 to 2022, four cross-sections were marked on unused sub-irrigation systems with the periodic occurrence of beaver dams, located on organic soils in parts of the facility protected by the Habitats Directive (natural habitat 6510) in Central Poland. Periodic water table measurements in wells, the beds of adjacent ditches, and the riverbed were carried out. Identification of the states and structures of plant communities was done using the botanical-weight analysis of several samples with an area of 1 m2. Beaver dams increased water levels in the river, ditches, and groundwater depth in over 78% of events in 2020–2022 years. A large impact of precipitation on the hydraulic conditions in the meadow was observed. In the studied area, since a moderately moist habitat (6510) is protected within the Natura 2000 network, phenomena increasing soil moisture, in the absence of mowing of meadows and the occurrence of expansive herbaceous vegetation that tolerates increased moisture, may lead to the disappearance of these habitats, especially in the zone near the riverbed.

An Empirical Analysis of Factors Affecting China's Comprehensive Grain Production Capacity

China, with the largest population in the world, is also the largest grain consumer. Grain security is fundamental to national welfare and the economy, playing a crucial role in socioeconomic development. Since the reform and opening-up, China's grain output has doubled, successfully overcoming the global grain crisis in 2006 and the global food crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, we cannot be overly optimistic; we must realize that China's grain output growth has relied on soil fertility depletion and excessive pesticide and fertilizer usage, putting significant pressure on the environment. This paper analyzes the factors influencing China's grain output based on data from 1980 to 2020. Through this, it reflects the comprehensive grain production capacity and offers feasible suggestions based on the findings. The analysis is carried out from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. On the theoretical side, the paper considers the impact of variables such as the area of irrigated arable land (X1, in thousand hectares), total agricultural machinery power (X2, in ten thousand kilowatts), grain crop sowing area (X3, in thousand hectares), fertilizer use (X4, in ten thousand tons), and natural population growth rate (X5, in percentage) on grain output. On the empirical side, five grain-related indicators are selected for principal component analysis, and the model is tested using Eviews. The relative importance of factors affecting comprehensive grain production capacity varies with different stages of grain production and development. Finally, the paper offers recommendations for improving China's comprehensive grain production capacity based on the research findings.

Internal tension or external pressure? Study on the influencing factors of the diffusion of education policies for older adults in China – Based on the analysis of China’s provincial panel data from 2016 to 2023

ABSTRACT The development of education for older adults through policy measures has become an important means for governments to actively cope with population aging. Taking the number of education policies for older adults adopted in 31 provinces of China from 2016 to 2023 as an example, this study empirically analyzes the factors influencing the diffusion of education policies from dimensions of internal tension and external pressure. The results showed that the level of economic development, natural population growth rate, older adults dependency ratio, child dependency ratio, illiterate population over 15 years old, number of local libraries inside the province and the adoption of education policies for older adults in adjacent provinces significantly affected the adoption of education policies for older adults in each province. After the introduction of regional variables, it is found that there are significant differences in the adoption of education policies for older adults by provincial governments in different regions of China. The policy responsiveness of eastern provinces is the best, followed by the central, and the western is the worst. The above results indicate that provincial governments in China are not only affected by the supply level of education services for older adults and their service demand within the province, but also affected by the adoption behavior of other provinces when making decisions, which is the result of rational thinking and competitive pressure. The above results provide China’s experience for the diffusion and implementation of education policies for older adults in a wider range.

Study on Driving Factors and Spatiotemporal Differentiation of Eco-Environmental Quality in Jianghuai River Basin of China

For an in-depth analysis of the ecosystems of the Jianghuai Valley, this study utilized municipal data from 2017 to 2021. In addition, this study established an index scale evaluation system for the quality of the ecological environment in the Jianghuai Valley. This system encompasses five critical dimensions: drivers, pressures, states, impacts, and responses, in accordance with the DPSIR model. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method combined with the gray correlation method was used to assess the ecological status of each region of the Jianghuai Valley at different time periods and the driving factors affecting the ecological quality of the Jianghuai Valley. Our study yields several key conclusions. First, it was observed that the ecological environment within the Jianghuai Valley showed a continuous upward bias in inter-annual variability. Second, there exists variation in ecological environment quality among the eleven urban areas within the Jianghuai Valley, highlighting regional disparities. Third, among the eleven urban areas in the Jianghuai Valley, Anqing has the best ecological quality, and Huainan has the worst ecological performance. Fourth, the ecological environment quality within the Jianghuai Valley demonstrates an aggregated pattern. From west to east, this pattern is delineated by distinct areas: one marked by excellent ecological environment quality, another exhibiting average ecological environment quality, followed by a zone characterized by good ecological environment quality, and finally, an area with poor ecological environment. Fifth, our analysis reveals that Q9 (indicating the percentage of excellent air days) and Q13 (denoting the annual average temperature) have a pronounced correlation with the Jianghuai Valley’s ecological quality. Conversely, Q3, which pertains to the rate of natural population growth, had the lowest relevance to the ecological quality of the Jianghuai Valley.

Spatio-Temporal Evaluation of Water Resources System Resilience and Identification of Its Driving Factors in the Yellow River Basin

Water resources are crucial for the development of ecosystems and humanity. The Yellow River Basin (YRB), as an important ecological area in China, is facing significant challenges in ecological protection and high-quality development due to global climate change and intense human activities. In order to alleviate the water resources crisis in the YRB, it is necessary to calculate the resilience of the water resources system and identify the main influencing factors. This paper considered the factors of water resources, social economy, and ecological environment, then constructed an evaluation framework of the water resources system resilience (WRSR) from three aspects: resistance, restoration, and adaptability. Taking nine provinces along the YRB as a case study, the WRSR was measured by using the entropy weight TOPSIS model, and its driving factors were analyzed with Geographical Detectors (GD). The results showed that: (1) From 2010 to 2022, the WRSR in the Yellow River Basin and various provinces was showing a fluctuating increasing trend, in which Ningxia had the highest average WRSR (0.646), while Shanxi had the lowest (0.168). (2) From three dimensions, the development trends of resistance, restoration, and adaptability in the YRB and various provinces from 2010 to 2022 were relatively stable. Shandong’s resistance level far exceeded that of other provinces, having the highest average resistance value (0.692), and Ningxia had the highest average value of restoration (0.827) and adaptability (0.711). However, Gansu had the lowest average value of resistance (0.119), Sichuan had the lowest average value of restoration (0.097), and Shandong had the lowest average value of adaptability (0.110). (3) In terms of impact factors, the development and utilization rate of water resources (C13) and the development and utilization rate of surface water resources (C14) in the restoration subsystem consistently ranked in the top two of influencing factors. Similarly, the water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP (C26) in the adaptability subsystem consistently ranked within the top ten. On the other hand, the natural population growth rate (C6) in the resistance subsystem, as well as the impact of ammonia nitrogen emissions (C9) and total precipitation (C2) in wastewater, exhibited an upward trend. Based on these, this paper provides relevant suggestions for improving the WRSR in the YRB.

Host-parasite interactions: a study on the pathogenicity of different Mesanophrys sp. densities and hemocytes-mediated parasitic resistance of swimming crabs (Portunus trituberculatus).

Mesanophrys sp. is a parasitic ciliate that invades and destroys the hemocytes of the swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus). In the present study, we employed an in vitro model to elucidate how Mesanophrys sp. destroys crab hemocytes. We also evaluated the relationship between the parasite's density, the destruction rate of the hemocytes, and the rapid proliferation pattern of parasites in host crabs. We found that the survival rate and cell integrity of crab hemocytes decreased with an increase in Mesanophrys sp. density, depicting a negative correlation between hemocyte viability and parasite density. Further analyses revealed that crab hemocytes could resist destruction by a low density (10 ind/mL) of Mesanophrys sp. for a long time (60h). Mesanophrys sp. and its culture medium (containing the ciliate secretions) destroy the host hemocytes. The natural population growth rate of Mesanophrys sp. decreased with an increase in the parasite density, but the Mesanophrys sp. density did not affect the generation time of the parasites. In summary, Mesanophrys sp. can destroy crab hemocytes, and the degree of destruction is directly proportional to the parasite density. The resistance of crab hemocytes to Mesanophrys sp. decreased gradually with an increase in the parasite density.

Analyzing the Shifts in Chinas Birth Rate: Unraveling the Factors Behind the Changes

In recent years, China has experienced significant changes in its birth rate, showing a downward trend. In 2022, the natural population growth rate even turned negative, indicating a critical moment in Chinas population development. It becomes crucial to address how to increase the birth rate. To achieve this, it is important to understand the factors influencing the birth rate. This article analyzes the changes and trends in Chinas birth rate over the past two decades and explores regional variations in birth rates. Finally, it categorizes the influencing factors into four aspects: national fertility policy, social security level, fertility costs, and peoples fertility intentions. Based on the research findings, recommendations for increasing the birth rate are proposed. Regularly evaluate and adjust policies to meet changing demographics. Offer incentives like extended parental leave, flexible work arrangements, and improved childcare services. Enhance social security and family-friendly support: Strengthen access to affordable healthcare, education, and housing. Implement family-friendly legislation, and provide financial assistance, tax benefits, and subsidies to ease the economic burden on families. Improve childcare affordability and accessibility: Invest in high-quality and affordable childcare facilities. Expand maternity rooms and breastfeeding support in public spaces and workplaces. Emphasize shared parenting responsibilities and provide resources for both parents.

Research the Impact of E-commerce on China's Economy

E-commerce has evolved as a generation of technology that provides consumers and industries with the belief to process transactions. While China has gone through a period of pandemic, China's GDP in e-commerce has been growing steadily. In the forecasting model, there is an upward trend in the top five industries in China. And the larger percentage of wholesale and retail industries represents their importance in the future. Therefore, this paper will investigate the impact of e-commerce on China's economy by building two linear regression models. In building the linear regression models to find the relationship, different control variables are selected from various aspects, such as labor force, natural population growth rate, number of employed people and the proportion of enterprises with e-commerce transaction activities, to study their effects on the relationship between e-commerce and China's GDP. Through the research analysis, it is found that e-commerce has a significant positive impact on the Chinese economy, and securing the per capita disposable income of the population helps to promote the development of e-commerce, thus better promoting China's economic development for the better. Finally, this paper gives suggestions from both enterprise and government levels. Enterprises should develop suitable business strategies to meet consumers needs better. On the one hand, the government should encourage residents to consume while protecting consumers' rights and interests. On the other hand, the government should encourage enterprises to innovate and make appropriate policies to help them develop better.

Research on Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development of the Lower Yellow River Based on System Dynamics

The harmonious development between water resources, the economy, and the environment is the foundation of regional high-quality development, and the three are closely related. Based on a full analysis of the current situation of the lower Yellow River, this paper combines domestic and foreign studies, compares the framework of the relationship between water resources, the economy, and environment systems, selects 30 indicators such as average rainfall, natural population growth rate, PM2.5, etc., and establishes an evaluation model of the coupled coordination of the water resources–economy–environment system of the lower Yellow River, and then uses system dynamics to simulate and predict the degree of coupled coordination in the sub-scenarios. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The level of coordinated development in the water resources–environment system outperforms that of the water resources–economy and economy–environment systems in the cities along the lower Yellow River. (2) The coupling coordination degree of the lower reaches of the Yellow River increases from 0.5849 to 0.8209 during the period of 2006–2020, with an average annual increase of 2.62%. (3) A sub-scenario simulation for the 2006–2020 period indicated that the coordination development of the WEE system is optimal under the scenario 4 model, with the coupling coordination degree expected to reach 0.8928 in 2035, marking the advent of high-quality coordinated development. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.

통합 전환기 루마니아인의 사회 인구통계학적 추이

Today’s socio-demographic changes are based on parameters such as natural population growth rates, such as births and deaths, and migration abroad by emigration and immigration. Migration phenomena record the permanent evolution of inflows and outflows of people affected by a variety of factors. The factors that caused migration are very diverse, and depending on the era, they were influenced by social (war, invasion, and disease), natural (natural phenomena, earthquakes, floods), political (exportation), and economic (low wages, high costs, high prices, etc.) factors. Among these, economic factors, especially economic power and purchasing power, and the gap in wage levels between countries of origin and destination have the greatest influence. Migration flows from countries with low economic and purchasing power to developed countries are significant. After World War II, Romania's demographic history experienced three inflection points. The first is the temporary population increase caused by Ceausescu’s fertility policy in the 1960s and the continued decline thereafter. The second is the decline in the birth rate due to the economic situation immediately after the fall of socialism and the gradual decline in mortality due to the development of universal welfare and medical technology. The third is the ongoing change of population in the freedom of migration due to the integrated transition. Romanian international migration before 1989 is based on two mechanisms. One was permanent migration due to political and ethnic issues, and the other was temporary migration for study or employment based on an agreement between the governments of the other countries. However, since 1989, the main reasons for international migration have changed from political and racial issues to unified economic reasons. Thus, the trend of temporary migration has increased both in the number and percentage of total migrants. The world economy and Romania's integration into the EU have brought important changes in terms of economic development, purchasing power and population mobility within the EU. Migration refers to the change of residence of a person under the influence of various economic, political and social factors in relation to the country of origin or destination. During the transition to integration since 2007, international migration in Romania is characterized by two parallel trends: ‘emigration’ and ‘immigration’. The former is the emigration of Romanian citizens abroad, the latter is mainly the Republic of Moldova and foreign nationals from third countries to Romania. One of the most striking phenomena today is that the purpose of international migration is no longer driven by money or economic motives, but by various issues such as culture, education, society and health.

Influencing Factors of Fertility Intention of Youth of Childbearing Age: Based on Social Ecosystem Theory

Population problem is always a comprehensive, long-term and strategic problem facing our country. In 2022, China's fertility rate fell to 6.77 per thousand, a historic low, the natural population growth rate has also entered the negative growth range. The fewer children and aging phenomenon of China's population is more prominent. To encourage fertility, increase the fertility rate and promote an appropriate level of fertility is a pressing task to actively respond to aging and promote long-term balanced population development. Youth are the future of the country, the hope of the nation, the main force of fertility, and the backbone of improving balanced population development. The fertility intention of youth determines the choice of fertility behavior of youth. To improve the fertility rate of youth and give full play to the role of youth as the main force for fertility, improving the fertility intention of youth is the key issue. From the perspective of social ecosystem theory, the paper attempts to comprehensively explore the role of multi-dimensional factors affecting youth’s fertility intention and put forward countermeasures and suggestions to improve fertility intention of the youth.

Medical and Demographic Processes in the Republic of Karelia in 2011–2021: Trends and Risks

Introduction: The Republic of Karelia is a part of the Northwestern Federal District and, being a sparsely populated constituent entity of the Russian Federation, is characterized by a difficult medical and demographic situation. Objective: To assess trends in medical and demographic processes in the Republic of Karelia in 2011–2021. Materials and methods: We analyzed official statistical data provided by the Territorial Body of the Federal State Statistics Service in the Republic of Karelia for the years 2011 to 2021. Both absolute and relative values and time series indicators were used to characterize the processes under study. Results: A long-term depopulation process has been taking place in the region: since 2011, the size of population has decreased by 39.5 thousand people, which was mainly attributed to the rural population decline and a shrinking number of women. In 2011–2021, the natural population growth rate was negative (–2.8 and –12.1 per 1,000 population in 2011 and 2021, respectively), began to worsen in 2015 due to a decrease in the birth rate, and even aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021 owing to increased mortality rates. Diseases of the circulatory system and neoplasms were found to be the leading causes of death during the study period. In 2011–2020, the infant mortality rate ranged from 44.2 to 76.3 per 10 thousand births. We observed a regressive population age structure in the republic characterized by a decrease in the young-age to old-age population ratio from 0.70 in 2011 to 0.67 in 2021. The proportion of residents aged 60 years and older rose from 18.3 % in 2011 to 24.5 % in 2021. The share of working adults, on the opposite, decreased from 61.1 % in 2011 to 54.6 % in the year 2021. In 2020, a gradual increase in life expectancy traced in 2011–2019 turned into a decrease caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: The unfavorable medical and demographic situation in the Republic of Karelia requires special attention of the scientific community and governmental structures. Applying the principle of a systematic approach to solving the problem will help improve the current situation.

Dynamic Characteristics of Medical and Demographic Indicators of Public Health in Arkhangelsk Oblast in the First Twenty Years of the XXI Century: Retrospective Analytical Descriptive Study

Background. Assessing the dynamic characteristics of basic public health indicators is essential to ensure the sustainable human development, quality of life and health care system performance in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Russia. The study is based on the need for constant monitoring of the medical and demographic situation in order to provide timely correction of measures for improving the health care system performance.Objective — to assess the trends in basic medical and demographic indicators characterizing the population health of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. Target population: population of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, no impacts, no outcomes.Methods. Criteria for sample or group formation: the research was performed by means of a continuous method based on the study of population of medical and demographic events. The main inclusion criterion was the availability of information about a medical and demographic event in the Arkhangelsk Oblast in the Russian Fertility and Mortality database (RusFMD), the database of the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). Estimated parameters: life expectancy, infant mortality, disability, morbidity, natural population growth and chronicity rates related to the population of the Arkhangelsk Oblast excluding the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The study was conducted between 2021 and 2022. The following measurement methods were used: autoregressive and integrated moving average, Irwin method to identify abnormal values, linear regression, time series dynamics, and method of chain substitutions. The research was performed by means of a continuous method based on studying the population of medical and demographic events.Results. Natural population growth and chronicity rates showed a stable negative trend, which indicated a decrease in the reproduction potential of the population, and an increase in chronic forms of diseases. Life expectancy, primary morbidity, and primary disability demonstrated a positive trend, but with a tendency to exhaust the positive potential. Infant mortality was the only indicator that consistently showed a positive trend. No additional results of the research were reported.Conclusion. The results of the study demonstrated the deterioration in population health of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, which may be due to a decline in living standards and quality of life as well as to a decrease in health care system performance and a rise in its dysfunctionality. The study has no limitations.

Assessment of reproductive behavior and fertility on the example of the steppe regions of Russia

The article is devoted to the study of reproductive behavior and fertility forecast in the steppe regions of Russia. The purpose of the work is to identify the main patterns and determinants of the reproductive behavior of population in the regions of the steppe zone of Russia. The objectives of the study included a description of the main characteristics of fertility indicators, establishing the significance of differences in reproductive behavior indicators, calculating an integral indicator of reproductive behavior and predicting fertility in the regions under study. In the period 1990-2020 in the territory under consideration, there was a general decrease in the population by 847 thousand people, the main reasons for which were a decrease in the natural population growth and negative migration rates. In the regions of the steppe zone, there is a tendency to increase in the territories with lower birth rates, the average age of a mother at the birth of her first child is growing, there are processes of postponing the birth of children and later marriage. Calculation of the integral indicator made it possible to conduct a rating assessment of the steppe regions of Russia in terms of reproductive behavior. As a result, the values of the integral indicator of reproductive behavior are maximum in the Republic of Kalmykia, and minimum in Saratov oblast. As a result of modeling and forecasting the birth rate in the studied regions till 2025, it was found that the forecasts for most subjects of the steppe zone are disappointing. A uniform decrease in fertility rates is observed in 16 regions, of which the largest decline is forecast in the Republic of Bashkortostan — by 0.9 births per 1,000 people, the Republic of Kalmykia (by 0.8) and Orenburg oblast (by 0.8). Only in 2 regions the calculated forecasts have a positive trend — in Belgorod (by 0.4) and Omsk (by 0.6) oblasts.

COMPARISON OF RURAL POPULATION BURDEN BETWEEN CHINA AND UKRAINE

In order to deeply understand the burden of rural population in China and Ukraine, adjust the structure of rural human resources and better promote the effective implementation of rural human resources management in both countries. This study reviewed the China Statistical Yearbook and the Ukraine Demographic Yearbook to measure the rural population burden in China and Ukraine in terms of three indicators: rural population size, natural population growth rate, and population migration rate, using 2011-2020 as the time period. The results show that both China and Ukraine are facing serious population burden, but the manifestations of population burden are completely different. China's rural population burden is characterized by overpopulation, which is manifested as a large number of rural population, a high birth rate and a large surplus rural labor force. The rural population burden of Ukraine is characterized by insufficient population, which is manifested by low natural growth rate of population and natural growth rate of immigration, more and more rural population moving out of the countryside, and continuous negative growth of rural population.On the basis of this, two suggestions are put forward. On the one hand, China should pay attention to improving the carrying capacity of rural population, strengthen the primary industry, develop the tertiary industry, improve the ability of rural residents to start their own businesses, and reduce the surplus rural labor force as far as possible. On the other hand, Ukraine should adjust its population policy, take various measures to encourage birth and strive to increase the birth rate.At the same time, the income level and employment rate of the rural population should be increased, social welfare security should be strengthened, and the attractiveness of rural areas should be enhanced to balance the social pressure brought by the shortage of rural labor force.This study is of great significance for relieving the pressure of rural population, optimizing the structure of rural human resources and improving the management level of rural human resources in both countries.

Spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of provincial tourism ecological security in China

The scientific evaluation of tourism ecological security (TES) is vital for promoting sustainable tourism development and ecological environmental protection. Using the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model, this study constructed a theoretical framework for evaluating TES. An improved Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method, spatial autocorrelation, a standard deviational ellipse and center of gravity model, and a Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression model were used to evaluate the provincial TES level, spatiotemporal pattern and evolution trajectory, and key influencing factors in China. The results showed that (1) over the study period, China’s provincial TES level increased, and the overall TES was at the critical security level. Among the six geographical units, the average TES decreased as follows: Central and South China > East China > Southwest China > North China > Northwest China > Northeast China. (2) The spatial correlation of TES in the study area was positive. The local spatial autocorrelation was positive (high-high) in the southeast of the Heihe–Tengchong Line, and the northwest side showed a “low–low” correlation. The area of the standard deviational ellipse shrunk inward over the years, and the center of gravity of the ellipse moved from northeast to southwest. (3) The factors affected China’s provincial TES are ranked as follows in the order of importance: sulfur dioxide emissions, number of star-rated hotels, natural population growth rate, international tourism revenue, the number of days on which air quality is equal to or above Grade II, domestic sewage discharge, and the growth rate of the tertiary industry. This study suggests that measures such as strengthening environmental governance and ecological protection, coordinating human–nature relationships, adopting differentiated tourism development, and improving TES impact factors can improve China’s provincial TES level.

Research on early warning and control measures for arable land resource security

Liaoning Province is an important commercial grain production base with abundant arable land resources and total grain yield; however, most of the arable land is of low-quality grade, and less than one-third is highly productive. This study utilized a distinct region in Liaoning Province as the study area and introduced a pressure-state-response model using data related to the quantity, quality, ecology and socio-economics of the arable land. This study constructed an early warning system for arable land resource security and used machine learning to understand the early warning state of arable land resource security. Finally, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal change characteristics of arable land resource security warning and proposed a regulation and control scheme for arable land resource security in the study area. It is essential to achieve equal sustainability of food security, economic development and ecological protection and guarantee the safe and smooth operation of arable land resources. The research results showed: (1) The arable land resource security values in the study area from 1999 to 2018 showed an increasing yearly trend from 0.3 to 0.7. The predicted total arable land resource security values from 2019 to 2023 gradually increased; therefore, the future situation faced by the arable land resource security in the study area will improve. (2) The number of medium and heavy alarms for arable land resource security in the study area from 1999 to 2018 showed a decreasing yearly trend, and the spatial pattern showed a change from concentrated to dispersed. (3) The key driving factors in the study area were gross domestic product per capita and natural population growth rate, which fundamentally drove the changes in arable land resource security alerts. National regulations and the approval process for urban construction land must be strictly enforced to avoid the rapid growth of the urban market economy.

A tale of a shrinking City? Exploring the complex interplay of socio-demographic dynamics in the recent development of Attica, Greece

Mixing peculiar socioeconomic conditions and demographic contexts, urban decline in Mediterranean Europe was less extensively documented than in other regions of the continent. Urbanization without industrialization or, more frequently, a ‘late and light’ industrialization prevented a specific interpretation of metropolitan dynamics in Mediterranean basin according with the paradigm of ‘industrial shrinkage’. For the first time in the recent history, the great recession was a factor leading to metropolitan decline in Southern Europe and, after more than one decade, its outcomes can be investigated considering sufficiently long time series of demographic indicators that assess natural population growth and migration rates. Benefiting from quantitative information derived from official statistics, the present study describes medium- and short-term demographic transformations in a large metropolitan region (Attica, Greece) in response to the great recession. After an uninterrupted growth lasting more than one century, the last decade (2010–2019) has provided a dynamic representation of regional population decline based on the interplay of long-term factors (aging, low fertility) and concomitant short-term disturbances (counter-urbanization and crisis-driven emigration). By delineating the most relevant socio-demographic mechanisms at the base of recent urban decline, our study contributes to (re)formulate short-term development scenarios in large metropolitan regions, shedding further light on crisis-driven shrinkage in Southern Europe. • Urban decline in Mediterranean Europe was poorly documented up to now. • The 2007 recession was a leading factor of metropolitan decline in Southern Europe. • Demographic indicators were used to test shrinkage in a representative Mediterranean city. • Both long-term and short-term factors were important drivers of shrinkage dynamics. • Our study contributes to (re)formulate short-term development scenarios in large cities.

The impact of medical infrastructure on regional innovation: An empirical analysis of China's prefecture-level cities

Because of public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, having an optimal medical infrastructure is an important way to maintain the normal operation of society and stimulate vitality in regional innovation. Based on the data on 260 cities at the prefecture level and above in China from 2001 to 2018, this paper investigates the characteristics and mechanisms of medical infrastructure on regional innovation. After a series of regressions, we robustly find that medical infrastructure has a significantly positive impact on regional innovation. In addition, based on the mediating effect model, the mechanism test shows that medical infrastructure can promote regional innovation through the channels of the natural population growth rate, educational level, and the environmental greening level. Finally, considering the urban heterogeneity, we find that the positive impact of medical infrastructure on regional innovation is reflected mainly in eastern and central cities, non-sub-provincial cities, and non-resource-based cities. These conclusions not only enrich the theoretical research on regional innovation from the perspective of medical infrastructure but also shed light on how to better promote regional innovation for China or even other countries.

INFLUENCING FACTORS AND COUNTERMEASURES OF THE CHANGE OF POPULATION DEPENDENCY RATIO IN YUNNAN PROVINCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

INFLUENCING FACTORS AND COUNTERMEASURES OF THE CHANGE OF POPULATION DEPENDENCY RATIO IN YUNNAN PROVINCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY