Urban Regions Research Articles

The dual lens of diversity: Seasonal variability of avian community structure in urban hills

Urbanization has significantly increased the environmental intricacy of low mountainous and hilly urban landscapes, exacerbating the need for biodiversity conservation in these ecosystems. This study involved comprehensive bird surveys across four seasons from July 2022 to April 2023 along 64 transects in the low mountainous terrain of Jiangsu Province. Adopting a dual lens of taxonomic and functional dimensions, our research explored seasonal fluctuations and assembly mechanisms governing avian community diversity (both α and β) on these urban hills. The results showed that species richness and functional diversity (FD) were higher in spring and lower in autumn, whereas functional mean pairwise distance (MFD) and mean nearest functional distance (FD.MNTD) were higher in summer and winter. Although the standardized effect sizes for MFD were not significantly different from zero in any of the four periods, those for FD.MNTD were significantly less than zero in summer, autumn, and winter, indicating a propensity for functional trait clustering within avian communities during these seasons. Taxonomic variations were found to be chiefly governed by species turnover, whereas functional dynamics were principally shaped by nestedness. A marked disparity emerged, with functional β-diversity and its turnover components consistently registering lower values than their taxonomic counterparts, accompanied by a higher level of functional nestedness versus taxonomic nestedness. This study underscores the intricate seasonal dynamics of avian communities in urbanized low mountainous regions and provides crucial insights to devise conservation strategies aimed at preserving avian biodiversity within these ecologically complex urban landscapes.

Urbanization and growth nexus: do international financial flows matter?

PurposeThis study examines the impact of urbanization on growth and the role of international financial flows in the urbanization-growth nexus.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies the panel least square estimation to examine the impact of urbanization on growth using panel data from 50 developing countries from 1980 to 2016. Further, addressing the endogeneity issues in panel estimations, the study applies the dynamic System-GMM approach to investigate the role of financial flows in urbanization and their impact on economic growth in developing countries.FindingsContrary to the conventional literature, we found a non-linear (U-shaped) relationship between urbanization and growth. Our findings demonstrate that growth is reduced at a lower level of urbanization due to less availability, concentration, and synchronization of production factors. The concentration of physical and human capital and technological advancement in urban areas help developing countries achieve economic growth at a higher level of urbanization. Robust estimations divulged that foreign aid spent on infrastructure development and expanding urban regions helps promote economic growth. Nevertheless, as a resilient factor, remittances buffer the rapid pace of urbanization and reduce growth by resisting the migration of labor and capital from rural to urban areas.Practical implicationsThe paper's findings suggest policymakers promote urban infrastructure and development using local and international funds since its increased level spurs economic growth. Further, the results advise policymakers to reduce aid dependency, attract FDI, and facilitate the easy and low-cost transfer of money to promote remittance inflows since both FDI and remittances positively contribute to economic growth.Originality/valueThe paper contributes significantly to the literature by determining the U-shaped relationship between urbanization and growth and highlighting the role of international flows in the urbanization-growth nexus.

Research on the mechanisms of 2D road runoff pollution migration and the influence of pipeline overflow onto roads

In this paper, a novel numerical model capable of high-resolution, accurate simulation of the accumulation, wash-off, and migration of nonpoint source (NPS) pollutants on roads is proposed, effectively addressing the challenge of limited pipe network data for high-density urban building communities. This approach is based on a 1D-2D hydrodynamic and water quality dynamic bidirectional coupling model: GAST-SWMM. The calculation accuracy of the GAST two-dimensional road NPS wash-off model is validated via comparison with experimental data. The obtained Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) is greater than 0.8. Moreover, the model was used to simulate the NPSs in a densely populated urban region of Xi'an, China, lacking building community pipeline data. The NPS pollutant transport and fate under the influence of both road runoff and the building community hydrodynamic water quality during rainfall events with a specific return period were examined. The proposed model can effectively and accurately replicate the accumulation and removal of NPS pollutants on a two-dimensional road and their dynamic interaction with the drainage network. With increasing rainfall return period, the peak time of the surface contaminant total load is postponed. The maximum surface pollutant load durations during rainfall events with 2-, 10-, and 50-year return periods are 60, 75, and 80 min, respectively. During the peak surface pollutant load time, the overflow pollutant fraction can exceed 85% for a 50-year rainfall return period. The simulation method presented in this paper accurately captures the spatial and temporal variations in NPS pollutants in densely populated urban areas, even when pipe network data for building communities are lacking. This method offers valuable technical assistance for urban environmental management and water quality protection.

Effect modification of air pollution on the association between heat and mortality in five European countries

BackgroundEvidence suggests that air pollution modifies the association between heat and mortality. However, most studies have been conducted in cities without rural data. This time-series study examined potential effect modification of particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3) on heat-related mortality using small-area data from five European countries, and explored the influence of area characteristics. MethodsWe obtained daily non-accidental death counts from both urban and rural areas in Norway, England and Wales, Germany, Italy, and the Attica region of Greece during the warm season (2000–2018). Daily mean temperatures and air pollutant concentrations were estimated by spatial-temporal models. Heat effect modification by air pollution was assessed in each small area by over-dispersed Poisson regression models with a tensor smoother between temperature and air pollution. We extracted temperature-mortality relationships at the 5th (low), 50th (medium), and 95th (high) percentiles of pollutant distributions. At each air pollution level, we estimated heat-related mortality for a temperature increase from the 75th to the 99th percentile. We applied random-effects meta-analysis to derive the country-specific and overall associations, and mixed-effects meta-regression to examine the influence of urban-rural and coastal typologies and greenness on the heat effect modification by air pollution. ResultsHeat-related mortality risks increased with higher PM levels, rising by 6.4% (95% CI: −2.0%–15.7%), 10.7% (2.6%–19.5%), and 14.1% (4.4%–24.6%) at low, medium, and high PM levels, respectively. This effect modification was consistent in urban and rural regions but more pronounced in non-coastal regions. In addition, heat-mortality associations were slightly stronger at high O3 levels, particularly in regions with low greenness. ConclusionOur analyses of both urban and rural data indicate that air pollution may intensify heat-related mortality, particularly in non-coastal and less green regions. The synergistic effect of heat and air pollution implies a potential pathway of reducing heat-related health impacts by improving air quality.

Conservation beyond biopolitics: Vulnerability and abundance in Chennai's nature‐cultures

AbstractThis paper examines the possibilities for nature in contemporary times through a ground‐up investigation of nature practices in Chennai, India. It navigates dissonant strands of scholarship on the promise of urban regions as sites of exemplary social natures with an analytical framework that examines how autonomous nonhuman life in Chennai is variously enabled and inhibited. By studying a breadth of natures and nature practices within this urban site (instead of focusing on a particular species or habitat), the paper illuminates the socio‐material processes that undermine some natures even while supporting others, highlighting paradoxical responses to nonhuman agencies and resilience within the domain of ecological concern. The simultaneous analysis of Chennai's abundant and diminishing natures explains dissonances in urban natures scholarship, while offering fresh insights on more equitable approaches to nonhuman nature in human‐dominated landscapes. Specifically, it points to the value of reconfiguring concepts and practices of nature, both within and beyond conservation, in ways that are attentive to the plural forms of nonhuman flourishing and experiential vulnerability. Any meaningful prospect for more‐than‐human futures in urbanising worlds, the paper argues, rests not on biopolitical conservation that seeks to reproduce the past or build future ecologies of ‘legitimate’ natures, but on desisting from the displacement of, and re‐allowing room – conceptual, material and ethical – for already existing natures, whether scientifically valued or unintentional, whether imperilled or flourishing.

Alteration in butterfly community structure along urban–rural gradient: with insights to conservation management

BackgroundEcosystem services rendered by the butterflies are important for the sustenance of community interaction. Butterfly species have also coevolved with the host and nectaring plants. In the adult condition, they mostly rely on nectar, while in the larval condition, they feed on the leaves of their host plants. Butterfly species are sensitive to changes in environmental parameters and are considered excellent indicators of ecosystem health. The study of species diversity and richness indices aids in better ecosystem management. The present study's goal was to determine butterfly diversity in the urban–rural gradient of Purulia district, West Bengal, India, a part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. We aim to complement crucial information on butterfly conservation management in Purulia, West Bengal, India, and other similar geographical areas with the findings of this study.ResultsIt was found that out of 3809 sampled butterflies, the individual contribution of the family Nymphalidae was the highest (51.24%), followed by Lycaenidae (18.40%), Pieridae (17.32%), Papilionidae (9.74%), and Hesperiidae (3.12%). A total of 54 butterfly species were observed in the urban–rural gradient, out of which the urban region contained 49 species, the suburban region had 32 species, and the rural region had 30 species. Significant differences were observed in butterfly abundance for the sites, seasons, and families during the study period. PERMANOVA and ANOSIM for species abundance and species presence-absence data show that all three sites are significantly different. Results Both PCoA and NMDS revealed clear differences among sites (groups) in terms of species abundance and presence-absence data. According to the findings of this study, the urban region has the highest species richness, followed by the suburban and rural regions. We discovered that urban areas have the highest butterfly abundance, followed by suburban and rural areas. Numerous butterfly species prefer the bushes dominated by Lantanacamara in the urban region with the highest species richness. Aside from this invasive weed, the site also contains Tridaxprocumbens, Catharanthusroseus, Synedrellanodiflora, and Ocimumamericanum, which are well known for being butterfly nectaring plants. In the case of the suburban region, members of the Lycaenidae family contributed the highest percentage after Nymphalidae, which was dominated by Tridaxprocumbens and Sphagneticolatrilobata, which was preferred by the members of the Lycaenidae family observed during the survey, this site also contained Ixoracoccinea, Catharanthusroseus, and Lantanacamara. This site, in terms of nectaring plants, remains homogeneous in a rural region.ConclusionsOut of 3809 butterfly individuals, the family Nymphalidae contributed the most, followed by Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae. Both species richness and butterfly abundance were highest in urban regions, followed by sub-urban and rural regions. The current study has shown that this particular geographic location can sustain a variety of butterfly species. However, it is important to note that conservation planning is necessary not only for the butterfly species but also for the nectaring plant species that contribute to the diversity of these insects. The conservation of butterfly species can also lead to the achievement of ecosystem services they provide.

Prevalence and Pattern of Ear Disease Among Primary School Students in Samoa: Preliminary Results from ENT Clinic Outreach to Urban, Rural and Remote Settings.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and pattern of ear disease among students attending primary school in urban, rural, and remote regions of Samoa in order to develop an evidence-based national school ear and hearing health program. Methods: Retrospective clinical data review of all primary school students seen by the Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic of Samoa during school-based outreach visits from March 2022 to April 2024. A purposefully designed spreadsheet was created to extract the following information from the clinical records: school location (urban, rural, remote), gender (male, female), age (years), age category (0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15+ years), right ear diagnosis, left ear diagnosis. Data were entered into the SPSS statistical software package for descriptive statistical analysis and association tests of significance. Results: A total of 1491 primary school students were seen for ear health examinations (51.1% male, 48.9% female), with a mean age of 9.1 years (SD = 2.3). Five primary schools were included, representing urban (n = 865), rural (n = 258), and remote (n = 368) settings. Overall, 682 (45.7%) students had normal ear examination results for both ears, 237 (15.9%) had an ear pathology in 1 ear only, and 568 (38.1%) had ear pathology in both ears. Bilateral ear pathology was significantly higher among students who were in the 5 to 9 age group (P < .00001), female (P = .035), and from rural settings (P = .0001). The most common pathology was impacted cerumen (36.8%), followed by otitis media with effusion (7.5%). Overall prevalence of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) was 2.6% (n = 39 students). Following the school visits, no further intervention was required for 1180 students (79%), mostly due to successful cerumen and foreign body removals for 468 students (31.4%). Conclusion: Impacted cerumen is a significant issue among Samoan school-aged students, and future school-based ear health programs should include staff members trained in cerumen removal. CSOM prevalence suggests an avoidable burden of disease that must be addressed.

Impacts of moisture transport on extreme precipitation in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, China

In recent decades, the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration of China (CPUA) has faced recurring extreme precipitation events (EPEs), leading to severe floods, endangering residents, and causing significant property damage. This study examines the spatiotemporal patterns of summer EPEs in the CPUA from 1961 to 2022. We used the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model to trace the water vapor trajectories associated with these events, identifying atmospheric circulations linked to various moisture sources. Summer EPEs in the CPUA have become more frequent and intense. Urban regions typically experience stronger EPEs, while mountainous regions encounter more frequent but milder precipitation. The moisture contributing to these events comes from sources including Eurasia (9.94 %), the northern and southern Western North Pacific (48.39 %), and the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea (41.67 %). Notably, contributions from Eurasia and the northern Western North Pacific have increased, whereas those from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea have decreased. Events driven by Western North Pacific moisture have stronger impacts on urban areas, influenced by abnormal anticyclonic patterns and the development of the Huang-Huai cyclone, which triggers intense convective activity over the CPUA. The strengthening of the Western North Pacific subtropical high promotes the transport of warm air, which merges with colder inland air, leading to extreme precipitation.

Emotional intelligence and demographic factors: Moderating effects in service recovery strategy

This study highlights the role of emotional intelligence, gender, income, and residence area on the relationship between brand image, service recovery strategy, and satisfaction. The multistage with purposive sampling method has recruited 600 samples of private hospital services in Thailand. Self-administered online questionnaires via Google Forms were used to collect the data online. Confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup SEM have been used for hypothesis testing. The research explores emotional intelligence (EI), with lower emotional intelligence associated with more negative perceptions of social brand image. Lower income affects the symbolic and social image, influencing satisfaction with a service recovery strategy. The upcountry areas viewed experiential images more positively compared to those from urban regions. Gender did not significantly moderate these relationships. The study also highlights thatfactors do not substantially impact service recovery satisfaction but are still vital for effective communication and brand attachment. The results underscore the intricate dynamics of the various factors that shape consumer attitudes and behaviours toward service recovery strategy.

Severe Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Caused by Serotype 19A in Children Under Five Years in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Increases in childhood invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) have been reported in several countries following the easing of COVID-19 pandemic mitigations. In Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ), a surge in IPD is occurring in young children concurrent with changes in pneumococcal vaccines and declining immunization coverage. We sought to examine epidemiologic and clinical features of IPD among children under 5 years in a large urban region of AoNZ in the 3 years post-COVID-19. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collated from children under 5 years with Streptococcus pneumoniae identified from normally sterile sites between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2023, in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, AoNZ. We identified 93 episodes of IPD (annual incidence of 18-40 cases per 100,000 population per year). Serotype was identified in 68 episodes and 46 (68%) were serotype 19A. Incidence was higher in Pacific children compared with non-Māori, non-Pacific children (incidence rate ratio: 2.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.4-3.7). Bacteremia occurred in 65 (70%) episodes, empyema in 47 (51%), meningitis in 11 (12%) and hemolytic uremic syndrome in 7 (7.5%). All cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome and empyema were only among children with serotype 19A. Two children died, both had serotype 19A, and 13/91 survivors (14%) experienced serious sequelae. The use of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine with lower valency and easing of COVID-19 containment measures each may have contributed to an increase in IPD in AoNZ. Serotype 19A is associated with empyema and causes severe disease in young children. Urgent efforts are required to improve PCV13 coverage in AoNZ.

An accurate and efficient forecast framework for fine PM2.5 maps using spatiotemporal recurrent neural networks

Commonly used numerical prediction models for PM2.5 maps suffer from low accuracy and high computation cost, which cannot meet the requirements for fine-scale air pollution control. In this study, we propose a framework based on the spatiotemporal recurrent neural network (PredRNN) to efficiently generate accurate 3-h and 6-km PM2.5 maps with a lead time of 5 days. In this framework, two PredRNN networks are initially utilized to forecast PM2.5 concentration at ground monitoring sites and the spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD) by assimilating the output of numerical prediction model. Subsequently, the 3-h and 6-km PM2.5 forecasted maps with a lead time of 5 days can be inferred by establishing the regression links between the forecasted results of PM2.5 concentration at ground sites and AOD maps. We evaluate the proposed framework in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration region during 2017–2020. Compared with the numerical prediction products of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, the proposed framework achieves higher accuracy, with R2 of 0.83 at the forecast base time and 0.70 at the fifth day. The spatial information richness is also enhanced by approximately 15.67% according to the information entropy metrics. Notably, the proposed framework only requires 1 min for forecasting 5-days PM2.5 maps. These results demonstrate that our framework can efficiently generate accurate and fine PM2.5 maps with a lead time of 5 days.

Quantifying urban climate response to large-scale forcing modified by local boundary layer effects

Over the past two decades, the joint manifestation of global warming and rapid urbanization has significantly increased the occurrence of heatwaves and the formation of urban heat islands in temperate cities. Consequently, this synergy has amplified the frequency and duration of periods with tropical nights (TNs) in these urban areas. While the occurrences of such extreme events demonstrate irregular and nonlinear annual patterns, they consistently manifest a discernible rising decadal trend in local or regional climatic data. In urban regions situated amidst hilly or mountainous landscapes, changing wind directions—often associated with uphill or downhill thermal flows—profoundly impact the spread and dispersion of heat-related pollution, creating unique natural ventilation patterns. Using the Lausanne/Pully urban area in Switzerland as examples of hilly and lakeshore temperate cities, this study explores the influence of wind patterns and natural urban ventilation on the nonlinearity of recorded climatic data within an urban environment. This study integrates a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model (COSMO-1), a microscale Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, field observations, variational mode decomposition technique, and statistical analysis to investigate how wind speed and direction critically influence the nonlinearity of recorded long-term trends of extreme events, specifically focusing on the frequency and duration of TNs in lakeshore and hilly cities. The results strongly indicate a direct correlation between the frequency of TNs and the occurrence of specific moderate wind patterns. These wind patterns are exclusively captured by the microscale CFD model, unlike the mesoscale model, which neglects both urban morphology and complex hilly terrains. The impact of temporal and spatial variability of the wind field on long-term observations at fixed measurement stations suggests that caution should be exercised when relying on limited spatial measurement points to monitor and quantify long-term urban climate trends, particularly in cities located in complex terrains.

Factors Affecting the Indoor Air Quality and Occupants’ Thermal Comfort in Urban Agglomeration Regions in the Hot and Humid Climate of Pakistan

The World Air Quality Index indicates that Pakistan ranks as the third most polluted country, regarding the average (Particulate Matter) PM2.5 concentration, which is 14.2 times higher than the World Health Organization’s annual air quality guideline. It is crucial to implement a program aimed at reducing PM2.5 levels in Pakistan’s urban areas. This review paper highlights the importance of indoor air pollution in urban regions such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, and Karachi, while also considering the effects of outdoor air temperature on occupants’ thermal comfort. The study aims to evaluate past methodological approaches to enhance indoor air quality in buildings. The main research question is to address whether there are statistical correlations between the PM2.5 and the operative air temperature and whether other indoor climatic variables have an impact on the thermal comfort assessment in densely built urban agglomeration regions in Pakistan. A systematic review analysis method was employed to investigate the effects of particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon oxides (COx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on residents’ health. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) protocol guided the identification of key terms and the extraction of cited studies. The literature review incorporated a combination of descriptive research methods to inform the research context regarding both ambient and indoor air quality, providing a theoretical and methodological framework for understanding air pollution and its mitigation in various global contexts. The study found a marginally significant relationship between the PM2.5 operative air temperature and occupants’ overall temperature satisfaction, Ordinal Regression (OR) = 0.958 (95%—Confidence Interval (CI) [0.918, 1.000]), p = 0.050, Nagelkerke − Regression (R2) = 0.042. The study contributes to research on the development of an evidence-based thermal comfort assessment benchmark criteria for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Global Thermal Comfort Database version 2.1.

Guiding near-source elastic waves in a semi-infinite medium.

In this work, we propose elastic metamaterials with phase discontinuities to steer the propagation of near-source bulk waves in a semi-infinite elastic medium. Our design exploits an array of embedded subwavelength resonators with tailored masses to attain a complete phase shift spanning [Formula: see text]. This phase control allows for diverse wave functionalities, such as directional refraction and energy focusing. Through the use of dispersion diagrams and the generalized Snell's law, along with a multiple scattering formulation, we analytically demonstrate the effectiveness of our design in achieving the desired wavefront manipulation. The proposed design has the potential to advance the field of guiding elastic waves using metamaterials and find practical applications in areas such as isolating ground-borne vibrations in densely urbanized regions and energy harvesting. This article is part of the theme issue 'Current developments in elastic and acoustic metamaterials science (Part 1)'.

Gender Differential Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity, Hypertension and Diabetes in South India: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

India is facing triple epidemic of Non communicable diseases (NCDs) including high body mass index (BMI), high blood pressure and high blood glucose, contributing to more than half of deaths of all mortality, however, information in different demographics is limited, especially, in India. The aim of the study is to compare the prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, along with the occurrence of multi-morbidity, across gender-specific populations in rural, suburban, and urban regions of India. This was a cross-sectional, population-based study including adults aged 20 and above in rural, suburban, and urban areas near Coimbatore, India. All participants were interviewed using a detailed questionnaire and had their anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, blood pressure, and blood samples collected. Gender specific and location specific prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and multimorbidity were assessed. This study included 2976 individuals, of which 865 were from rural areas, 1030 from sub-urban areas, and 1081 from metropolitan areas. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in rural participants than in sub-urban and urban participants, despite the fact that the prevalence of hypertension was higher in sub-urban (47.1%) than in rural (36.4%) and urban (39.7%, p < 0.001). In sub-group analysis, sub-urban areas had a greater prevalence of hypertension in both men and women (53.5% and 41.7%, p < 0.001) than rural areas (41.9% and 31.3%, p = 0.001) or urban areas (45.9% and 35.5%, p < 0.001). Compared to rural (16.1%) and urban (23%), sub-urban areas had a greater prevalence of diabetes (25.8%, p < 0.001). Urban residents (47.5%) had higher rates of overweight and obesity than rural (31.4%) and sub-urban (34.1%, p < 0.001) residents. The association between diabetes and hypertension was present in the unadjusted model and persisted even after age and BMI adjustments. Though not in men, higher levels of education were associated to a higher prevalence of diabetes in women. Diabetes was associated to being overweight or obese in women, however this association was significantly reduced once BMI was taken into account. The overall multimorbidity was 3.8%, however, women had a higher overlapping prevalence (2.8%) compared to men (1%, p < 0.001). Diabetes and hypertension were prevalent comorbidities across all demographics, with higher rates in suburban and urban areas. Women exhibited higher rates of multimorbidity than men, regardless of the demographic area.

Spatiotemporal characterization of heatwave exposure across historically vulnerable communities

Heatwaves pose a serious threat and are projected to amplify with changing climate and social demographics. A comprehensive understanding of heatwave exposure to the communities is imperative for the development of effective strategies and mitigation plans. This study explores spatiotemporal characterization of heatwaves across the historically vulnerable communities in Mississippi, United States. We derive multiple heatwave metrics including frequency, duration, and magnitude based on temperature data for urban-specific daytime, nighttime, and day–night combined conditions. Our analysis depicts a rising heatwave trend across all counties, with the most extreme shifts observed in prolonged day–night events lacking overnight relief. We integrate physical heatwave hazards with a socioeconomic vulnerability index to develop an integrated urban heatwave risk index. Integrated metric identifies the counties in northwest Mississippi as heat-prone areas, exhibiting an urgent need to prioritize heat resilience and adaptive strategies in these regions. The compounding urban heatwave and vulnerability risks in these communities highlights an environmental justice imperative to implement equitable policies that protect disadvantaged populations. Although this study is focused on Mississippi, our framework is scalable and can be employed to urban regions globally. This study provides a solid foundation for developing timely heatwave preparedness and mitigation to avert preventable heat-related tragedies as extremes intensify with climate change.

Temporal trends and regional variations in mortality related to Guillain-Barré syndrome in the United States: a retrospective study from 1999 to 2020

Aim Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune neurological disorder, with an estimated 6.4% increase in cases worldwide from 1990 to 2019. We aim to identify the GBS-related mortality trends in the US stratified by age, sex, race, and region. Methods We used data from the CDC-WONDER database to calculate crude (CMR) and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 1,000,000 people. We examined the temporal trends through annual percent change (APC) and the average annual percent change (AAPC) in rates using Joinpoint regression. Results From 1999 to 2020, a total of 10,097 GBS-related deaths occurred in the US. The AAMR decreased till 2014 (APC: −1.91) but increased back to initial levels by 2020 (APC: 3.77). AAMR was higher in males (1.7) than females (1.1), decreasing till 2015 for females and 2014 for males, but increasing thereafter only for females. Non-Hispanic (NH) American Indians or Alaska Natives displayed the highest AAMR (1.8) while NH Asians or Pacific Islanders displayed the lowest (0.6). AAMRs also varied by region (West: 1.5; South: 1.5; Midwest: 1.4; Northeast: 1.1). Rural regions exhibited a higher AAMR (1.7) than urban regions (1.3). Most deaths occurred in medical facilities (60.99%). The adults aged ≥85 years exhibited an alarmingly high CMR (14.0). Conclusions While the mortality rates for GBS initially declined till 2014, they climbed back up afterwards. Highest mortality was exhibited by males and NH American Indians or Alaska Natives, residents of rural regions, and adults ≥85 years. Equitable efforts are needed to reduce the burden on high-risk populations.

Rethinking Regional High-Quality Development Pathways from a Carbon Emission Efficiency Perspective

Optimizing resource efficiency and mitigating climate change have become consensuses of human society. However, there is still a gap in assessing the carbon emission efficiency (CEE) and identifying the influence of various factors, especially in rapid urbanizing regions. In this paper, we built a stochastic frontier analysis model to assess CEE and conducted a case study in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration (BTHUA), a typical area of collaborative development in China. A comprehensive influencing factor index was constructed to analyze and identify the key influencing factors of CEE. The results revealed that the average CEE among the 13 cities increased in volatility from 2000 to 2019. The average CEE in Langfang was lowest, while that in Tangshan was highest. The input-related factors had a negative effect on CEE, including carbon emissions per capita, employment per ten thousand people, total assets per capita, and energy intensity. GDP per capita, the urbanization level, and the proportion of the tertiary sector’s GDP had positive impacts on CEE. Future policy formulation should focus on the transition from labor- and material-intensive industries to knowledge- and technology-intensive industries. All the results can contribute to achieving high-quality development and dual-carbon target of rapid-urbanizing areas.

Unveiling Poverty Dynamics in India: Examining Convergence and Determinants at Sub-National Level

ABSTRACT This paper tries to investigate the question of whether the poverty ratio across Indian states is converging in the post-2000s. We addressed this question of spatial convergence of the poverty ratio using unconditional convergence over the period 2004–05 to 2018–19 for 18 major states of India, considering both rural and urban regions. We used the unit-level data of NSSO’s Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CES) for the 61st, 68th and PLFS 2018–19 rounds for the analysis. Besides, we try to assess the driving factors of poverty through a panel regression model. The results reveal that in the first period from 2004–05 to 2011–12, Indian states experienced a divergence in the overall poverty ratio and rural poverty. However, the second period, 2011–12 to 2018–19, witnessed no specific trend of convergence or divergence across states. Again, in the case of urban poverty, there is no particular pattern of poverty convergence or divergence during both periods. The study shows that the Gini coefficient, educational expenditure, household size, infant mortality, literacy rate, MPCE, primary-sector income and per capita power availability are the significant determinants of poverty in India.

Impact of Globalisation on Unemployment and Inequality in India

The financial system of India has been significantly affected by globalisation, ensuing in a great have an effect on on unemployment and economic inequality. This studies specializes in analysing the impact of India's monetary integration into the global financial system on the U.S.A.'s labour markets and income distribution. Globalisation has propelled financial growth, increased activity opportunities across numerous industries, and facilitated technological improvements. However, the blessings have now not been dispensed fairly, leading to a boom in inequality. A big wide variety of people with constrained capabilities is currently without employment or is operating in roles that don't completely utilise their competencies. This is commonly because of the lack of ability of traditional industries and agriculture to fit the fast enlargement of the provider and information era sectors, which have generated numerous possibilities for people with superior abilties. Moreover, there is currently a more stated disparity among specific areas; urban regions have had extra economic benefits in comparison to rural areas. The effects suggest the need for centered making plans to ensure a greater equitable boom in India, given the intricate interaction between globalisation, employment, and inequality. In order to mitigate the results of globalisation on inequality and unemployment, it's far imperative to address skill deficiencies, beautify social protection nets, and promote equitable nearby increase.