Mapping and measuring urban-rural inequalities in accessibility to social infrastructures

Equal access to social infrastructures is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development,but has long been a great challenge worldwide.Previous studies have primarily focused on the accessibility to social infras-tructures in urban areas across various scales,with less attention to rural areas,where inequality can be more severe.Particularly,few have investigated the disparities of accessibility to social infrastructures between urban and rural areas.Here,using the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration,China,as an example,we investigated the inequality of accessibility in both urban and rural areas,and further compared the urban-rural difference.Accessibility was measured by travel time of residents to infrastructures.We selected four types of social infrastructures including supermarkets,bus stops,primary schools,and health care,which were funda-mentally important to both urban and rural residents.We found large disparities in accessibility between urban and rural areas,ranging from 20 min to 2 h.Rural residents had to spend one to two more hours to bus stops than urban residents,and 20 min more to the other three types of infrastructures.Furthermore,accessibility to multiple infrastructures showed greater urban-rural differences.Rural residents in more than half of the towns had no access to any infrastructure within 15 min,while more than 60%of the urban residents could access to all infrastructures within 15 min.Our results revealed quantitative accessibility gap between urban and rural areas and underscored the necessity of social infrastructures planning to address such disparities.

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.

Is it possible to run after positive affective experiences instead of health benefits without tackling social inequalities?

We recently read the opinion piece titled“Why people should run after positive affective experiences instead of health benefits”,which was carried out by Maltagliati et al.^(1)and published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.The article started an important discussion about a physical activity(PA)promotion approach that encourages the use of affective experience to PA activity.Although we agree with the authors’point of view and believe that its message can generate an important insight for PA promotion,the authors presented a scenario where behavior change seems to be exclusively dependent on the individual.Recognizing the existence of other barriers to an active lifestyle(e.g.,social inequalities)could enhance the authors’suggested approach because many people live in conditions that reduce their opportunities to engage in affective experiences related to PA;furthermore,affective experiences can vary depending on individual context.

Understanding the educational inequalities in suicide attempts and their mediators:a Mendelian randomisation study

Background Educational inequalities in suicide have become increasingly prominent over the past decade.Elucidating modifiable risk factors that serve as intermediaries in the impact of low educational attainment on suicide has the potential to reduce health disparities.Aims To examine the risk factors that mediate the relationship between educational attainment and suicide attempts and quantify their contributions to the mediation effect.Methods We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomisation(MR)analysis to estimate the causal effect of educational attainment on suicide attempts,utilising genome-wide association study summary statistics from the Integrative Psychiatric Research(iPSYCH;6024 cases and 44240 controls)and FinnGen(8978 cases and 368299 controls).We systematically evaluated 42 putative mediators within the causal pathway connecting reduced educational attainment to suicide attempts and employed two-step and multivariable MR to quantify the proportion of the mediated effect.Results In the combined analysis of iPSYCH and FinnGen,each standard deviation(SD)decrease in genetically predicted educational attainment(equating to 3.4 years of education)was associated with a 105%higher risk of suicide attempts(odds ratio(OR):2.05;95%confidence interval(Cl):1.81 to 2.31).0f the 42 risk factors analysed,the two-step MR identified five factors that mediated the association between educational attainment and suicide attempts.The respective proportions of mediation were 47%(95%Cl:29%to 66%)for smoking behaviour,36%(95%Cl:0%to 84%)for chronic pain,49%(95%Cl:36%to 61%)for depression,35%(95%Cl:12%to 59%)for anxiety and 26%(95%Cl:18%to 34%)for insomnia.Multivariable MR implicated these five mediators collectively,accounting for 68%(95%Cl:40%to 96%)of the total effect.Conclusions This study identified smoking,chronic pain and mental disorders as primary intervention targets for attenuating suicide risk attributable to lower educational levels in the European population.

Entanglement polygon inequalities for a class of mixed states

The study on the entanglement polygon inequality of multipartite systems has attracted much attention.However,most of the results are on pure states.Here we consider the property for a class of mixed states,which are the reduced density matrices of generalizedW-class states in multipartite higher dimensional systems.First we show the class of mixed states satisfies the entanglement polygon inequalities in terms of Tsallis-q entanglement,then we propose a class of tighter inequalities for mixed states in terms of Tsallis-q entanglement.At last,we get an inequality for the mixed states,which can be regarded as a relation for bipartite entanglement.

Ostrowski’s Type Inequalities for Generalized(h,m)−Preinvex Functions with Its Applications

A new concept generalized(h,m)−preinvex function on Yang’s fractal sets is proposed.Some Ostrowski’s type inequalities with two parameters for generalized(h,m)−preinvex function are established,where three local fractional inequalities involving generalized midpoint type,trapezoid type and Simpson type are derived as consequences.Furthermore,as some applications,special means inequalities and numerical quadratures for local fractional integrals are discussed.

STRONGLY CONVERGENT INERTIAL FORWARD-BACKWARD-FORWARD ALGORITHM WITHOUT ON-LINE RULE FOR VARIATIONAL INEQUALITIES

This paper studies a strongly convergent inertial forward-backward-forward algorithm for the variational inequality problem in Hilbert spaces.In our convergence analysis,we do not assume the on-line rule of the inertial parameters and the iterates,which have been assumed by several authors whenever a strongly convergent algorithm with an inertial extrapolation step is proposed for a variational inequality problem.Consequently,our proof arguments are different from what is obtainable in the relevant literature.Finally,we give numerical tests to confirm the theoretical analysis and show that our proposed algorithm is superior to related ones in the literature.

Fermions: Spin, Hidden Variables, Violation of Bell’s Inequality and Quantum Entanglement

Using real fields instead of complex ones, it was recently claimed, that all fermions are made of pairs of coupled fields (strings) with an internal tension related to mutual attraction forces, related to Planck’s constant. Quantum mechanics is described with real fields and real operators. Schrodinger and Dirac equations then are solved. The solution to Dirac equation gives four, real, 2-vectors solutions ψ1=(U1D1)ψ2=(U2D2)ψ3=(U3D3)ψ4=(U4D4)where (ψ1,ψ4) are coupled via linear combinations to yield spin-up and spin-down fermions. Likewise, (ψ2,ψ3) are coupled via linear combinations to represent spin-up and spin-down anti-fermions. For an incoming entangled pair of fermions, the combined solution is Ψin=c1ψ1+c4ψ4where c1and c4are some hidden variables. By applying a magnetic field in +Z and +x the theoretical results of a triple Stern-Gerlach experiment are predicted correctly. Then, by repeating Bell’s and Mermin Gedanken experiment with three magnetic filters σθ, at three different inclination angles θ, the violation of Bell’s inequality is proven. It is shown that all fermions are in a mixed state of spins and the ratio between spin-up to spin-down depends on the hidden variables.

THE LOGARITHMIC SOBOLEV INEQUALITY FOR A SUBMANIFOLD IN MANIFOLDS WITH ASYMPTOTICALLY NONNEGATIVE SECTIONAL CURVATURE

In this note,we prove a logarithmic Sobolev inequality which holds for compact submanifolds without a boundary in manifolds with asymptotically nonnegative sectional curvature.Like the Michale-Simon Sobolev inequality,this inequality contains a term involving the mean curvature.

Inequality of rural residents'income in China since the targeted poverty alleviation strategy:New trends,causes,and policy implications

Poverty and income inequality are problems faced by many countries including China.Since the implementation of Targeted Poverty Alleviation(TPA),absolute poverty has been eradicated,meanwhile,Chinese rural residents' income and inequality have experienced unprecedented new dynamics,but still,very few studies have focused on them.Hence,we attempt to examine the new trends in Chinese farmers' income inequality and to understand its causes during this period.We observe that China's urban-rural income ratio has been shrinking and the urban-rural inequality has been decreasing from 2014 to 2021.The reduction in the Theil index indicates a decrease in the regional inequality of farmers' income as well,and the decline in inter-regional inequality among eight economic zones contributes about 80% to increased equality.These new trends are caused by the fact that,with the TPA,the incomes of rural residents especially that in destitute areas,grew faster than that of urban residents and farmers in prosperous areas.The higher share of non-agricultural industry and agricultural mechanization level have significant positive impact on regional equality of farmers' income,while urban-rural dual structure has significant negative inhibitory effects.The lowest farmers' income and the highest inequality in the Northwest,and the slowest growth in the Northeast deserve more attention in rural Revitalization.From these findings,we propose four policy implications that would be applied to improve Chinese farmers' income equality,govern relative poverty,and achieve common prosperity in the post-poverty era.

Global inequality in built-up land per capita and its change trajectories between 1985 and 2020

Built-up land has increased rapidly in recent decades,thus aggravating the competition for land between multiple uses.The increase in urban land can be decomposed into changes in population and changes in built-up land per person.Yet,it is unclear how this decomposition differs by country and how this decomposition changes over time.Moreover,we don’t know whether these changes affect the inequality in built-up land per capita.Here,we analyze the global distribution of built-up land per capita in the year 2020,as well as the changes therein between 1985 and 2020.We find that built-up land per capita in 2020 differs by an order of magnitude between countries,ranging from 15 m^(2) per person in Ethiopia to 734 m^(2) per person in Australia.Moreover,we find a wide range of different change trajectories,including both increases and decreases in built-up land per capita and in total population.As the total area of urban land increased in all countries,decreases in urban land consumption reflect a situation where the population increases faster than the total amount of urban land.We also find a large inequality in urban land consumption across countries,as indicated by a Gini index of 0.47 in 1985,decreasing only slightly to 0.45 in 2020.These findings suggest the need for a regionally differentiated approach to reduce urban land take,focusing first on mitigating further increases in those countries that already have a high urban land consumption.

Some Tighter Monogamy Inequalities in N-Qubit Systems

We construct a piecewise function to investigate some monogamy inequalities in terms of theαth power of concurrence and negativity(α≥2),entanglement of formation(α≥√2),and Tsallis-q entanglement(α≥1).These inequalities are tighter than the existing results with detailed examples.Particularly,it is worth highlighting some classes of quantum states which can saturate these monogamy inequalities forα=2,4 and 6 in terms of concurrence and negativity and forα=1,2 and 3 in terms of Tsallis-q entanglement.

An analysis of inequality in physical health status of women in India:2015-2021

Objective:We examine how inequality in women's health has changed in India and its major states between 2015 and 2021.We also attempt to identify the sources of any change in this inequality using a decomposition analysis.In order to suggest suitable policies for reducing this inequality,we attempt to identify the factors that are strongly associated with it.Methods:We construct an index of women's health from five indicators using the principal component analysis.Based on this index we measure inequality in women's health using the coefficient of variation and the Theil index.To identify the sources of change in this inequality,we apply Theil decomposition technique.Results:We find that inequality in women's health has increased significantly in India between 2015 and 2021.During this period,this inequality has increased significantly in six states,while it has decreased significantly in five states.The decomposition analysis suggests that the increase in this inequality between 2015 and 2021 has been driven by an increase in interstate inequality.We also find a strong positive association between inequality in women's health and inequality in public health amenities and social development.Conclusion:We suggest that for reducing inequality in women's health in developing countries like India,policies should focus on eliminating disparities in income,female education and provision of public health amenities.

Global prevalence and gender inequalities in at least 60 min of self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity 1 or more days per week:An analysis with 707,616 adolescents

Background:Guidelines recommend that adolescents should accumulate an average of 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA).However,using only this cut-off could hide important information.For instance,from a population-level point of view,increasing physical activity for those with no or low physical activity could provide more health benefits than increasing physical activity for those with intermediate levels.Also,including a more sensitive cut-point of≥1 days per week could be an additional strategy for identifying those with low access/opportunities for physical activity practice.Thus,the current study aims to estimate the prevalence of≥60 min of MVPA≥1 days per week among adolescents globally,and to describe any relevant gender inequalities.Methods:We used representative datasets from 146 countries/territories collected between 2003 and 2019.MVPA was self-reported.Participants were grouped into younger(≤14 years old)and older(>14 years old)adolescents.Crude Poisson regression models were used to identify the relative differences in≥60 min of MVPA≥1 days per week between boys and girls,and random-effects meta-analysis models were used to identify the pooled estimates.Analyses were stratified by country and region.Results:Approximately 80%of both younger and older adolescents reported≥60 min of MVPA≥1 days per week.This prevalence was≥94%in Europe and Central Asia and North America,while the estimates for the other regions were<77%.The prevalence of≥60 min of MVPA≥1 days per week was higher among boys than girls,with the largest differences occurring among the oldest adolescents(Prevalence ratio_(≤14y)=1.04(95%confidence interval(95%CI)):1.03-1.04)vs.Prevalence ratio_(>14y)=1.09(95%CI:1.08-1.10)).Conclusion:Approximately 8 out of 10 adolescents reported accumulating≥60 min of MVPA≥1 days per week,with notable differences between regions.Gender differences were observed in several countries,especially among the oldest adolescents.Priorities for physical activity promotion among adolescents should include increasing access/opportunities for physical activity among those who do not achieve≥60 min of MVPA≥1 days per week and reducing gender inequalities.

Weak and Strong Convergence of Self Adaptive Inertial Subgradient Extragradient Algorithms for Solving Variational Inequality Problems

Many solutions of variational inequalities have been proposed,among which the subgradient extragradient method has obvious advantages.Two different algorithms are given for solving variational inequality problem in this paper.The problem we study is defined in a real Hilbert space and has L-Lipschitz and pseudomonotone condition.Two new algorithms adopt inertial technology and non-monotonic step size rule,and their convergence can still be proved when the value of L is not given in advance.Finally,some numerical results are designed to demonstrate the computational efficiency of our two new algorithms.

A Study of Triangle Inequality Violations in Social Network Clustering

Clustering a social network is a process of grouping social actors into clusters where intra-cluster similarities among actors are higher than inter-cluster similarities. Clustering approaches, i.e. , k-medoids or hierarchical, use the distance function to measure the dissimilarities among actors. These distance functions need to fulfill various properties, including the triangle inequality (TI). However, in some cases, the triangle inequality might be violated, impacting the quality of the resulting clusters. With experiments, this paper explains how TI violates while performing traditional clustering techniques: k-medoids, hierarchical, DENGRAPH, and spectral clustering on social networks and how the violation of TI affects the quality of the resulting clusters.

AGGREGATE SPECIAL FUNCTIONS TO APPROXIMATE PERMUTING TRI-HOMOMORPHISMS AND PERMUTING TRI-DERIVATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A TRI-ADDITIVEψ-FUNCTIONAL INEQUALITY IN BANACH ALGEBRAS

In this paper,we define a new class of control functions through aggregate special functions.These class of control functions help us to stabilize and approximate a tri-additiveψ-functional inequality to get a better estimation for permuting tri-homomorphisms and permuting tri-derivations in unital C*-algebras and Banach algebras by the vector-valued alternative fixed point theorem.

On Several New Inequalities

In this paper, we find some new inequalities by Redheffer inequality, Jordan inequality and Jensen inequality. As application, we generalize one result which was given in [1].

Further Improvement of Klamkin Inequality

In this paper, we use a geometric identity in the n-dimensional Euclidean space En and give the further improveme nt of Klamkin inequality in the space En.

On a Class of Second Order Differential Inequality with Continuous Distributed Deviating Arguments

Aim To study properties of solutions to a class of second order differential inequality with continuous distributed deviating arguments. Methods A direct analysis technique was used. Results and Conclusion Some sufficient conditions that ensure a class of second order delay differential inequality having no eventually positive solutions were obtained, which generalized some given results. Using the results, some oscillatory criteria for solutions of the hyperbolic equation with distributed deviating arguments can be established.