Associations between individual and environmental factors and habitual physical activity among older Chinese adults:A social–ecological perspective

Purpose: To examine, within a social–ecological framework, associations between multifaceted individual and environmental factors and habitual physical activity(HPA) among older Chinese adults.Methods: Through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, a survey instrument assessing various factors underlying 3 social–ecological dimensions of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community and environmental resources was developed. Using a cross-sectional design, older adults(n = 1580, aged 67 ± 7 years) recruited from 10 communities in Shandong province completed the social–ecological survey of HPA. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Path Modeling.Results: Factors related to intrapersonal(medical knowledge, motivation, physical function, sport skills, socioeconomic status, and education),interpersonal(social support, social activity, and social norms), and community and physical environmental resources(safety, capacity, availability of and access to physical activity facilities) were found to be significantly associated with older adults' participation in HPA.Conclusion: The findings provide an initial validation of a social–ecological approach to the study of HPA in China, suggesting that strategies aimed at promoting physical activity in older adults should address multiple levels of factors that may contribute to the likelihood of older Chinese adults being physically active.

Brain region-specific roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in social stress-induced depressive-like behavior

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a key factor in stress adaptation and avoidance of a social stress behavioral response.Recent studies have shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in stressed mice is brain region–specific,particularly involving the corticolimbic system,including the ventral tegmental area,nucleus accumbens,prefrontal cortex,amygdala,and hippocampus.Determining how brain-derived neurotrophic factor participates in stress processing in different brain regions will deepen our understanding of social stress psychopathology.In this review,we discuss the expression and regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in stress-sensitive brain regions closely related to the pathophysiology of depression.We focused on associated molecular pathways and neural circuits,with special attention to the brain-derived neurotrophic factor–tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling pathway and the ventral tegmental area–nucleus accumbens dopamine circuit.We determined that stress-induced alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are likely related to the nature,severity,and duration of stress,especially in the above-mentioned brain regions of the corticolimbic system.Therefore,BDNF might be a biological indicator regulating stress-related processes in various brain regions.

Role of permafrost in resilience of social-ecological system and its spatio-temporal dynamics in the source regions of Yangtze and Yellow Rivers

Permafrost is one of the key components of terrestrial ecosystem in cold regions. In the context of climate change, few studies have investigated resilience of social ecological system(SER) from the perspective of permafrost that restricts the hydrothermal condition of alpine grassland ecosystem. In this paper, based on the structural dynamics, we developed the numerical model for the SER in the permafrost regions of the source of Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, analyzed the spatial-temporal characteristics and sensitivity of the SER, and estimated the effect of permafrost change on the SER. The results indicate that: 1) the SER has an increasing trend, especially after 1997, which is the joint effect of precipitation, temperature, NPP and ecological conservation projects; 2) the SER shows the spatial feature of high in southeast and low in northwest,which is consistent with the variation trends of high southeast and low northwest for the precipitation, temperature and NPP, and low southeast and high northwest for the altitude; 3) the high sensitive regions of SER to the permafrost change have gradually transited from the island distribution to zonal and planar distribution since 1980, moreover, the sensitive degree has gradually reduced; relatively, the sensitivity has high value in the north and south, and low value in the south and east; 4) the thickness of permafrost active layer shows a highly negative correlation with the SER. The contribution rate of permafrost change to the SER is-4.3%, that is, once the thickness of permafrost active layer increases 1 unit, the SER would decrease 0.04 units.

Research on Coupling Relationship between Social Economy and Ecological Environment in Jinghe County of Aiby Lake Basin,Xinjiang

Based on the theory of sustainable development,using the theory and method of coupling relationship,the main city of Aiby Lake basin——Jinghe County in Xinjiang is selected. Based on the analyses of natural condition,population growth,land use type and ecological environment,the comprehensive evaluation index systems of socio-economic development level and eco-environment quality in Jinghe County are constructed. Using principal component analysis,a comprehensive evaluation of socio-economic development level and ecological environment quality in Jinghe County is conducted by combining with Excel. Their coupling relationship is studied,and quantitative coordination degree between social economy and ecological environment in Jinghe County is obtained. The results show that in recent 50 years,socio-economic development level in Jinghe County is rising,but the ecological environment quality is falling. Their coupling degree C changes during [- 1. 260, ＋ 0. 482],in other words,their coupling relationship is changing between ＂ reluctant coordination＂ and ＂ not coordination＂. After entering into the 21 stcentury,their coupling relationship is basically ＂ reluctant coordination＂. On this basis,the existing problems in the process of sustainable development in Jinghe County are analyzed,and the suggestions about promoting coordinated development between social economy and ecological environment are put forward.

Service Object-based Evaluation Framework of Economic, Social and Ecological Benefits of Urban Green Spaces

Researchers' understandings of economic, ecological and social benefits of urban green spaces were discussed from many perspectives, connotations of such three major benefits were redefined, existing problems in the present evaluation were analyzed. According to service objects of urban green spaces, 6 relationship fields were classified, specifically, global ecology, regional environment, regional health, basic life, spiritual life and material life, a basic framework for evaluating economic, ecological and social benefits of urban green spaces was proposed.

The role of social resource of indigenous people in local ecological resource management in China: A preliminary case in Zhangye, Northwestern China

Social resources of indigenous people are valuable wealth, including the social norms, the relational network, belief, attitude as well as the social system which is accumulated from generation to generation. Those social resources are very important for local ecological resource management, which can help diffuseness and communion of skills and traditional conservation techniques for conserving and restoring the ecological sites. Social capital is one indicator of social resources, which is accepted widely. In order to investigate the role of social resources of indigenous people in local ecological resource management, the authors studied the relation between social capital of indigenous people and local ecological resource management, taking Zhangye City as an exam-ple. In this paper, social capital of indigenous people is quantified by constructing social capital index, composed of structural so-cial capital and cognitive social capital; local ecological resource management is quantified by constructing 'Grain for Green Pro-ject' performance index. Based on correlation analysis approach and logistic regression analysis approach, the authors analyzed the relation between social capital and 'Grain for Green Project' performance index, as well as the relations between 'Grain for Green Project' performance index and other factors such as per capita net income, medical treatment and so on. Results showed that the correlation between social capital and 'Grain for Green Project' performance index was positive, the coefficient was 0.761, with P<0.01. An increase of 1 unit in social capital is associated with an increase of 1.550 units in 'Grain for Green Project' per-formance. With factor, such as faction, per capita net income, medical treatment, increasing 1 unit, the 'Grain for Green Project' performance index will increase 3.912, 1.039 and 1.005 units, respectively.

Promoting Sustainability with Ecological,Economic and Social Dimensions in Developing Countries

Sustainable development is one of the most important ideas,and goals of our time.It is defined as"development which meets the needs and aspirations of the current generation and develops safe and sound society for future generation".Achieving sustainable development thus involves a vigorous and urgent debate on different dimensions.The different dimensions of sustainability as a framework involve all issues such as science,technology,economic growth and development,health,education,finance investment and trade,politics,natural disasters,population growth and terrorism,etc.No single dimension is responsible to develop sustainable society.This article mainly described the integrated relationship among the three dimensions of sustainability.

Open pit limit optimization considering economic profit,ecological costs and social benefits

Pit limit design has,up to date,focused mainly on maximization of economic profit alone,with environmental and social issues largely ignored.This paper focuses on incorporating both environmental and social issues in the pit limit design process and provides an approach to pit limit optimization that is in compliance with sustainable development.The case study demonstrates that ecological costs have a substantial down-sizing effect and social benefits have a substantial up-sizing effect on the optimal pit limit.When the ecological costs are factored in,the optimal pit limit is 37.5%smaller than the economically optimal pit limit.However,when the social benefits are factored in,the optimal pit limit is 48.3%larger than the economically optimal one.The overall optimal pit limit,with the economic profit,ecological costs and social benefits simultaneously considered,is a result of balancing conflicting goals of maximizing economic profit,minimizing ecological cost,and maximizing social benefit.

Effect of non-pharmacological treatment on the full recovery of social functioning in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND Long-term treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)is associated with adverse events,such as nausea and vomiting,dizziness,and sleep disturbances,and poor maintenance of late ADHD medication compromises treatment outcomes and prolongs the recovery of patients’social functioning.AIM To evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological treatment on the full recovery of social functioning in patients with ADHD.METHODS A total of 90 patients diagnosed with ADHD between May 2019 and August 2020 were included in the study and randomly assigned to either the pharmacological group(methylphenidate hydrochloride and tomoxetine hydrochloride)or the non-pharmacological group(parental training,behavior modification,sensory integration therapy,and sand tray therapy),with 45 cases in each group.Outcome measures included treatment compliance,Swanson,Nolan,and Pelham,Version IV(SNAP-IV)scores,Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire(PSQ)scores,and Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale(WFIRS)scores.RESULTS The non-pharmacological interventions resulted in significantly higher compliance in patients(95.56%)compared with medication(71.11%)(P<0.05).However,no significant differences in SNAP-IV and PSQ scores,in addition to the learning/school,social activities,and adventure activities of the WFIRS scores were observed between the two groups(P>0.05).Patients with non-pharmacological interventions showed higher WFIRS scores for family,daily life skills,and self-concept than those in the pharmacological group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Non-pharmacological interventions,in contrast to the potential risks of adverse events after longterm medication,improve patient treatment compliance,alleviate patients’behavioral symptoms of attention,impulsivity,and hyperactivity,and improve their cognitive ability,thereby improving family relationships and patient self-evaluation.

Marx’s Ontology of Social Power System for Ecological Justice

Historical materialism provides the ontology basis to understand the contemporary ecological justice problem,which is the perspective for analyzing ecological interests from the nature,structure,and transition of the social power system.The transcendence of Marx’s thoughts on western mainstream environmental justice theory lies that it does not based on the“speculative ontology”of metaphysics,but on the basis of“realistic ontology”of social power system.

Development of living floor spaces on the basis of ecological economic and social programs

Human activities moves to an ecological disaster. The technocratic approach to the organization of activity breaking environment ecology forces to defend the Nature accidents. The mankind crossed line of technological development when the Planet became vulnerable. Will help to rescue mankind from an ecological disaster, ecological thinking and behavior of people, and their ecological responsibility, the moral relation to the nature;harmonization of vital system by waste-free industrial cycles of the combined productions;eco-world formation. The problem of global ecological stabilization can be solved by implementation of social and economic interdisciplinary programs, such as, first, the ecological program “Clean Air, Clear Water, Pure Food, Net Energy, Pure Cities and Villages, Pure Nature”, secondly, the program of development ecological and health the preserving with the filled economy resources, thirdly, the “Development Health of the Preserving Medicine and Health System” program, fourthly, the program of the ecological focused interdisciplinary education, fifthly, the program of peaceful, humane environmental policy, sixthly, the program of civil education of harmonious life for a sustainable development, seventhly, the program of formation of fair democracy as way of life of society. Social and economic programs for stabilization of ecology need to be realized under the competent direction and control of the institutionalized infrastructure of scientific and educational society and on the basis of ecological thinking and behavior of all segments of the population. World community will have to undertake decisive measures to stabilize the environmental ecological processes in order to keep modern and future generations supplied with a harmony between the meeting of their reasonable needs, social and economic problems decision, with the life on the Earth being preserved.

Vulnerability and adaptation of an oasis social–ecological system affected by glacier change in an arid region of northwestern China

The Hexi Inland River Basin in an arid region of northwestern China was chosen as the study area for this research. The authors define the vulnerability of an oasis social-ecological system to glacier change; select 16 indicators from natural and socioeconomic systems according to exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity; and construct a vulnerability-assessment indicator system aimed at an inland river basin in the arid region of Northwestern China. Vulnerability of the oasis socialecological system affected by glacier change in the study area is evaluated by Spatial Principal Component Analysis(SPCA) under the circumstance of glacier change. The key factors affecting the vulnerability are analyzed. The vulnerability of the oasis social-ecological system in the Hexi Inland River Basin affected by glacier change is of more than medium grade, accounting for about 48.0% of the total number of counties in the study area. In terms of the spatial pattern of the vulnerability, the oasis economic belt is the most vulnerable. With the rapid development of the area's society and economy, the exposure of the system to glacial changes is significantly increased; and an increase in glacial meltwater is not enough to overcome the impact of increased exposure, which is the main reason for the high vulnerability. Based on the result of the vulnerability analysis and combined with the present industrial structure in the Hexi Inland River Basin, near-,medium-, and long-term adaptation initiatives are put forward in the article.

Study on Rural Ecological Environment Governance in China from the Perspective of Social Capital

At present,the ecological environment in the countryside of China is deteriorating with industrial pollution spreading to the countryside,agricultural pollution on the increase and environment in the residential areas deteriorating. The traditional approach to the ecological problem,which heavily relies on the government or the market,fails to fundamentally address the problem. Instead,as the social capital in the countryside,the relationship network,norms and trust can effectively resolve rural ecological environmental crisis by highlighting the method of"social governance"in ecological environment in the countryside. It is thus suggested that in the governance of rural ecological environment,which is based on the social capital,the management space between the government and the community should be appropriately divided,so that the institutional capital can promote and regulate the social capital,enhance the construction of rural cooperative organizations and increase the input of rural human capital,and promote the coupling between administrative boundary and ecological boundary.

Ecology and social system of northern gibbons living in cold seasonal forests

Gibbons in China represent the northernmost margin of present day gibbon species distribution （around N25°）. Compared to tropical habitats, northern gibbon habitats are characterized by low temperatures and remarkable seasonal variation in fruit abundance How gibbons adapt to their cold and seasonal habitats and what ecological factors affect their sociality are key questions for understanding their ecology and social system evolution, the elucidation of which will contribute to the conservation of these special populations/species. According to preliminary short-term studies, northern gibbons consume more leaves and use larger home ranges than tropical gibbons. Interestingly, some Nomascus groups consist of more than one adult female. However, these preliminary results are not well understood or incorporated into current socio-ecological theories regarding gibbon species. To better understand northern gibbons, our team has systematically studied three habituated groups of Nomascus concolor, three groups of N. nasutus, and two habituated groups of Hoolock tianxing since 2002. In this paper, we stress the challenges facing gibbons living in northern habitats and summarize their behavioral adaptations to their harsh environments. We also describe the northern gibbon social system and discuss the potential relationships between their ecology and sociality. Finally, we highlight future research questions related to northern gibbons in China.

Cyber-Physical-Social System Between a Humanoid Robot and a Virtual Human Through a Shared Platform for Adaptive Agent Ecology

Two artificial agents(a humanoid robot and a virtual human) are enriched with various similar intelligence,autonomy, functionalities and interaction modalities. The agents are integrated in the form of a cyber-physical-social system(CPSS) through a shared communication platform to create a social ecology. In the ecology, the agents collaborate(assist each other) to perform a real-world task(search for a hidden object)for the benefits of humans. A robot-virtual human bilateral trust model is derived and a real-time trust measurement method is developed. The role of taking initiative in the collaboration is switched between the agents following a finite state machine model triggered by bilateral trust, which results in a mixedinitiative collaboration. A scheme is developed to evaluate the performance of the agents in the ecology through the CPSS.The results show that the robot and the virtual human perform satisfactorily in the collaboration through the CPSS. The results thus prove the effectiveness of the real-world ecology between artificial agents of heterogeneous realities through a shared platform based on trust-triggered mixed-initiatives. The results can help develop adaptive social ecology comprising intelligent agents of heterogeneous realities to assist humans in various tasks through collaboration between the agents in the form of a CPSS.

Rural Residential Space Differentiation and Social Ecology

After reviewing the rural development in China since the establishment of new China,the paper has pointed out that the promotion of urbanization and construction of new socialist countryside have led to the migration of a number of rural people,the damage of traditional communities,rural social hierarchy and social separation.With the movement of people,a large area of rural lands have been abandoned and land resources been wasted.In view of these problems,it is considered that it should not adopt urban construction mode blindly in rural planning,but reconstruct rural social ecology and introduce non physical pattern planning based on rural development and villagers'status,providing a solid basis for physical pattern planning,so as to guide urban-rural coordinated development.

An analysis on the connotation and necessity for ecological accounting

With mankind＇s paying more attention to eco-environment, traditional accounting has not been adapted itself to the implementation of eco-economy management activities. Therefore, it is necessary and inevitable for ecological accounting to enter into the research field of accounting. The article comprehensively researches the identification and interpretation of connotation for ecological accounting and the necessity of implementing ecological accounting in China.

Sustainability issues in agro-ecology: Socio-ecological perspective

In the recent past there has been concern to address the declining trends and deteriorating ecological elements and their functions in productive agricultural landscapes. The efforts to revive the ecological functions needs multiple scale approach, which include scientific understanding, time dependent restorative activities and incorporation of wisdom of the stakeholders. Conservation initiatives linked to precision farming is an apt mechanism to minimize the loss of natural resources of agricultural landscapes to maintain the complex stabilizers of ecological functions. Such an effort must address the scientific evaluation of the farm as “ecologically sustainable unit” with due consideration to social construct at local to regional level. Sustainability indices can be useful tools for evaluating the farms to isolate degradative factors and identify ecologically conservative practices. This review will analyze certain inter-linked concepts relevant to address the sustainability issues in agro-ecology at the interface of socio-ecological perspective.

Health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients in northeastern Sicily, Italy An ecological perspective

Parkinson＇s disease has a negative impact on health-related quality of life in Parkinson＇s disease patients. Depression, cognitive impairment, coping strategies, dyskinesia, gait disorders and complications of dopaminergic drugs are the variables that most affect health-related quality of life. The ecological model of human development focuses attention on both individual and social environmental factors as targets for health interventions. From this perspective, the aim of this cross-sectional survey was to evaluate the influence of gender, family size and perceived autonomy on health-related quality of life in Parkinson＇s disease patients in nOrtheastern Sicily, Italy. Ninety Parkinson＇s disease patients, attending the Movement Disorders Clinic at IRCCS Centro Neurolesi ＂Bonino-Pulejo＂ （Messina）, were consecutively enrolled. The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale motor subscale （UPDRS-Ⅲ） scores, the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 Item scores （as a disease-specific measure of health-related quality of life）, scores on the Short Form （36） Health Survey Questionnaire （as a generic measure）, and answers to a brief checklist were recorded. A total of 85 Parkinson＇s disease patients （49% males and 51% females; mean age 70.8 ± 8.6 years mean UPDRS-Ⅲ 24.15 ± 6.55; mean disease duration 5.52 ± 4.65 years） completed the booklet of questionnaires. In the multivariate regression analysis, we included clinical and social variables as independent predictors of health-related quality of life. Our results suggest a potential compounding effect of ecological intrapersonal and interpersonal levels on health-related quality of life outcomes. Gender, self-evaluated autonomy and family size significantly impacted health-related quality of life. If quality of life is used as an indicator of treatment outcomes, an ecological perspective of the case history will be important to disclose relevant prognostic information and trigger personalized health care interventions.

Neoliberalism,Anti-Neoliberalism and Socialism

Neoliberalism,Anti-Neoliberalism and