Spatial Heterogeneity and Risk Factors of Dental Caries in 12-Year-Old Children in Shanxi Province,China

Objective This study aimed to explore the spatial heterogeneity and risk factors for dental caries in 12-year-old children in Shanxi province,China.Methods The data encompassed 3,721 participants from the two most recent oral health surveys conducted across 16 districts in Shanxi Province in 2015 and 2018.Eighteen specific variables were analyzed to examine the interplay between socioeconomic factors,medical resources and environmental conditions.The Geo-detector model was employed to assess the impacts and interactions of these ecological factors.Results Socioeconomic factors(Q=0.30,P<0.05)exhibited a more substantial impact compared to environmental(Q=0.19,P<0.05)and medical resource factors(Q=0.25,P<0.05).Notably,the urban population percentage(UPP)demonstrated the most significant explanatory power for the spatial heterogeneity in caries prevalence,as denoted by its highest q-value(q=0.51,P<0.05).Additionally,the spatial distribution’s heterogeneity of caries was significantly affected by SO2 concentration(q=0.39,P<0.05)and water fluoride levels(q=0.27,P<0.05)among environmental factors.Conclusion The prevalence of caries exhibited spatial heterogeneity,escalating from North to South in Shanxi Province,China,influenced by socioeconomic factors,medical resources,and environmental conditions to varying extents.

Quantifying the impact of earthquakes and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow prone areas:A case study in the Hengduan Mountains

Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas holds significant implications for regional risk management, particularly in seismically active regions with geological faults. Despite the significance of this knowledge, a comprehensive quantification of the influence of regional topographical and geological factors on the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas has been lacking. This study selected the Hengduan Mountains, an earthquake-prone region characterized by diverse surface conditions and complex landforms, as a representative study area. An improved units zoning and objective factors identification methodology was employed in earthquake and fault analysis to assess the impact of seismic activity and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debrisflow prone areas. Results showed that the application of GIS technology with hydrodynamic intensity and geographical units analysis can effectively analyze debris-flow prone areas. Meanwhile, earthquake and fault zones obviously increase the density of debrisflow prone catchments and make them unevenly distributed. The number of debris-flow prone areas shows a nonlinear variation with the gradual increase of geomorphic factor value. Specifically, the area with 1000 m-2500 m elevation difference, 25°-30° average slope, and 0.13-0.15 land use index is the most favorable conditions for debris-flow occurrence;The average annual rainfall from 600 to 1150 mm and landslides gradient from 16° to 35° are the main causal factors to trigger debris flow. Our study sheds light on the quantification of spatial heterogeneity in debris flow-prone areas in earthquake-prone regions, which can offer crucial support for post-debris flow risk management strategies.

Spatial-temporal Heterogeneity of Green Development Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors in Growing Metropolitan Area: A Case Study for the Xuzhou Metropolitan Area

This study analyzed the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of green development efficiency and its influencing factors in the growing Xuzhou Metropolitan Area for the period 2000–2015.The slacks-based measure(SBM)model,spatial autocorrelation,and the geographically weighted regression(GWR)model were used to conduct the analysis.The conclusions were as follows:first,the overall efficiency of green development of the Xuzhou Metropolitan Area decreased,the regional differences and spatial agglomeration shrunk and differences within the region were the main contributors to the regional differences of green development efficiency.Second,the counties with high-efficiency green development were distributed along the coast,and along the routes of the Beijing-Shanghai and the Eastern Longhai railways.A developing axis of the high-efficiency counties was the main feature of the spatial pattern for green development efficiency.Third,regarding spatial correlation and green development efficiency,the High-High type counties in the Xuzhou Metropolitan Area formed a centralized distribution corridor along the inter-provincial border areas of Henan and Jiangsu,whereas the Low-Low type counties were concentrated in the external,marginal parts of the metropolitan area.Fourth,the major factors(ranked in decreasing order of impact)influencing green development efficiency were innovation,government regulations,the economic development level,energy consumption,and industrial structure.These factors exerted their influence to varying extents;the influence of the same factor had different effects in different regions and obvious spatial differences were observed for the different regions.

Landslide susceptibility prediction using slope unit-based machine learning models considering the heterogeneity of conditioning factors

To perform landslide susceptibility prediction(LSP),it is important to select appropriate mapping unit and landslide-related conditioning factors.The efficient and automatic multi-scale segmentation(MSS)method proposed by the authors promotes the application of slope units.However,LSP modeling based on these slope units has not been performed.Moreover,the heterogeneity of conditioning factors in slope units is neglected,leading to incomplete input variables of LSP modeling.In this study,the slope units extracted by the MSS method are used to construct LSP modeling,and the heterogeneity of conditioning factors is represented by the internal variations of conditioning factors within slope unit using the descriptive statistics features of mean,standard deviation and range.Thus,slope units-based machine learning models considering internal variations of conditioning factors(variant slope-machine learning)are proposed.The Chongyi County is selected as the case study and is divided into 53,055 slope units.Fifteen original slope unit-based conditioning factors are expanded to 38 slope unit-based conditioning factors through considering their internal variations.Random forest(RF)and multi-layer perceptron(MLP)machine learning models are used to construct variant Slope-RF and Slope-MLP models.Meanwhile,the Slope-RF and Slope-MLP models without considering the internal variations of conditioning factors,and conventional grid units-based machine learning(Grid-RF and MLP)models are built for comparisons through the LSP performance assessments.Results show that the variant Slopemachine learning models have higher LSP performances than Slope-machine learning models;LSP results of variant Slope-machine learning models have stronger directivity and practical application than Grid-machine learning models.It is concluded that slope units extracted by MSS method can be appropriate for LSP modeling,and the heterogeneity of conditioning factors within slope units can more comprehensively reflect the relationships between conditioning factors and landslides.The research results have important reference significance for land use and landslide prevention.

Spatial-Temporal Distribution Characteristics and Limiting Factors of Medium-low Yield Farmland in Tianjin

[Objective] This paper aimed to understand the area change and distribu- tion of medium-low yield farmland, and offered basis to the improvement of mediumlow farmland and its increase of grain production in Tianjin. [Method] Based on the statistical date of Tianjin and its relevant counties and districts, the yield standard was set up to classify high-yield, medium-yield and low-yield farmland in Tianjin. The author analyzed area change of medium-low yield farmland in six agricultural counties and districts （including Jixian County, Wuqing District, Baodi District, Ninghe County, Jinghai County and Dagang district of Binghai New Area） from 1980 to 2010. [Result] The results showed that the average yield of grain rose from 2 445 kg/hm^2 in 1980 to 5 130 kg/hm^2 in 2010, increasing 109.82%. The area of mediumlow yield farmland was reduced from 291 250.13 hm^2 in 1985 to 76 489.87 hm^2 in 2010, coming down 74%. In Tianjin, the area of medium-low yield farmland of 2010 accounted for 19% of the total farmland, of which the ratios of medium-low yield farmland of Jinghai County, Jixian County, Dagang district of Binghai New Area, Wuqing District, Baodi District and Ninghe County were 43.12%, 18.59%, 17.23%, 14.01%, 7.05% and 0, respectively. Low soil nutrient content, drought and water shortage, as well as soil salinization were the main yield limiting factors to mediumlow yield farmland in Tianjin in 2010. [Conclusion] The countermeasures to improve the medium-low yield farmland were proposed, involving enhancing the investment of the government, strengthening the construction of water conservancy infrastructure, further improving the soil fertility, as well as saline and alkaline land, optimizing the farming system and planting drought and salt tolerance crops, etc.

Comprehensive evaluation and spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of urban resilience in Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

To clarify the connotations and extensions of urban resilience,this study focuses on the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle with 16 cities as research subjects.A comprehensive evaluation index system was constructed to measure the resilience of each city from 2003 to 2020.The spatial-temporal evolution characteristics were analyzed using Kernel density estimation,standard deviation ellipse,and spatial Markov chain analysis,and the spatial Tobit model was introduced to discover the influencing factors.The results indicate the following:①Urban resilience in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle displays an upward trend,with the center of gravity moving to the southwest,and the polarization phenomenon intensifying.②The urban resilience level in a region has certain spatial and geographical dependence,while the probability of urban resilience transfer differs in adjacent cities with different resilience levels.③Urban centrality,economic scale,openness level,and financial development promote urban resilience,whereas government scale significantly inhibits it.Finally,this paper proposes countermeasures and suggestions to improve the urban resilience of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Typical Ecosystem Services and Their Spatial Responses to Driving Factors in Ecologically Fragile Areas in Upper Yellow River,China

The identification of dominant driving factors for different ecosystem services(ESs)is crucial for ecological conservation and sustainable development.However,the spatial heterogeneity of the dominant driving factors affecting various ESs has not been adequately elucidated,particularly in ecologically fragile regions.This study employed the integrated valuation of ESs and trade-offs(InVEST)model to evaluate four ESs,namely,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),habitat quality(HQ),and carbon storage(CS),and then to identify the dominant driving factors of spatiotemporal differentiation of ES and further to characterize the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of the dominant driving factors in the eco-fragile areas of the upper Yellow River,China from 2000 to 2020.The results demonstrated that WY exhibited northeast-high and northwest-low patterns in the upper Yellow River region,while high values of SC and CS were distributed in central forested areas and a high value of HQ was distributed in vast grassland areas.The CS,WY,and SC exhibited decreasing trends over time.The most critical factors affecting WY,SC,HQ,and CS were the actual evapotranspiration,precipitation,slope,and normalized difference vegetation index,respectively.In addition,the effects of different factors on various ESs exhibited spatial heterogeneity.These results could provide spatial decision support for eco-protection and rehabilitation in ecologically fragile areas.

Spatial-temporal Distribution Characteristics of Global Seismic Clusters and Associated Spatial Factors

Earthquakes exhibit clear clustering on the earth. It is important to explore the spatial-temporal characteristics of seismicity clusters and their spatial heterogeneity. We analyze effects of plate space, tectonic style, and their interaction on characteristic of cluster.Based on data of earthquakes not less than moment magnitude(M_w) 5.6 from 1960 to 2014, this study used the spatial-temporal scan method to identify earthquake clusters. The results indicate that seismic spatial-temporal clusters can be classified into two types based on duration: persistent clusters and burst clusters. Finally, we analysed the spatial heterogeneity of the two types. The main conclusions are as follows: 1) Ninety percent of the persistent clusters last for 22-38 yr and show a high clustering likelihood;ninety percent of the burst clusters last for 1-1.78 yr and show a high relative risk. 2) The persistent clusters are mainly distributed in interplate zones, especially along the western margin of the Pacific Ocean. The burst clusters are distributed in both intraplate and interplate zones, slightly concentrated in the India-Eurasia interaction zone. 3) For the persistent type, plate interaction plays an important role in the distribution of the clusters’ likelihood and relative risk. In addition, the tectonic style further enhances the spatial heterogeneity. 4) For the burst type,neither plate activity nor tectonic style has an obvious effect on the distribution of the clusters’ likelihood and relative risk. Nevertheless,interaction between these two spatial factors enhances the spatial heterogeneity, especially in terms of relative risk.

Influence of Spatial-Temporal and Environmental Factors on Larimichthys polyactis, Octopus variabilis, and Species Aggregated Set-Net CPUEs in Haizhou Bay, China

Set-nets are common alongshore fishing gear used in Haizhou Bay, which rely on flow to catch fish. The catch per unit effort(CPUE) of set-net is affected by spatial-temporal and environmental factors but no research has been conducted on this subject. In this study, we used generalized additive models(GAMs) to explore the influence of spatial-temporal and environmental factors on CPUEs of species aggregated, small yellow croaker(Larimichthys polyactis), and octopus(Octopus variabilis) based on logbooks investigations conducted at 4 stations in an alongshore area of Haizhou Bay from 2011 to 2012. The results showed that all CPUEs exhibited significant spatial-temporal differences at various scales. Aggregated CPUE was high when the sea surface temperature(SST) was 15-18℃ and 20-23℃, which was mainly determined by life history traits of the octopus and small yellow croaker(optimal SSTs 14-17℃ and 19-24℃, respectively). Chlorophyll-a concentration had significant influences on the aggregated, small yellow croaker and octopus CPUEs at optimal ranges of 3.8-6.2 mg m^(-3), 4.2-4.8 mg m^(-3) and 4.5-5.5 mg m^(-3), respectively. Flow through the net had positive relationships with CPUEs. The approximate logarithmic trends in regression curves had a critical point of 2.5 Mm^3 d^(-1), which was the dividing point that differentiated whether the major factor affecting CPUEs was the flow velocity or the fishery resource. Our results from this study will help guide fishery production and improve catch rate of set-net fishing in Haizhou Bay.

Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of relative humidity in arid region of Northwest China during 1966–2017

Playing an important role in global warming and plant growth,relative humidity(RH)has profound impacts on production and living,and can be used as an integrated indicator for evaluating the wet-dry conditions in the arid and semi-arid area.However,information on the spatial-temporal variation and the influencing factors of RH in these regions is still limited.This study attempted to use daily meteorological data during 1966–2017 to reveal the spatial-temporal characteristics of RH in the arid region of Northwest China through rotated empirical orthogonal function and statistical analysis method,and the path analysis was used to clarify the impact of temperature(T),precipitation(P),actual evapotranspiration(ETa),wind speed(W)and sunshine duration(S)on RH.The results demonstrated that climatic conditions in North Xinjiang(NXJ)was more humid than those in Hexi Corridor(HXC)and South Xinjiang(SXJ).RH had a less significant downtrend in NXJ than that in HXC,but an increasingly rising trend was observed in SXJ during the last five decades,implying that HXC and NXJ were under the process of droughts,while SXJ was getting wetter.There was a turning point for the trend of RH in Xinjiang,which occurred in 2000.Path analysis indicated that RH was negatively correlated to T,ETa,W and S,but it increased with increase of P.S,T and W had the greatest direct effects on RH in HXC,NXJ and SXJ,respectively.ETa was the factor which had the greatest indirect effect on RH in HXC and NXJ,while T was the dominant factor in SXJ.

Spatial-temporal heterogeneity and controlling factors of evapotranspiration in Nujiang River Basin based on Variable Infiltration Capacity(VIC)model

Land surface evapotranspiration(ET)is a critical component in the hydrological cycle but has not well been understood in data-scarce areas especially in river basins,like Nujiang River(NRB)which is characterized by large elevation gradient and different vegetation zones with complex processes of water and energy exchange.The quality of ET from optical remote sensing is constrained by cloud cover which is common in the NRB in the monsoon seasons.To understand factors controlling the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of ET in NRB,we employed the Variable Infiltration Capacity(VIC)hydrological model by parameter optimization with support of quality controlled remote sensing ET product and observed river runoff series in the river.The modeled ET has increased during 1984-2018,which might be one of the reasons for the runoff decrease but precipitation increase in the same period.ET increase and runoff decrease tended to be quicker within altitudinal band of 2000-4000 m than in other areas in NRB.We observed that ET variation in different climatic zones were controlled by different factors.ET is generally positively correlated with precipitation,temperature,and shortwave radiation but negatively with relative humidity.In the Tundra Climate(Et)zone in the upper reach of NRB,ET is controlled by precipitation,while it is controlled by shortwave radiation in the snow climate with dry winter(Dw)zone.ET increase is influenced by the increase of temperature,wind speed,and shortwave radiation in the middle and downstream of NRB with warm temperate climate,fully humid(Cf)and warm temperate climate with dry winter(Cw).

Research on Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Driving Factor of Agricultural Carbon Emissions in China

Macroscopic grasp of agricultural carbon emissions status, spatial-temporal characteristics as well as driving factors are the basic premise in further research on China’s agricultural carbon emissions. Based on 23 kinds of major carbon emission sources including agricultural materials inputs, paddy ifeld, soil and livestock breeding, this paper ifrstly calculated agricultural carbon emissions from 1995 to 2010, as well as 31 provinces and cities in 2010 in China. We then made a decomposed analysis to the driving factors of carbon emissions with logarithmic mean Divisia index （LMDI） model. The results show：（1） The amount of agricultural carbon emissions is 291.1691 million t in 2010. Compared with 249.5239 million t in 1995, it increased by 16.69%, in which, agricultural materials inputs, paddy ifeld, soil, enteric fermentation, and manure management accounted for 33.59, 22.03, 7.46, 17.53 and 19.39%of total agricultural carbon emissions, respectively. Although the amount exist ups and downs, it shows an overall trend of cyclical rise; （2） There is an obvious difference among regions：the amount of agricultural carbon emissions from top ten zones account for 56.68%, while 9.84%from last 10 zones. The traditional agricultural provinces, especially the major crop production areas are the main source regions. Based on the differences of carbon emission rations, 31 provinces and cities are divided into ifve types, namely agricultural materials dominant type, paddy ifeld dominant type, enteric fermentation dominant type, composite factors dominant type and balanced type. The agricultural carbon emissions intensity in west of China is the highest, followed by the central region, and the east zone is the lowest; （3） Compared with 1995, efifciency, labor and structure factors cut down carbon emissions by 65.78, 27.51 and 3.19%, respectively;while economy factor increase carbon emissions by 113.16%.

Impact factors identification of spatial heterogeneity of herbaceous plant diversity on five southern islands of Miaodao Archipelago in North China

Herbaceous plants are widely distributed on islands and where they exhibit spatial heterogeneity.Accurately identifying the impact factors that drive spatial heterogeneity can reveal typical island biodiversity patterns.Five southern islands in the Miaodao Archipelago,North China were studied herein.The spatial distribution of herbaceous plant diversity on these islands was analyzed,and the impact factors and their degree of impact on spatial heterogeneity were identified using CCA ordination and ANOVA.The results reveal 114 herbaceous plant species,belonging to 94 genera from 34 families in the50 plots sampled.The total species numbers on different islands were significantly positively correlated with island area,and the average a diversity was correlated with human activities,while the(3 diversity among islands was more affected by island area than mutual distances.Spatial heterogeneity within islands indicated that the diversities were generally high in areas with higher altitude,slope,total nitrogen,total carbon,and canopy density,and lower moisture content,pH,total phosphorus,total potassium,and aspect.Among the environmental factors,pH,canopy density,total K,total P,moisture content,altitude,and slope had significant gross effects,but only canopy density exhibited a significant net effect.Terrain affected diversity by restricting plantation,plantation in turn influenced soil properties and the two together affected diversity.Therefore,plantation was ultimately the fundamental driving factor for spatial heterogeneity in herbaceous plant diversity on the five islands.

Comprehensive security risk factor identification for small reservoirs with heterogeneous data based on grey relational analysis model

Identification of security risk factors for small reservoirs is the basis for implementation of early warning systems.The manner of identification of the factors for small reservoirs is of practical significance when data are incomplete.The existing grey relational models have some disadvantages in measuring the correlation between categorical data sequences.To this end,this paper introduces a new grey relational model to analyze heterogeneous data.In this study,a set of security risk factors for small reservoirs was first constructed based on theoretical analysis,and heterogeneous data of these factors were recorded as sequences.The sequences were regarded as random variables,and the information entropy and conditional entropy between sequences were measured to analyze the relational degree between risk factors.Then,a new grey relational analysis model for heterogeneous data was constructed,and a comprehensive security risk factor identification method was developed.A case study of small reservoirs in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China shows that the model constructed in this study is applicable to security risk factor identification for small reservoirs with heterogeneous and sparse data.

Regional Economic Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitans in China Based on a Heterogeneity Stochastic Frontier Model

Using a heterogeneity stochastic frontier model(HSFM),we empirically investigated the economic efficiency of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei from 2003 to 2016 and its influencing factors.The key findings of the paper lie in:1)in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei,the overall economic and technological efficiency tended to increase in a wavelike manner,economic growth slowed down,and there was an obvious imbalance in economic efficiency between the different districts,counties and cities;2)the heterogeneity stochastic frontier production functions(SFPFs)of Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei were different from each other,and investment was still an important impetus of economic growth in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei;3)economic efficiency was positively correlated with economic agglomeration,human capital,industrial structure,infrastructure,the informatization level,and institutional factors,but negatively correlated with the government role and economic opening.The following policy suggestions are offered:1)to improve regional economic efficiency and reduce the economic gap in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei,governments must reduce their intervention in economic activities,stimulate the potentials of labor and capital,optimize the structure of human resources,and foster new demographic incentives;2)governments must guide economic factors that are reasonable throughout Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and strengthen infrastructure construction in underdeveloped regions,thus attaining sustainable economic development;3)governments must plan overall economic growth factors of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and promote reasonable economic factors(e.g.,labor,resources,and innovations)across different regions,thus attaining complementary advantages between Beijing,Tianjin,and Hebei.

A review of the influencing factors on teleseismic traveltime tomography

Teleseismic traveltime tomography is an important tool for investigating the crust and mantle structure of the Earth.The imaging quality of teleseismic traveltime tomography is affected by many factors,such as mantle heterogeneities,source uncertainties and random noise.Many previous studies have investigated these factors separately.An integral study of these factors is absent.To provide some guidelines for teleseismic traveltime tomography,we discussed four main influencing factors:the method for measuring relative traveltime differences,the presence of mantle heterogeneities outside the imaging domain,station spacing and uncertainties in teleseismic event hypocenters.Four conclusions can be drawn based on our analysis.(1)Comparing two methods,i.e.,measuring the traveltime difference between two adjacent stations(M1)and subtracting the average traveltime of all stations from the traveltime of one station(M2),reveals that both M1 and M2 can well image the main structures;while M1 is able to achieve a slightly higher resolution than M2;M2 has the advantage of imaging long wavelength structures.In practical teleseismic traveltime tomography,better tomography results can be achieved by a two-step inversion method.(2)Global mantle heterogeneities can cause large traveltime residuals(up to about 0.55 s),which leads to evident imaging artifacts.(3)The tomographic accuracy and resolution of M1 decrease with increasing station spacing when measuring the relative traveltime difference between two adjacent stations.(4)The traveltime anomalies caused by the source uncertainties are generally less than 0.2 s,and the impact of source uncertainties is negligible.

Factors driving surface deformations in plain area of eastern Zhengzhou City,China

With the rapid socio-economic development and urban expansion,land subsidence has emerged as a major environmental issue,impeding the high-quality development of the plain area in eastern Zhengzhou City,Henan Province,China.However,effective prevention and control of land subsidence in this region have been challenging due to the lack of comprehensive surface deformations monitoring and the quantitative analysis of the factors driving these deformations.In order to accurately identify the dominant factor driving surface deformations in the study area,this study utilized the Persistent Scattered Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(PS-InSAR)technique to acquire the spatio-temporal distribution of surface deformations from January 2018 to March 2020.The acquired data was verified using leveling data.Subsequently,GIS spatial analysis was employed to investigate the responses of surface deformations to the driving factors.The findings are as follows:Finally,the geographical detector model was utilized to quantify the contributions of the driving factors and reveal the mechanisms of their interactions.The findings are as follows:(1)Surface deformations in the study area are dominated by land subsidence,concentrated mainly in Zhongmu County,with a deformation rate of−12.5–−37.1 mm/a.In contrast,areas experiencing surface uplift are primarily located downtown,with deformation rates ranging from 0 mm to 8 mm;(2)Groundwater level,lithology,and urban construction exhibit strong spatial correlations with cumulative deformation amplitude;(3)Groundwater level of the second aquifer group is the primary driver of spatially stratified heterogeneity in surface deformations,with a contributive degree of 0.5328.The contributive degrees of driving factors are significantly enhanced through interactions.Groundwater level and the cohesive soil thickness in the second aquifer group show the strongest interactions in the study area.Their total contributive degree increases to 0.5722 after interactions,establishing them as the primary factors influencing surface deformation patterns in the study area.The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis and scientific support for precise prevention and control measures against land subsidence in the study area,as well as contributing to research on the underlying mechanisms.

Spatial Heterogeneity and Influencing Factors of HFRS Epidemics in Rural and Urban Areas:A Study in Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province,China

Objective The Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province is a severely afflicted hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS)epidemic area,while HFRS prevalence has decreased in most epidemic areas in China.Little information is available regarding the leading fine-scale influencing factors in this highly HFRSconcentrated area and the roles of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors.To investigate this,two regions in the Guanzhong Plain,that is,the Chang’an District and Hu County,with similar geographical environments,different levels of economic development,and high epidemic prevalence,were chosen as representative areas of the HFRS epidemic.Methods Maximum entropy models were constructed based on HFRS cases and fine-scale influencing factors,including meteorological,natural environmental,and socioeconomic factors,from 2014 to 2016.Results More than 95% of the HFRS cases in the study area were located in the northern plains,which has an altitude of less than 800 m,with topography contributed 84.1% of the impact on the spatial differentiation of the HFRS epidemic.In the northern plains,precipitation and population density jointly affected the spatial differentiation of the HFRS epidemic,with contribution rates of 60.7% and 28.0%,respectively.By comparing the influencing factors of the northern plains of Chang’an District and Hu County,we found that precipitation and the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)dominated the HFRS epidemic in the relatively developed Chang’an District,while land-use type,temperature,precipitation and population density dominated the HFRS epidemic in the relatively undeveloped Hu County.Conclusion Topography was the primary key factor for HFRS prevalence in the Chang’an District and Hu County,and the spatial differentiation of HFRS was dominated by precipitation and population density in the northern plains.Compared with the influencing factors of the relatively developed Chang’an District,the developing Hu County was more affected by socioeconomic factors.When formulating targeted HFRS epidemic prevention and control strategies in the targeted areas,it is crucial to consider the local economic development state and combine natural environmental factors,including the meteorological environment and vegetation coverage.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Urban Happiness and Its Influencing Factors in China

Based on the data of prefecture-level and above cities, this paper examines the spatial distribution of well-being by applying the spatial econometrics. The results of the study suggest that China＇s urban well-being has a typical ＂club＂ characteristic and noticeable regional difference. As a relatively long-term and stable indicator, well-being is affected by variables of early conditions, urban per capita savings and public service, whereas inflexible indicators like urban per capita GDP,, infrastructure and urban characteristic have little influence on the spatial heterogeneity of well-being. Attention should also be paid to the regional effect of the above affecting factors. In accelerating the construction of ＂happy cities ＇＂ it is particularly important to establish a ＂tilted and flat＂ urban system.

Spatial pattern of plant species diversity and the influencing factors in a Gobi Desert within the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

Understanding the spatial pattern of plant species diversity and the influencing factors has important implications for the conservation and management of ecosystem biodiversity. The transitional zone between biomes in desert ecosystems, however, has received little attention in that regard. In this study, we conducted a quantitative field survey （including 187 sampling plots） in a 40-km2 study area to determine the spatial pattern of plant species diversity and analyze the influencing factors in a Gobi Desert within the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China. A total of 42 plant species belonging to 16 families and 39 genera were recorded. Shrub and semi-shrub species generally represented the major part of the plant communities （covering 90% of the land surface）, while annual and perennial herbaceous species occupied a large proportion of the total recorded species （71%）. Patrick richness index （R）, Shannon-Wiener diversity index （H）, Simpson＇s dominance index （D）, and Pielou＇s evenness index （I） were all moderately spadaUy variable, and the variability increased with increasing sampling area. The semivariograms for R and H＇ were best fitted with Gaussian models while the semivariograms for D andJ were best fitted with exponential models. Nugget-to-still ratios indicated a moderate spatial autocorrelation for R, H＇, and D while a strong spatial autocorrelation was observed for J. The spatial patterns of R and H＇ were closely related to the geographic location within the study area, with lower values near the oasis and higher values near the mountains. However, there was an opposite trend for D. R, H＇, and D were significantly correlated with elevation, soil texture, bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and total porosity （P〈0.05）. Generally speaking, locations at higher elevations tended to have higher species richness and diversity and the higher elevations were characterized by higher values in sand and gravel contents, bulk density, and saturated hydraulic conductivity and also by lower values in total porosity. Furthermore, spatial variability of plant species diversity was dependent on the sampling area.