Regional differences in gully network connectivity based on graph theory:a case study on the Loess Plateau,China

Material exchange frequently occurs in gullies,and thus the relationship between a gullynetwork structure and sediment transport potential has attracted considerable interest.However,previous researches ignored the difficulty of material transport from sources to sinks,and did not quantify the connectivity of a network structure.In this study,we used a graph model structure to model gully networks of six typical sample areas in the Loess Plateau of China and quantified gully network connectivity using four indexes:average node strength,accessibility from sources to sinks,potential flow,and network structural connectivity index.Results show that:(1)Reflected by different quantitative indexes,the trends of gully network connectivity in different regions are similar.From north to south,the connectivity of a sample area first increases and then decreases.(2)The more mature gullies have stronger network connectivity.Small resistance is conducive to material transport in the gullies.(3)The node connectivity index of the gully network shows a significant aggregation distribution in space,and node connectivity on the main channel is often stronger than that on the branch trench.These results not only deepen the understanding of the process and mechanism of loess gully geomorphic development and evolution but also provide a reference for geomorphic studies.

China’s urban green innovation:Regional differences,distribution dynamics,and convergence

Urban green innovation(UGI)is essential to environmental protection,ecological conservation,and high quality economic growth.Using green patents,our study assessed the level of UGI of 287 Chinese cities at and above the prefecture level.Then,using the Dagum Gini coefficient,kernel density estimation(KDE),and con‐vergence models,we examined regional differences,distribution dynamics,and convergence of UGI across China.The study’s findings are as follows:(1)Overall,regional differences in UGI tended to narrow,and the main contributor to these differences was the difference between economic zones.(2)KDE showed that the level of UGI was rising,which was polarized within each economic zone.(3)The national UGI in economic zones other than the Northeast and Middle Yellow River Economic Zones featured significantσconvergence,while each economic zone showed absolute and conditionalβconvergence.

Study on Comprehensive Efficiency Evaluation of Rural Power Grid under Rural Revitalization Strategy Considering Regional Differences

As an essential infrastructure,the rural power grid is vital in promoting agricultural and rural carbon sequestration and improving rural energy electrification.It is necessary to carry out in-depth research on its comprehensive efficiency.Based on the requirements of“double carbon”and rural revitalization strategy for the rural Power Grid,this paper focuses on the modernization and low-carbon transformation of the rural Power Grid.It constructs an input-output index system for the investment efficiency of the rural Power Grid in China under the new situation.It uses the primary data of the rural Power Grid of 30 prefecture-level cities in China from 2019 to 2021 to evaluate the investment efficiency of the rural Power Grid in China through a three-stage DEA model.The empirical results show that:considering the regional differences,the comprehensive efficiency of the rural Power Grid in backward areas is significantly improved;that is,the three-stage DEA method can more objectively evaluate the comprehensive efficiency of the rural Power Grid.In the context of the continued promotion of the rural revitalization strategy,to improve the comprehensive efficiency of the rural Power Grid,it is necessary to improve the technical level of the rural Power Grid further and appropriately expand the scale of investment in the rural Power Grid.

Analysis of Regional Differences in Bone Mineral Density Acquisition Factors in Young Women

Purpose: Obtaining high peak bone mass (PBM) and maintaining bone mass is important for the prevention of osteoporosis. This study aimed to examine the regional differences in bone mineral density and factors associated with its acquisition from exercise. Design: The study population included 75 women of 18 - 22 years of age in East Japan and 104 women of 18 - 27 years of age in West Japan. The speed of sound (SOS) of the calcaneus was measured, and the young adult mean (%YAM) was calculated from the SOS. The subjects’ medical history, family history of osteoporosis, and exercise habits were examined using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: There were a significantly greater number of subjects with low %YAM in West Japan. The exercise history and exercise time were significantly higher in West Japan, and the exercise intensity score tended to be higher in East Japan during junior high and high school. A multiple regression analysis by region revealed that the following factors had a significant positive association with the SOS: exercise intensity at elementary school and outdoor sports at junior high school in East Japan;and exercise time at elementary school, muscle mass, and outdoor sports at junior high school in West Japan. On the other hand, exercise time in junior high school in West Japan showed a negative association with the SOS. Conclusions: Regional differences in bone mineral density existed, suggesting a trend toward lower bone mineral density in West Japan. Exercise history and time tended to be higher in West Japan, and exercise intensity scores tended to be higher in East Japan, suggesting that exercise intensity may be more important than exercise time for obtaining bone mineral density.

Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015

Global warming triggers shrinking and thinning of glaciers worldwide,with potentially severe implications for human society.However,regional differences in glacier retreat and its relationship with climatic characteristics have not been conclusively demonstrated.In this study,regional changes in global glaciers based on two primary features,area change and mass balance,were investigated on the basis of data collected from published research on glacier changes.Results show that during the period 1980—2015,the rate of global glacier area shrinkage was 0.18%per year and that of global glacier mass loss was 0.25 m w.e.per year.Retreat of glaciers located at low and middle latitudes was characterized by severe area shrinkage and mass loss.Correspondingly,in the Arctic,deglaciation was characterized by ice thinning due to a low area reduction but relatively high mass loss rate.However,glaciers in high southern latitudes were in a relatively stable status.High Mountain Asia exhibited the lowest rate of area shrinkage and mass loss among glaciers located at low and middle latitudes,and a slower rate of mass loss compared with the global average.Glaciers in the Tropical Andes exhibited the fastest rate of glacier area shrinkage(—1.6%per year),whereas Antarctic and Subantarctic glaciers showed the lowest rate(—0.11%per year).For mass balance,the most negative occurred at Southern Andes(—0.81 m w.e.per year),followed by Alaska(-0.74 m w.e.per year).Only the Antarctic and Subantarctic experienced small mass gain(0.04 m w.e.per year).High levels of correlation are found between the rates of glacier retreat and annual average temperature and annual total precipitation instead of their trends.The variability of the surface climate conditions in the glacier environment plays a key role in driving these regional differences in global glacier retreat.

Regional differences in rainfall frequency and amount over southwestern China

In this paper,the rainfall features in southwestern China are studied using daily rainfall station data.The rainfall features are distinct along the eastern and western edges of the Hengduan Mountains and over the mountains,especially in terms of rainfall frequency.The rainfall amounts and frequencies are much higher along the eastern and western edges than over the mountains,particularly during spring,which is partly contributed by the number and duration of rainfall events.The differences are more obvious in the nocturnal rainfall than in the daytime rainfall.The rainfall differences over the three regions could be affected by the large-scale environment.By analyzing reanalysis data,the large-scale circulations linked to the different rainfall features over southwestern China,and the interactions of these circulations with the topography are also discussed.

Analysis on Chinese Regional Differences in International Tourism Foreign Exchange Earnings with Method of One-way Variance Analysis

Based on data over 31 provinces and cities in China from2006 to 2013,this thesis first divides those 31 provinces and cities into four economic regions including northeastern region,central region,eastern region and western region.Based on data over 31 provinces and cities in China from 2006 to 2013,those 31 provinces and cities were devided into four economic regions in this thesis,including northeastern region,central region,eastern region and western region.Then,it takes international tourism foreign exchange earnings as the dependent variable,the four economic regions as the factor to measure the difference of international tourism foreign exchange earnings in different regions,and finds out the main reasons of it.Through the one-way variance analysis on international tourism foreign exchange earnings,we can know that international tourism foreign exchange earnings have differences in different regions apparently.Besides,significant differences can be found between northeastern and central regions as well as eastern and western regions,while it is not the same case between the central and western regions.

Gini Index for Cities: A Preliminary Study on Regional Differences of Chinese City Size Distribution

City size distribution is of interest because of a number of key stylized facts, including notably Zipf's law for cities and the importance of urban primacy. But a new and more efficient method Gini index can be used for calculating regional city size distribution. This paper begins by developing a calculation method for the Gini index, dividing the whole country into 26 areas and then calculating each area's Gini index value. Based on these calculation results, this paper gives a preliminary study on regional differences of its city size distribution and the dynamics.

Assessment of Electricity Productivity in China:Regional Differences and Convergence

Electricity productivity is regarded as a major assessment indicator in the design of energy saving policies,given that China has entered a“New Normal”of economic development.In fact,enhancing electricity productivity in an all-round way,as is one of the binding indicators for energy and environmental issues,means that non-growth target of total electric energy consumption in the economic development is feasible.The Gini coefficient,Theil index,and Mean log deviation are utilized to measure regional differences in China’s electricity productivity from 1997 to 2016 in five regions,and conditionalβconvergence is empirically analyzed with the spatial Durbin model.The results show that:(1)China’s electricity productivity is improving,while the overall feature is that the eastern area has a higher efficiency than the western area.(2)The difference in electricity productivity is the smallest in the northeast and the largest in the northwest.Interregional difference plays an important role and is the main cause for the differences.(3)The electricity productivity in China exhibitsβconvergence,except for the northwest.The positive driving factor is urbanization level(0.0485%),and the negative driving factor is FDI(–0.0104%).Moreover,the urbanization rate(0.0669%),foreign direct investment(0.0960%),and the industrial structure(–0.0769%)have a spatial spillover effect on improving regional electricity productivity.Based on this conclusion,the study provides some recommendations for saving energy policy design in China’s power industry.

An Empirical Study on Regional Differences of Higher Education Financial Aid in China

This paper uses empirical data to examine the issue of fairness of higher education student financial aid in China, noting different levels of regional economic development as the reason to explain the wide differences in available financial resources for student aid. Government efforts aimed at reducing the gap in recent years is discussed.

Regional Differences of China′s Urban Expansion from Late 20th to Early 21st Century Based on Remote Sensing Information

This study investigated the regional differences of China′s urban land expansion from the late 1980s to the year of 2008, based on the spatio-temporal analysis of CLCD (China′s land cover/land use database) datasets which were mainly produced from remote sensing imagery data. A newly defined urbanization level index (UI), based on urban land area, is proposed to describe Chinese urban expansion process at 1 kilometer, provincial, regional, and na-tional scales, together with the absolute urban expansion index (UEa) and the relative urbanization expansion index (UEr). The results indicate that the percentages of total land area occupied by urban in the late 1980s, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2008 were approximately 0.25%, 0.32%, 0.33%, 0.43% and 0.52% of China′s total land area, respectively. Between the late 1980s and 2008, the total urban expansion in the mainland of China was 2.645 × 104 km2, resulting in an annual urban expansion area of about 1322.7 km2/yr, with the UEr of 111.9%. This study also finds that there has been an obvious spatial gradient of urbanization ratio running from the east coast to the west inland, and the urbanization gaps among different regions have persisted over the past two decades. The study also reveals obvious temporal varia-tions of the urbanization rates. There was very little urban growth during the period of 1995-2000 due to the governmental policy factors.

Regional differences of water conservation in Beijing’s forest ecosystem

The water conservation capacities of main forests in Beijing,China were estimated through the quantitative analysis.Various methods developed in published papers on forest hydrology were employed.The forests in Huairou,Yanqing,Miyun,Mentougou and Fangshan districts are the main contributors to water conservation（the cumulative ratio reaches 65%）,and the forests in Tongzhou,Chaoyang,Shunyi and Daxing districts have the highest water conservation capacity（3000 m3/ha）.Altitude and slope are the key factors to affect the water conservation capacity.The forests located in Plain Area,Hilly Area,Low Mountain,and Middle Mountain contributes 27%,28%,24% and 21% of the conserved water,respectively.The water conservation capacity of forests in Plain Area（2 948 m3/ha）,is superior to the forests in other regions.And the forests situated on Flat Slope,Moderate Slope and Gentle Slope constitute the largest proportion（nearly 93%） of water conservation,while the forests on Flat Slope has the highest water conservation capacity（2 797 m3/ha）,and the forest on Steep slope has the lowest water conservation capacity（948 m3/ha）.

Regional Differences and Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon Density Between Dry Land and Paddy Field in China

Study on the regional characteristics of soil organic carbon （SOC） density in farmland will not only contribute greatly to the technique of soil productivity enhancement, but also give evidences of technique selection and policy making for carbon sequestration in soils. Based on the second national soil survey of China, the situation of SOC density in the plow layer of farmland was analyzed under different land use patterns. Results showed that SOC density in the plow layer was about 3.15 kg m^-2 in average ranging from 0.81 to 12.68 kg m^-2. The highest density was found in the southeastern region with an average of 3.63 kg ma, while the lowest occurring in the northwestern region with an average of 3.00 kg m^-2. The variation coefficient of SOC density in the plow layer of farmland was 57%, which was 35% lower than that of non-farmland soils. Compared to SOC density in the dry land, SOC density in paddy soils was 13% higher with a lower variation coefficient between different regions. In addition, the relationships between the climatic factors （annual average temperature and precipitation） and SOC density were lower in farmland than those in non-farmland soils, as well as lower in paddy soils than those in dry land of farmland. These results suggest that anthropogenic disturbances have great impacts on SOC density in farmland soils, especially in paddy soils, indicating that Chinese rice cropping may contribute greatly to the SOC stability and sequestration in paddy field.

Regional differences and threshold characters of the impact of energy use efficiency on energy scarcity in China

The improvement of the technical efficiency of energy use has been widely seen as an important way to alleviate energy scarcity.However,the energy rebound effect demonstrates the vulnerability and unsustainability of alleviating energy scarcity relying on technology.Under the background of the consistent development of energy factor market,it is of great importance to explore the paths and differences of energy source allocation constrained by technology and cost to promote the sustainable use of energy.This study analyzed the regional differences and threshold characteristics in the impact of the technical and cost efficiency of energy use on energy scarcity using the instrumental variable-two-stage least square method,based on the panel data of Chinese provinces from 2003 to 2017.The results showed that:①Technology and price were the critical forces of the technical and cost efficiency of energy use.They changed the degree of use of surplus production factors by affecting the complementary and replacement demand relationship between energy and non-energy factors.Meanwhile,the impact of energy use efficiency on energy scarcity showed regional and time features due to the different technology capabilities and different levels of market development in different regions and different time.②The alleviation of energy scarcity at the national level relied on the improvement of energy cost efficiency.At the regional level,the alleviation of energy scarcity in central China came from the improvement of the technical efficiency of energy use.However,the alleviation of energy scarcity in the eastern and western regions was due to the improvement of energy cost efficiency.③Constrained by the economic development,openness,science and technology input and the industrial development structure,the impact of the technical and cost efficiency of energy use on energy scarcity demonstrated a nonlinear feature.And structural mutation occurred after passing a specific‘inflection point’,which showed a significant threshold feature.Therefore,energy price should play an important role in energy use and it is necessary to pay attention to the regional differences and time characteristics of energy economic development to promote the sustainable development of energy resources.

Regional Differences and Optimal Allocation of Cultivated Land Utilization Benefits Based on Improved TOPSIS Method:A Case Study of Guangxi

Taking 14 prefecture-level cities in Guangxi as an object,this paper explored the difference of cultivated land utilization efficiency in Guangxi,comprehensively evaluated the economic,social,and ecological aspects,and analyzed the regional differences in cultivated land use efficiency in Guangxi from 2005 to 2018 based on the improved TOPSIS method.By studying the quantitative change trends and spatial differences of the utilization benefit of cultivated land resources in Guangxi,it came up with recommendations for optimizing the allocation of cultivated land from the quantity and quality of cultivated land.It is intended to provide a scientific and theoretical reference for improving the use efficiency of cultivated land in Guangxi.

Research on Regional Differences and Influencing Factors of China's Carbon Emissions

This paper studies the regional differences,dynamic evolution and influencing factors of regional carbon emission intensity(CEI)in 262 cities and 5 regional urban agglomerations(UAs)in China.The Dagum Gini coefficient is used to analyze the intra-regional and inter-regional differences in carbon emissions,and the temporal evolution of the absolute differences of CEI among regions is analyzed by means of kernel density estimation(KDE).The paper provides an in-depth study on the spatial difference and temporal evolution of CEI in Chinese cities and major strategic regions.Through Moran index and LISA’s test,the spatial correlation of carbon emission in prefecture-level cities is tested,and its spatial agglomeration characteristics are described.It is found that China’s CEI is decreasing year by year,presenting a spatial pattern of“low in the south but high in the north”.Based on the calculation of carbon emission intensity at the urban level,this paper conducts LDMI factor decomposition research on carbon emission intensity at the national and key regions,and analyzes the impact of the impact factors on carbon emission intensity.The research results provide a path for China’s green development at the city level and urban agglomeration level,and a theoretical support for different regions and cities to introduce emission and carbon reduction policies.

Carbon Emission Measurement and Regional Difference Analysis of China's Construction Industry

Green and low-carbon development of construction industry is one of the important ways to achieve the"dual carbon"goal in China.This study first measured the carbon emissions of the construction industry in 30 provinces in China,and then used the Dagum Gini coefficient and its decomposition method to explore the regional differences and sources of carbon emissions of the construction industry in China.The results show that the carbon emissions of construction industry in China generally show an upward trend,and there are significant differences in carbon emissions of construction industry among provinces,and the main source of regional differences is inter-regional differences.However,the contribution rate of inter-regional differences showed a significant downward trend,while the contribution rate of hyperbolic density increased day by day,and the contribution rate of intra-regional differences increased slightly.The results of this study will provide a reference for China to formulate more reasonable carbon emission reduction targets and differentiation strategies for the construction industry.

The emergence, development and regional differences of mixed farming of rice and millet in the upper and middle Huai River Valley, China

Mixed farming of rice and millet is one of the basic agricultural modes in the upper and middle Huai River Valley(HRV). According to the latest data, this agricultural mode appeared during the middle and late Peiligang Culture(7.8–7.0 ka BP) in the upper HRV, and then became a common subsistence economy in the end of the Neolithic(5.0–4.0 ka BP) in both the upper and middle HRV. However, it is still not clear how this mixed farming developed in the upper HRV after its occurrence, nor are the regional differences in the development of mixed farming between the upper and middle HRV during the Neolithic completely understood. In this paper, flotation and starch analyses were conducted on samples from eight archaeological sites in the upper and middle HRV. The results indicate that the mixed farming of rice and millet first appeared in the later phase of the middle Neolithic in the regions of the Peiligang Culture, then developed quite rapidly in the late Neolithic(6.8–5.0 ka BP), finally becoming the main subsistence economy at the end of the Neolithic in the upper HRV. However, there are obvious differences in the emergence and development of agriculture between the middle and upper HRV. Rice farming was the only agricultural system during the middle Neolithic, lasting until the end of the Neolithic, when mixed farming appeared in the middle HRV. Furthermore, although mixed farming appeared in both the upper and middle HRV during the end of the Neolithic, the roles of rice, foxtail millet and broomcorn millet in the subsistence economy were not the same. In general, millet was more widely cultivated than rice in the upper HRV, but rice occupied the same or a slightly more prominent position in the middle HRV at the end of the Neolithic. These results are significant for understanding the process of agricultural development and transformation, as well as human adaptation to climatic and cultural variability duringthe Neolithic.

Regional Differences in China's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Potentials

This paper investigates the maximum energy efficiency level and the energy saving potentials in each region in China that can be practically attained at current economic and technological development levels. Most of the nation ＇s energy efficient provinces are found along the coast of southeast China, while most of its least energy efficient provinces are in the hinterland that is rich in coal resources, and which depends heavily on coal consumption. China＇s low efficiency in energy resource allocation stems from its secondary industry, which is handicapped by the lowest energy efficiency and the most striking regional differentials. A comparison of the factors affecting the energy efficiency shows that the provinces being compared in this study differ tremendously in energy consumption structure, technological level of the secondary industry, and abundance of energy resources, and that the other factors are only adequate, rather than necessary, conditions. It is imperative to rectify the behaviors of provinces in balancing local energy allocation, to channel energy resources to energy efficient provinces, and to improve the national energy efficiency as a whole. When taking energy-saving steps, provinces must take into full consideration both the national and local factors that affect energy efficiency. Furthermore, it is unrealistic for China to set a unified energy saving goal for differentprovinces.

Regional differences of urbanization in China and its driving factors

After more than 30 years of rapid urbanization, the overall urbanization rate of China reached 56.1% in 2015.However, despite China's rapid increase in its overall rate of urbanization, clear regional differences can be observed. Furthermore, inadequate research has been devoted to in-depth exploration of the regional differences in China's urbanization from a national perspective, as well as the internal factors that drive these differences. Using prefecture-level administrative units in China as the main research subject, this study illustrates the regional differences in urbanization by categorizing the divisions into four types based on their urbanization ratio and speed(high level: low speed; high level: high speed; low level: high speed; and low level: low speed). Next, we selected seven economic and geographic indicators and applied an ordered logit model to explore the driving factors of the regional differences in urbanization. A multiple linear regression model was then adopted to analyze the different impacts of these driving factors on regions with different urbanization types. The results showed that the regional differences in urbanization were significantly correlated to per capita GDP, industry location quotients, urban-rural income ratio,and time distance to major centers. In addition, with each type of urbanization, these factors were found to have a different driving effect. Specifically, the driving effect of per capita GDP and industry location quotients presented a marginally decreasing trend, while main road density appeared to have a more significant impact on cities with lower urbanization rates.