Regional disparity in the changes of agricultural land use intensity in China during 1980-2002

Based on the cost-benefit data （1980-2002） of farm products and China Agriculture Yearbooks, this paper studies the regional disparity in the changes of the agricultural land use in China during the period 1980-2002 from three aspects such as the degree of intensity, the sown area and the abandoned farmland. The results show that： （1） The degree of intensity of land use in the westena region during 1980-2000 has a strong uptrend, but in the eastern and central regions the degree of intensity descends obviously and has shown a continuous downtrend since 1997. （2） The total sown area shrinks notably in the eastern region, while it enlarges constantly in the western region. （3） The sown area in the eastern, central and western regions has gone through a similar cyclic process： down （1980-1985）-up （1985-1991）-down （1991-1994）-up （1994-1999）-down （1999-2002）. However, there are obvious differences in amplitude variation and tendency among them. The sown area has shrunk in the eastern region and expanded in the central and western regions especially before 1999. （4） The most cases of abandoned farmland are reported in the central region, the second in the eastern region and the least in the western region. The abandonment phenomena chiefly occurred during 1992-1995 in the eastern region, and during 1998-2002 in the central region.

An analysis of the regional disparity in the average educational expenditure per senior secondary student and its relevant factors in China

The essay deals with regional disparities in the average educational expenditure of every ordinary senior secondary student,including budget funds for education,the proportion appropriated to the ordinary senior high school by the government,tuition fee per student and the proportion of tuition fees of the total educational expenditure.By analyzing the relevant educational and economic indicators,we find that the average educational expenditure and tuition of every student in the western area are lower than those in the eastern and the middle area while the proportion of funds allocated by the government is the highest.However,in the middle area,both of the government appropriation of education funds for every student and its proportion of the total educational expenditure are the lowest in China,but on the other hand the proportion of tuition fee of the total educational expenditure and the income of the rural residents are the highest.Therefore,the aim of this essay is to look at the reasons why there are such differences.

Regional disparities of phytoplankton in relation to different water masses in the Northwest Pacific Ocean during the spring and summer of 2017

The West Pacific Ocean is considered as the provenance center of global marine life and has the highest species diversity of numerous marine taxa.The phytoplankton,as the primary producer at the base of the food chain,effects on climate change,fish resources as well as the entire ecosystem.However,there are few large-scale surveys covering several currents with different hydrographic characteristics.This study aimed to explore the relationships between the spatio-temporal variation in phytoplankton community structure and different water masses.A total of 630 water samples and 90 net samples of phytoplankton were collected at 45 stations in the Northwest Pacific Ocean(21.0°–42.0°N,118.0°–156.0°E)during spring and summer 2017.A total of 281 phytoplankton taxa(>5μm)belonging to 61 genera were identified in the study area.The distribution pattern of the phytoplankton community differed significantly both spatially and temporally.The average abundances of phytoplankton in spring and summer were 797.07×10~2 cells/L and 84.94×10~2 cells/L,respectively.Whether in spring or summer,the maximum abundance always appeared in the northern transition region affected by the Oyashio Current,where nutrients were abundant and diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community;whereas the phytoplankton abundance was very low in the oligotrophic Kuroshio region,and the proportion of dinoflagellates in total abundance increased significantly.The horizontal distribution of phytoplankton abundance increased from low to high latitudes,which was consistent with the trend of nutrient distributions,but contrary to that of water temperature and salinity.In the northern area affected by the Oyashio Current,the phytoplankton abundance was mainly concentrated in the upper 30 m of water column,while the maximum abundance often occurred at depths of 50–75 m in the south-central area affected by the Kuroshio Current.Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis(RDA)showed that phytoplankton abundance was significant negatively correlated with temperature and salinity,but positively correlated with nutrient concentration.The phytoplankton community structure was mainly determined by nutrient availability,especially the N:P ratio.

Effects of the Northeast China Revitalization Strategy on Regional Economic Growth and Social Development

Measuring the economic and social effects of the Northeast China Revitalization Strategy is critical to addressing regional sustainable development in China. To shed light on this issue, an integrated perspective was adopted that is combined with the difference-in-differences method to measure the effects of the strategy on economic growth and social development in Northeast China. The findings suggest that the strategy has significantly improved regional economic growth and per-capita income by increasing its gross domestic product(GDP) and GDP per capita by 25.70% and 46.00%, respectively. However, the strategy has significantly worsened the regional employment in the secondary industry of the region. In addition, the strategy has not significantly improved regional infrastructural road, education investment or social security, and has had no significant effect on mitigating regional disparity. In addition, the policy effects are highly heterogeneous across cities based on city size and characteristics. Therefore, there is no simple answer regarding whether the Northeast China Revitalization Strategy has reached its original goals from an integrated perspective. The next phase of the strategy should emphasize improving research and development(R&D) and human capital investments based on urban heterogeneity to prevent conservative path-dependency and the lock-in of outdated technologies.

Regional disparities of phytoplankton in relation to environmental factors in the western Arctic Ocean during summer of 2010

Global warming has caused Arctic sea ice to rapidly retreat,which is affecting phytoplankton,the primary producers at the base of the food chain,as well as the entire ecosystem.However,few studies with large spatial scales related to the Arctic Basin at high latitude have been conducted.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in phytoplankton community structure and ice conditions.Fifty surface and 41 vertically stratified water samples from the western Arctic Ocean（67.0°–88°26′N,152°–178°54′W） were collected by the Chinese icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July 20 to August 30,2010 during China＇s fourth Arctic expedition.Using these samples,the species composition,spatial distribution,and regional disparities of phytoplankton during different stages of ice melt were assessed.A total of 157 phytoplankton taxa（〉5 μm） belonging to 69 genera were identified in the study area.The most abundant species were Navicula pelagica and Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii,accounting for 31.23% and 14.12% of the total phytoplankton abundance,respectively.The average abundance during the departure trip and the return trip were 797.07×10~2 cells/L and 84.94×10~2 cells/L,respectively.The highest abundance was observed at Sta.R09 in the north of Herald Shoal,where Navicula pelagica was the dominant species accounting for 59.42% of the abundance.The vertical distribution of phytoplankton abundance displayed regional differences,and the maximum abundances were confined to the lower layers of the euphotic zone near the layers of the halocline,thermocline,and nutricline.The species abundance of phytoplankton decreased from the low-latitude shelf to the high-latitude basin on both the departure and return trips.The phytoplankton community structure in the shallow continental shelf changed markedly during different stages of ice melt,and there was shift in dominant species from centric to pennate diatoms.Results of canonical correspondence analysis（CCA） showed that there were two distinct communities of phytoplankton in the western Arctic Ocean,and water temperature,ice coverage and silicate concentration were the most important environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in the surveyed sea.These findings will help predict the responses of phytoplankton to the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice.

Unveiling Global Human Trafficking Trends: A Comprehensive Analysis

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of global human trafficking trends over a twenty-year period, leveraging a robust dataset from the Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC). The study unfolds in a systematic manner, beginning with a detailed data collection phase, where ethical and legal standards for data usage and privacy are strictly observed. Following collection, the data undergoes a rigorous preprocessing stage, involving cleaning, integration, transformation, and normalization to ensure accuracy and consistency for analysis. The analytical phase employs time-series analysis to delineate historical trends and utilizes predictive modeling to forecast future trajectories of human trafficking using the advanced analytical capabilities of Power BI. A comparative analysis across regions—Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe—is conducted to identify and visualize the distribution of human trafficking, dissecting the data by victim demographics, types of exploitation, and duration of victimization. The findings of this study not only offer a descriptive and predictive outlook on trafficking patterns but also provide insights into the regional nuances that influence these trends. The article underscores the prevalence and persistence of human trafficking, identifies factors contributing to its evolution, and discusses the implications for policy and law enforcement. By integrating a methodological approach with quantitative analysis, this research contributes to the strategic planning and resource allocation for combating human trafficking. It highlights the necessity for continued research and international cooperation to effectively address and mitigate this global issue. The implications of this research are significant, offering actionable insights for policymakers, law enforcement, and advocates in the ongoing battle against human trafficking.

Regional Differences in Specific Health Examination Utilization and Medical Care Expenditures in Japan

Background: Despite having one of the most successful health systems in the world, annual medical expenditures in Japan have been increasing year to year. We sought to clarify regional differences in medical expenditures by analyzing the relationship between the specific health examination coverage and medical care expenditure by prefecture of Japan. Methods: We used data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups (NDB) Open Data Japan (2015) and Overview of 2015 National Medical Expenses to compare medical care expenditure per capita and proportions of persons receiving specific health examination between Japan nationally and individual prefectures. Results: National medical expenditures were 42.3 trillion Japanese yen (JPY) (3851 hundred million dollars), with a national per capita rate of JPY347,219 (USD3156). Per capita medical expenditure rates by prefecture ranged from JPY290,900 (USD2645) in Saitama Prefecture to JPY 444,000 (USD4036) in Kochi Prefecture. The proportion of persons receiving specific health examinations was 49.0% for Japan overall and ranged from 39.3% in Hokkaido Prefecture to 63.4% in Tokyo Prefecture. We observed a significant negative correlation between per capita medical expenditures and the proportion of persons receiving specific health examinations (R = 0.553, p < 0.001). Conclusion: We found a significant negative correlation between per capita medical expenditures and the proportion of persons receiving health examinations: prefectures with lower expenditures tended to have higher rates of medical examinations. Interventions to increase the proportion of persons receiving specific health examinations by prefecture could reduce per capita medical expenditures and reduce prefectural disparities in expenditures.

2011—2020年我国卫生资源配置的地区差异和动态演进

目的分析我国2011—2020年卫生资源配置的地区差异及动态演进趋势,为提升卫生资源效率、促进优质卫生资源均衡发展提供参考依据。方法基于2011—2020年面板数据,采用熵值法对卫生资源配置水平进行综合测度,基于自然断点分级法评价卫生资源配置空间均衡性,使用泰尔指数测算卫生资源配置地区差异程度及来源与构成,通过核密度估计法探讨卫生资源配置动态演进趋势。结果观察期内,我国卫生资源配置综合水平由1.810增至1.972,中密度、次高密度、次低密度区范围扩大6.45%。较观察初期,卫生资源配置受西部地区影响的总体差异涨幅约为1.36%,区域间差异占比约为51.38%。在动态演进过程中卫生资源配置非均衡性呈轻微缩小趋势,各区域形成两极或多极化特征。结论我国卫生资源配置渐趋均衡,而区域间差异仍是我国卫生资源配置总体差异的主要来源。

Survival benefit of younger gastric cancer patients in China and the United States:A comparative study

BACKGROUND The impact of racial and regional disparity on younger patients with gastric cancer(GC) remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic nomogram, and biological analysis of younger GC patients in China and the United States.METHODS From 2000 to 2018, GC patients aged less than 40 years were enrolled from the China National Cancer Center and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Biological analysis was performed based on the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Survival analysis was conducted via Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models.RESULTS A total of 6098 younger GC patients were selected from 2000 to 2018, of which 1159 were enrolled in the China National Cancer Center, and 4939 were collected from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Compared with the United States group, younger patients in China revealed better survival outcomes(P < 0.01). For race/ethnicity, younger Chinese cases also enjoyed a better prognosis than that in White and Black datasets(P < 0.01). After stratification by pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis(pTNM) stage, a survival advantage was observed in China with pathological stage Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ(all P < 0.01), whereas younger GC patients with stage Ⅱ showed no difference(P = 0.16). In multivariate analysis, predictors in China involved period of diagnosis, linitis plastica, and pTNM stage, while race, diagnostic period, sex, location, differentiation, linitis plastica, signet ring cell, pTNM stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were confirmed in the United States group. Prognostic nomograms for younger patients were established, with the area under the curve of 0.786 in the China group and of 0.842 in the United States group. Moreover, three gene expression profiles(GSE27342, GSE51105, and GSE38749) were enrolled in further biological analysis, and distinctive molecular characteristics were identified in younger GC patients among different regions.CONCLUSION Except for younger cases with pTNM stage Ⅱ, a survival advantage was observed in the China group with pathological stage Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ compared to the United States group, which might be partly due to differences in surgical approaches and the improvement of the cancer screening in China. The nomogram model provided an insightful and applicable tool to evaluate the prognosis of younger patients in China and the United States. Furthermore, biological analysis of younger patients was performed among different regions, which might partly explain the histopathological behavior and survival disparity in the subpopulations.

Does digitalization mitigate regional inequalities?Evidence from China

Regional inequality significantly influences sustainable development and human well-being.In China,there exists pronounced regional disparities in economic and digital advancements;however,scant research delves into the interplay between them.By analyzing the economic development and digitalization gaps at regional and city levels in China,extending the original Cobb-Douglas production function,this study aims to evaluate the impact of digitalization on China's regional inequality using seemingly unrelated regression.The results indicate a greater emphasis on digital inequality compared to economic disparity,with variable coefficients of 0.59 for GDP per capita and 0.92 for the digitalization index over the past four years.However,GDP per capita demonstrates higher spatial concentration than digitalization.Notably,both disparities have shown a gradual reduction in recent years.The southeastern region of the Hu Huanyong Line exhibits superior levels and rates of economic and digital advancement in contrast to the northwestern region.While digitalization propels economic growth,it yields a nuanced impact on achieving balanced regional development,encompassing both positive and negative facets.Our study highlights that the marginal utility of advancing digitalization is more pronounced in less developed regions,but only if the government invests in the digital infrastructure and education in these areas.This study's methodology can be utilized for subsequent research,and our findings hold the potential to the government's regional investment and policy-making.

The impact of China’s high-speed rail investment on regional economy and air pollution emissions

The high-speed rail(HSR)network in China has experienced rapid development since the 2000s.In 2016,the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued a revised version of the“Mid-and Long-term Railway Network Plan”,detailing the expansion of the railway network and construction of an HSR system.In the future,the HSR construction efforts in China will further increase,which is considered to impact regional development and air pollutant emissions.Therefore,in this paper,we apply a transportation network-multiregional computable general equilibrium(CGE)model to estimate the dynamic effects of HSR projects on economic growth,regional disparities,and air pollutant emissions in China.The results indicate that HSR system improvement could generate a positive economic impact but could also increase emissions.The gross domestic product(GDP)growth per unit investment cost stimulated by HSR investment is found to be the largest in eastern China but the smallest in the northwest regions.Conversely,HSR investment in Northwest China contributes to a substantial reduction in regional disparities in terms of the GDP per capita.In regard to air pollution emissions,HSR construction in South-Central China results in the largest increase in CO_(2) and NO_(X) emissions,while for CO,SO_(2),and fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5))emissions,the largest increase occurs due to HSR construction in Northwest China.At the regional level,the provinces with large changes in accessibility also experience large changes in their air pollutant emissions.

Health Disparities among the Western, Central and Eastern Rural Regions of China after a Decade of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Programming

Summary： Health disparities between the western, central and eastern regions of rural China, and the impact of national health improvement policies and programming were assessed. A total of 400 counties were randomly sampled. ANOVA and Logistic regression modeling were employed to estimate differ- ences in health outcomes and determinants. Significant differences were found between the western, central and eastern rural regions in community infrastructure and health outcomes. From 2000 to 2010, health indicators in rural China were improved significantly, and the infant mortality rate （IMR）, mater- nal mortality rate （MMR） and under 5 mortality rate （U5MR） had fallen by 62.79%, 71.74% and 61.92%, respectively. Central rural China had the greatest decrease in IMR （65.05%）; whereas, western rural China had the greatest reduction in MMR （72.99%） but smallest reduction in U5MR （57.36%）. Despite these improvements, Logistic regression analysis showed regional differences in key health outcome indicators （odds ratios）： IMR （central： 2.13; western： 5.31）, U5MR （central： 2.25; western： 5.69）, MMR （central： 1.94; western： 3.31）, and prevalence of infectious diseases （central： 1.62; western： 3.58）. The community infrastructure and health outcomes of the western and central rural regions of China have been improved markedly during the first decade of the 21st century. However, health dis- parities still exist across the three regions. National efforts to increase per capita income, community empowerment and mobilization, community infrastructure, capacity of rural health facilities, and health literacy would be effective policy options to attain health equity.

Change of Regional Financial Development Disparity in China(1978-1999)

A large country will undoubtedly show development disparity among its regions: it is not surprising therefore that China would not have developed evenly. In analyzing China’s development features and its manner of enforcing relative policies, the various financial sectors in China cannot be simply regarded as a whole unit: a unified policy would not be suitable for the local conditions of a given area, otherwise it will lost its future direction. This paper measures China’s disparity of financial development during the period

Analysis of the Difference of the Basic Pension by Regions

Nowadays, the disparity of the basic pension in local regions of China can be described as follows: the low level of the unification of the basic pension systems, the large disparity of the level of the basic pension, and unfairness of the enterprises’ payment for the basic pension in different local regions in China. These have already brought many negative influences, which have greatly held back the development of the society and national economy. We should build the basic pension system in all local regions of China as a whole, which can cover all people and decrease the disparity in different local regions in China.

China's Regional Inequality in Innovation Capability,1995-2006

This paper assesses both interregional and intraregional innovation inequality in China from 1995 to 2006. It is revealed that the east-central-west inequality has increased over time. whereas the inter-provincial inequality showed a V-pattern until 2003; Both inequality measures oscillated from 2004 to 2006. Using a deeomposition framework recently developed by one of the authors, we determined that the major factors driving innovation inequality are population, economic development level, R＆D, location and openness. The aggravated innovation inequality reflects the growth of China＇s innovation centers in the eastern region and their admission into the global innovation networks. The fact that R＆D is a major .factor driving the inequality suggests that, consMered in the present study, the efficiency of R＆D investment improved in certian regions during the period （1995-2006）. Finally, geographic, location and openness affect innovation inequality primarily through the coupled evolution of innovation capability and economic development, resulting in first-mover advantages to provinces of the eastern region.

Trends and driving forces of low-carbon energy technology innovation in China’s industrial sectors from 1998 to 2017: from a regional perspective

Low-carbon energy technology(LC)innovation contributes to both environmental protection and economic development.Using the panel data of 30 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in China from 1998 to 2017,this paper constructs a two-layer logarithmic mean Divisia index(LMDI)model to uncover the factors influencing the variation of the innovation of LC in China’s industrial sectors,including the alternative energy production technology(AEPT)and the energy conversation technology(ECT).The results show that China’s industrial LC patent applications rapidly increased after 2005 and AEPT patent applications outweighed ECT patent applications all the time with a gradually narrowing gap.Low-carbon degree played the dominant role in promoting the increase in China’s industrial LC patent applications,followed by the economic scale,R&D(research and development)efficiency,and R&D share.Economic structure contributed to the increases in LC patent applications in the central and the western regions,while led to the decreases in the eastern region,the north-eastern region,and Chinese mainland.Low-carbon degree and economic scale were two main contributors to the growths of both industrial AEPT patent applications and ECT patent applications in Chinese mainland and the four regions.Several policy recommendations are made to further promote industrial innovation in China.

中国社会升级与经济升级的耦合协调--演变、区域差异与影响因素

Social upgrading does not inherently follow economic upgrading;rather,they present a complex interplay.This paper,focusing on China,utilizes the coupling coordination degree and a panel regression model to shed light on the intricate interaction between social upgrading and economic upgrading.It is found that the coupling coordination degree of social and economic upgrading in China has improved from 0.33 to 0.49 since the mid-1990s,undergoing a shift from a stage of slight imbalance to low-level coordination.However,significant regional disparities are present in terms of economic upgrading,social upgrading,and their coupling coordination degree.Developed areas exhibit a higher degree of coupling coordination compared to less developed regions,indicating a connection between the coupling coordination degree and the level of economic growth.Economic globalization,public governance,and the legal environment positively impact the coupling coordination between social and economic upgrading,while economic privatization and corporate violations of law exert negative effects.The paper concludes with policy discussions for enhancing the coupling coordination between social and economic upgrading.

Analysis on Regional Income Gap and Spatial Convergence in China’s Rural Collective Economy

This paper empirically demonstrates a significant correlation between rural collective economic development,farmers’income and urban-rural relative income gap.With 2009-2018 descriptive statistics on growth characteristics and regional development of rural collective economy in China,the regional disparity,source structure and development profile of collective economic income are measured,and an analysis on the spatial convergence of rural collective economy is conducted from multiple dimensions.It finds that:Firstly,while China witnesses rural collective economic income rapidly grows,regional disparities have been failing to be moderated.Secondly,rural collective economic income gap in China has not significantly narrowed over a decade.It is mainly due to the inter-group differences in geographical locations.The income gap is further widening in the eastern region and shrinking in the central and western regions.Thirdly,capital accumulation prominently contributes to the convergence of collective economy in the eastern region,while technical indicators such as information computerization play signifi cant role to the convergence of other regions.From rate and period of convergence,it takes about 22-30 years for backward provinces to catch up with leading provinces.After variables,such as capital accumulation and information computerization,are controlled,the period of convergence shortens to 20-24 years.Fourthly,rural collective economic income in China has already showed a spatial club convergence of low-level equilibrium trap.

Regional and Sectoral Patterns and Determinants of Comparative Advantage in China

China＇s export performance is marked by large regional disparities which affect trade patterns at the national level. This paper uses data from input-output tables to estimate the comparative advantage of Chinese provinces in the three main economic sectors over the period 1992-2007. In contrast to existing studies, we include the services sector in the analysis and construct not only indices of revealed comparative advantage for overall trade, but also bilateral indices for interprovincial trade. The results indicate that West and Central China have a comparative advantage in agriculture/mining, coastal provinces in manufacturing, and metropolitan provinces in services. However, interprovincial trade exhibits a more complex pattern. Regression analysis identifies labor endowments as the key determinant of comparative advantage in total trade, while physical capital is the driving force in domestic trade. Human capital and government spending have a positive effect, whereas industrial loans and taxes, along with provincial trade barriers, impair comparative advantage.