Regional Differences In Growth Research Articles

Potential gap in understanding cyanoHABs: Light-dependent morphological variations in colonial cyanobacterium Microcystis

Colony formation is a crucial characteristic of Microcystis, a cyanobacterium known for causing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). It has been observed that as Microcystis colonies grow larger, they often become less densely packed, which correlates with a decrease in light penetration. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of light limitation on the morphological variations in Microcystis, particularly in relation to the crowded cellular environment. The results indicated that when there was sufficient light (transmittance = 100 %) to support a growth rate of 0.11±0.01 day−1, a significant increase in colony size was found, from 466±15 μm to 1030±111 μm. However, under light limitation (transmittance = 50 % – 1 %) where the growth rate was lower than 0, there was no significant improvement in colony size. Microcystis in the light limitation groups exhibited a loose cell arrangement and even the presence of holes or pores within the colony, confirming the negative correlation between colony size and cell arrangement. This pattern is driven by regional differences in growth within the colony, as internal cells have a significantly lower frequency of division compared to peripheral cells, due to intra-colony self-shading (ICSS). The research demonstrates that Microcystis can adjust its cell arrangement to avoid excessive self-shading, which has implications for predicting and controlling cyanoHABs. These findings also contribute to the understanding of cyanobacterial variations and can potentially inform future research on the diverse phycosphere.

To Buy Or Not To Buy: Consumers’ Perception And Purchasing Behaviour On Local Meat In Segamat, Johor

Malaysia has experienced significant economic growth in recent decades, and this has accounted for an increase in meat consumption. In Malaysia, the low supply of local meat creates a shortage in the market, encouraging consumers to purchase imported meat. Factors such as regional growth differences, seasonality changes, food safety and quality, personal tastes and habits, product prices, and health concerns, influence the demand for meat. So, it is important to find out how people in Segamat, Johor, think about and buy local meat. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed through an online platform as a pilot study resulting in 60 meat consumers participation. Results identified that the key drivers that influenced meat purchases were price of meat and consumers’ perception on food safety. Besides, consumer perception towards local meat is focusing on freshness of the meat (slaughtered on the day it is sold, not frozen) (91.67%), and the origin of the meat (not imported meat) (96.67%). The findings obtained will help in providing insightful information to local meat suppliers and the Johor State Department of Veterinary Services, about the concerns of local meat consumers in Segamat everytime they purchase the item.

Effect of soil warming on growth and physiology of aspen seedlings from Alberta, Canada

Boreal tree species are migrating northwards due to rising temperatures, and differences in heat tolerance can impact the range limits of boreal species. Soil warming may benefit tree growth by promoting root development, or harm growth by creating a high-stress environment, increasing root respiration rates. We assessed the impact of soil warming on the growth of 2-year-old trembling aspen seedlings from 10 families. These families originated from Peace River, in central Alberta, and Camrose, near the southern boreal fringe in Alberta, Canada. We correlated growth traits with climatic data from each region and analyzed the effect of soil warming on the gas exchange of seedlings from Camrose. Families from Peace River exhibited greater growth overall, regardless of warming treatment, while families from Camrose showed a positive growth response under soil warming. Camrose families exposed to soil warming showed greater total leaf area and total leaf biomass compared to those without warming. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that, regardless of region, some families displayed stronger positive responses and appeared better adapted to soil warming than others. The overall positive response of the Camrose families to soil warming suggests that they have the capacity to take advantage of warmer environmental conditions. Our results indicate regional growth differences in aspen families in Alberta and variation in performance between families within a region, indicating there is differential capacity within local populations to acclimate under rapid climate change.

Economic geography meets psychology: Motivation, results, design and agenda

Economic differences across space are only partially be explained by economic determinants. One reason might be the neglect of the psychological make-up of regions and its citizens. Recent research under the heading of ‘geographical psychology’ highlights the potential of a psychological approach to enhance our understanding of the uneven spatial distribution of economic activity. To assess the value added of incorporating psychological factors, we will use the inclusion of personality traits as an example in this commentary. It turns out that the regional variation in these traits does not only help to explain regional growth differences, but also regional differences in political outcomes and in resilience to shocks. When discussing various promising results, the importance of a proper research design looms large with notably causality issues and explaining behavioral mechanisms being real concerns. The commentary will close with policy implications and a research agenda.

Testing the bottom-up hypothesis for the decline in size of anchovy and sardine across European waters through a bioenergetic modeling approach

Small pelagic fish have shown a general decrease in size and body condition over the past two decades in several European regional seas. Although the underlying processes are still not well understood, recent studies point to a bottom-up control. In order to better understand how the environment impacts the main individual life history traits, which themselves control the dynamic of the population, we developed a comparative approach between two species, European anchovy and sardine, and across three regions of the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: the English Channel in the north, to the Bay of Biscay and the Gulf of Lion in the south. We developed a bioenergetic modeling framework based on the Dynamic Energy Budget theory (DEB). Our DEB models were forced using two different representations of the lower trophic levels, POLCOMS-ERSEM and SEAPODYM models. Our models were calibrated for the Bay of Biscay and then projected on to the other regions, over the early 2000s (period with bigger fish) and the early 2010s (period with smaller fish). The environment alone, temperature and zooplankton, explained a significant part of the observed regional differences in growth. However, the temporal trends simulated by the lower trophic levels models, when transcribed through bioenergetics, could not explain the strong decrease in length and weight that occurred in the Bay of Biscay (-30 % in weight for anchovy and −20 % for sardine) and in the Gulf of Lion (-30 % for anchovy and −50 % for sardine). Through a scenario approach, we estimated that a decrease in zooplankton quality could be a significant driver of the observed decrease in size both in the Bay of Biscay and in the Gulf of Lion (decrease in assimilable energy of 4 to 5 % and 15 to 17 % in the Bay of Biscay and the Gulf of Lion, respectively). For such a decrease in size, a zooplankton biomass of the same quality should have been reduced by between 17 and 31 % in the Bay of Biscay over a 10- to 15-year period, while no biologically realistic estimations were obtained for the Gulf of Lion. The validity of these proposed changes in biomass and quality is discussed in context of alternative explanations.

Regional and stock-specific differences in contemporary growth of Baltic cod revealed through tag-recapture data

Abstract The use of growth estimation methods that depend on unreliable age data has previously hindered the quantification of perceived differences in growth rates between the two cod stocks inhabiting the Baltic Sea. Data from cod tagged in different regions of the Baltic Sea during 2007–2019 were combined, and general linear models were fit to investigate inter-regional (defined as area of release) and inter-stock (assigned to a subset of recaptures using genetic and otolith shape analyses) differences in individual growth. An average-sized cod (364 mm) caught in the western Baltic Sea and assigned to the western Baltic cod stock grew at more than double the rate (145 mm year−1) on average than a cod of the same size caught in the eastern Baltic Sea and assigned to the eastern Baltic cod stock (58 mm year−1), highlighting the current poor conditions for the growth of cod in the eastern Baltic Sea. The regional differences in growth rate were more than twice as large (63 mm year−1) as the stock differences (24 mm year−1). Although the relative importance of environmental and genetic factors cannot be fully resolved through this study, these results suggest that environmental experience may contribute to growth differences between Baltic cod stocks.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Growth and Metabolic Bone Disease in a Pediatric Global Cohort Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis

We sought to assess worldwide differences among pediatric patients undergoing hemodialysis. Because practices differ widely regarding nutritional resources, treatment practice, and access to renal replacement therapy, investigators from the Pediatric Investigation and Close Collaboration to examine Ongoing Life Outcomes, the pediatric subset of the MONitoring Dialysis Outcomes Cohort (PICCOLO MONDO) performed this cross-sectional study. We hypothesized that growth would be better in developed countries, possibly at the expense of bone mineral disease. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed growth by height z score and recommended age-specific bone mineral metabolism markers from 225 patients <18 years of age maintained on hemodialysis, between the years of 2000 to 2012 from 21 countries in different regions. The patients' median age was 16 (IQR 14-17) years, and 45% were females. A height z score less than the third percentile was noted in 34% of the cohort, whereas >66% of patients reported normal heights, with patients from North America having the greatest proportion (>80%). More than 70% of the entire cohort had greater than the age-recommended levels of phosphorus, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and North America, where we also observed the greatest body mass index z score (0.99 ± 1.6) and parathyroid hormone levels (557.1 [268.4-740.5]). Below-recommended parathyroid hormone levels were noted in 26% and elevated levels in 61% of the entire sample, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Lower-than-recommended calcium levels were noted in 36% of the entire cohort, particularly in Latin America. We found regional differences in growth- and age-adjusted bone mineral metabolism markers. Children from North America had the best growth, received the most dialysis, but also had the worst phosphate control and body mass index z scores.

Dynamic patterns of cortical expansion during folding of the preterm human brain

During the third trimester of human brain development, the cerebral cortex undergoes dramatic surface expansion and folding. Physical models suggest that relatively rapid growth of the cortical gray matter helps drive this folding, and structural data suggest that growth may vary in both space (by region on the cortical surface) and time. In this study, we propose a unique method to estimate local growth from sequential cortical reconstructions. Using anatomically constrained multimodal surface matching (aMSM), we obtain accurate, physically guided point correspondence between younger and older cortical reconstructions of the same individual. From each pair of surfaces, we calculate continuous, smooth maps of cortical expansion with unprecedented precision. By considering 30 preterm infants scanned two to four times during the period of rapid cortical expansion (28-38 wk postmenstrual age), we observe significant regional differences in growth across the cortical surface that are consistent with the emergence of new folds. Furthermore, these growth patterns shift over the course of development, with noninjured subjects following a highly consistent trajectory. This information provides a detailed picture of dynamic changes in cortical growth, connecting what is known about patterns of development at the microscopic (cellular) and macroscopic (folding) scales. Since our method provides specific growth maps for individual brains, we are also able to detect alterations due to injury. This fully automated surface analysis, based on tools freely available to the brain-mapping community, may also serve as a useful approach for future studies of abnormal growth due to genetic disorders, injury, or other environmental variables.

Regional growth differences in China for 1995–2013: an empirical integrative analysis of their sources

An integrative empirical analysis of several regional economic outcome variables in China for the period of 1995–2013 reveal the major sources of regional growth differences in China. Patterns of growth in population, per capita income, gross regional product, housing prices and changes in unemployment rates are identified using principal components analysis. Regression analysis of principal component scores is applied to identify geographic and administrative status patterns in the sources of the growth. The analysis suggests that shifts in labor supply largely were responsible for the regional growth differences over the period, though shifts in labor demand were nearly equally as important. The results have implications for evaluating the success of regional development policies such as the Western Development Strategy.

Externally imposed institutions and regional growth differences: Evidence from France and Germany

This paper provides a critical examination of effect of French Revolution institutions on regional economic development variations in 19th century by focusing on the experience of France. The argument in Daron Acemoglu et al. (2011) that differences in long-run economic performance of German states stem from differences in externally imposed French and domestic German institutions needs to be investigated further. A difference-in-difference estimation is used to identify a treatment effect causing growth differences between border and interior departments. The proposed treatment effect is the faster industrialization due to intensified minerals mining and railway construction in northern and northeastern France after 1850. It is shown that border departments experienced higher economic growth primarily after 1850 even though Revolution institutions and reforms were imposed in all of French departments. Therefore, externally imposed French Revolution institutions and reforms shouldn?t be counted as primary factors of causing variation in economic development across German polities.

Determining climate-growth relationships in a temperate fish: A sclerochronological approach

Otoliths of fish can provide long-term chronologies of growth. Differences in the width of the annual growth increments can reflect the effects of environmental variability on somatic growth rate. We used generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to evaluate the influence of region, sea surface temperature (SST), El Niño–Southern Oscillation events, and recruitment on the otolith growth of King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctatus), a commercially and recreationally important fish species in southern Australia. Growth increment data spanned 25 years (1985–2010). The optimal model demonstrated that mean winter SST was negatively correlated to growth, and as the winter SST increased the average width of the growth increments declined. However, the temperature effect was very weak (r2: 0.0006). There were no regional growth differences and recruitment was not correlated with growth. Understanding long-term temperature-growth relationships is crucial for disentangling the effects of climate change and other parameters on fish growth, and thus predicting how populations will change in the future.

Capital, institutions and urban growth systems

In recent years, both endogenous capital accumulation and institutional theories of economic growth have emerged as central sources for explaining uneven development across cities and regions. This article seeks to connect both theoretical stances as a means of explaining urban and regional growth differentials. It conceptualises urban and regional economies as growth systems combining the interaction between capital and institutions at the firm, inter-firm and spatial level. In these systems, the capital drivers of growth are not merely the result of preferences and existing capital endowments, but are mediated by a set of institutional factors.

The Convergence Analysis of Regional Growth Differences in China: The Perspective of the Quality of Economic Growth*

This paper develops a biennial Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index, in which it takes resources and the environment into account, and use a spatial econometric analysis to measure the Chinese provincial spatial convergence of the total factor productivity (TFP) to conclude its decomposition. The empirical results show that: 1) China’s TFP increase significantly in recent years, mainly driven by technical improvement; 2) there is nationwide conditional convergence of productivity except for diffusion in the northeast and east regions. Because of the large spatial differences amongst various areas in China, the convergence of different region is affected by different factors; 3) we expect that “resource curse” would present in the regions in China excluding east regions. “Pollution haven” exists in the Central and western areas, suggesting that the perspective of China’s industrial environment is not optimistic; 4) the current ownership structure does not facilitate TFP growth, and industrial structure of inland areas limits local TFP growth. In general, if policy makers intend to converge the development gap between regions, assisting the developing areas to catch up with the relatively developed regions, it is crucial to improve the system of state-owned enterprise and the industrial structure, and government also needs to evaluate and test the effect of FDI rationally.

Growth dynamics of saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) and Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas

Saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) and Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) are two circumpolar gadids that serve as critically important species responsible for energy transfer in Arctic food webs of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. To understand the potential effects of sea ice loss and warming temperatures on these species׳ basic life history, information such as growth is needed. Yet to date, limited effort has been dedicated to the study of their growth dynamics. Based on a large sample of otoliths collected in the first comprehensive ecosystem integrated survey in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas, procedures were developed to reliably estimate age from otolith growth zones and were used to study the growth dynamics of saffron and Arctic cod. Annual growth zone assignment was validated using oxygen isotope signatures in otoliths and otolith morphology analyzed and compared between species. Saffron cod attained larger asymptotic sizes (L∞=363mm) and achieved their maximum size at a faster rate (K=0.378) than Arctic cod (L∞=209mm; K=0.312). For both species, regional differences in growth were found (p<0.01). Saffron cod grew to a significantly larger size at age in the northern Bering Sea when compared to the Chukchi Sea, particularly at younger ages. Arctic cod grew to smaller asymptotic size but at faster rates in the more northerly central (L∞=197mm;K=0.324) and southern Chukchi Sea (L∞=221mm;K=0.297) when compared to the northern Bering Sea (L∞=266mm;K=0.171), suggesting a possible cline in growth rates with more northerly latitudes. Comparison of growth to two periods separated by 30 years indicate that both species exhibited a decline in maximum size accompanied by higher instantaneous growth rates in more recent years.

Using an approximate length-conditional approach to estimate von Bertalanffy growth parameters of North Pacific albacore (Thunnus alalunga)

Growth models in stock assessments can strongly influence the estimated biomass that affect the conclusion of stock status and exploitation level. Recent studies on North Pacific albacore (Thunnus alalunga) growth obtained age-length data from hard parts and fit the age-length data to a von Bertalanffy growth model, assuming each observation of length is a random sample for a given age. However, these previous studies may have resulted in biased growth parameter estimates because these samples were not chosen at random and hence violated the assumptions of the method. In this study, we instead use an “approximate length-conditional” approach, which assumes that each fish is a random sample from that length bin based on an equilibrium population age structure, to fit age-length data from three previous studies. Results of the length-conditional approach resulted in a sex-combined growth curve that is similar to the previous estimates over the young and mid ages (age 2–6) but with different asymptotic lengths. Estimated growth parameters were not highly sensitive to assumed mortality rates but changing the data-weighting scheme can result in differences in estimated growth parameters. Although the length-conditional approach likely result in less biased estimated length-at-ages, especially for the youngest and oldest ages, the estimated growth curves from this study may not be representative of the stock due to potential regional differences in growth, and age and sex-specific movements. In order to successfully unravel the complexities of albacore growth observed in this and previous studies, given the complex life history, ocean-basin scale movements and multiple international fisheries, a well-coordinated and designed international sampling effort will be required.

Entrepreneurship, innovation and regional growth: a network theory

Despite the growing acknowledgement that entrepreneurship is an important driver of regional innovation and growth, the role of the networks in these processes has been less formally examined. In order to address this gap, this paper proposes that the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and regional growth is governed by a series of network dynamics. Drawing upon aspects of endogenous growth theory and the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship, it is proposed that the nature of the networks formed by entrepreneurial firms is a key determinant of regional growth differentials. In particular, network capital, in the form of investments in strategic relations to gain access to knowledge, is considered to mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship and innovation-based regional growth. It is suggested that network dynamics should be further incorporated into theories concerning the link between knowledge spillovers, entrepreneurship and regional growth. The paper concludes with a series of theoretical, entrepreneurial and policy implications emerging from the study.

Is agglomeration really good for growth? Global efficiency, interregional equity and uneven growth

According to NEG literature, spatial concentration of industrial activities increases growth at the regional and aggregate level without generating regional growth differentials. This view is not supported by the data. We extend the canonical model with an additional sector producing non-tradable goods which benefits from localized knowledge spillovers coming from the R&D performing industrial sector. This view, motivated by the evidence, generates both an anti-growth and a pro-growth effect of agglomeration for both the deindustrializing and the industrializing regions and leads to two novel results: (1) when agglomeration takes place, growth is lower in the periphery; (2) agglomeration may have a negative effect on the growth rate of real income, both at the regional and at the aggregate level. Our conclusions have relevant policy implications: contrary to the standard view, current EU and US regional policies favouring industrial dispersion might be welfare-improving both at the regional and the aggregate level and may reduce regional income disparities.

The Local Sources of Market Formation: Explaining Regional Growth Differentials in German Photovoltaic Markets

Sustainable transitions in the energy sector have gained only insufficient attention in economic geography so far. Conversely, transition scholars do not pay sufficient attention to the spatial dimension of these dynamics. This paper introduces a conceptual framework for analysing the spatial characteristics of market formation processes in emerging technological innovation systems, thus proposing a shared field of research for economic geographers and transition scholars. Drawing on a social constructivist analysis of market formation processes, we propose to differentiate “market formation” into three sub-processes for which we additionally specify spatial characteristics: (1) the formation of market segments, (2) market transactions and (3) end-user profiles. We apply this conceptual and explanatory framework to explain the uneven geography of photovoltaic market formation in Germany, the current world market leader in this field. By analysing the role of local solar initiatives in shaping and supporting local market formation processes, we are able to provide a more encompassing explanation of the German PV success story than alternative accounts that merely focus on strong incentive structures and favourable geophysical conditions.

Secular trends in height and weight for healthy Han children aged 0–7 years in China, 1975–2005

To report the secular growth changes of Chinese children aged 0-7 years between 1975 and 2005. Height and weight measurements obtained from four consecutive national surveys were used to analyze the secular trends. Urban-rural difference and regional difference in growth were compared, respectively. A rapid positive secular trend was observed in China over the last three decades, increased by 5.3 and 5.0 cm in height for urban boys and girls at age 6-7 years, respectively. Urban-rural height difference has continuously reduced, but weight difference has gradually widened after 3-years old which results from the excessive weight increase of urban children, 2.68 kg for rural boys aged 6-7 years but 3.26 kg for urban during the 30 years. Clear regional differences in growth are not narrowing over time. Generally, the growth level in eastern China is higher than central-western, successively higher than southern. The rapid positive secular trends will still continue with the rapid socio-economic development in China. Urban-rural height difference will further narrow. Currently no sufficient evidence indicates that growth difference in inter-city has reduced. Weight increases rapidly for urban children, which does not match with height.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Early Brain Development.

Analysis of human brain development is a crucial step for improved understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. We focus on normal brain development as is observed in the multimodal longitudinal MRI/DTI data of neonates to two years of age. We present a spatio-temporal analysis framework using Gompertz function as a population growth model with three different spatial localization strategies: voxel-based, data driven clustering and atlas driven regional analysis. Growth models from multimodal imaging channels collected at each voxel form feature vectors which are clustered using the Dirichlet Process Mixture Models (DPMM). Clustering thus combines growth information from different modalities to subdivide the image into voxel groups with similar properties. The processing generates spatial maps that highlight the dynamic progression of white matter development. These maps show progression of white matter maturation where primarily, central regions mature earlier compared to the periphery, but where more subtle regional differences in growth can be observed. Atlas based analysis allows a quantitative analysis of a specific anatomical region, whereas data driven clustering identifies regions of similar growth patterns. The combination of these two allows us to investigate growth patterns within an anatomical region. Specifically, analysis of anterior and posterior limb of internal capsule show that there are different growth trajectories within these anatomies, and that it may be useful to divide certain anatomies into subregions with distinctive growth patterns.