Evaluating the Impacts of Human Activities on Diversity, Abundance, and Distribution of Large Mammals in Nimule National Park, South Sudan

Globally, human activities have a significant impact on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of large mammals in Protected Areas (PAs). These disturbances increase human pressure on biodiversity and species habitats, highlighting the need for conservation. This study aimed to assess the abundance and distribution of large mammals in different habitat types within Nimule National Park (NNP) and understand the impacts of human activities on them. Data on the abundance and distribution of large mammals and their respective habitat types were collected through line transect surveys. Human activity signs were observed and recorded along the transect lines. To estimate the impacts of human activities on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of large mammal species, as well as to identify any significant differences between them and their habitat types, the study utilized the Kruskal Wallis test, Polynomial multiple regressions, and diversity indices. The findings from the Shannon-Weiner and Simpson indices indicated that large mammal species were more diverse inside the park (H’ = 1.136;D = 0.570) compared to the buffer zone (H’ = 0.413;D = 0.171), with 85% (443 out of 510 samples) recorded within Nimule National Park. The species abundance showed a semi-balanced status (0.58). The diversity results among different habitat types revealed that large mammals were more diverse and highly distributed in both open woodlands (244) and dense woodlands (192), while riverine vegetation had the lowest diversity (8). Statistical tests demonstrated a highly significant difference at a 99% confidence interval (p-value = 0.01) between habitat types and identified species of large mammals. Additionally, the results highlighted the high abundance of Uganda kob (274), baboons (141), and warthog (57) across most habitat types, accounting for at least 75% of their distribution. The most prevalent human activities observed were cattle footprints (27%) and cattle dung (14%). Human footprints and tree cutting combined accounted for 9%, indicating the practice of livestock grazing, poaching, encroachment, and fuelwood collection by local communities. However, these activities did not appear to significantly impact the diversity, abundance, and distribution of large mammals in Nimule National Park. Therefore, it is crucial to foster shared responsibilities and engage relevant stakeholders in the management and conservation of large wildlife species. Regular community awareness programs should be implemented to cultivate a sense of ownership. Moreover, it is recommended that a comprehensive survey be conducted on the population status of all mammal species in Nimule National Park, including its surrounding Buffer Zone. Monitoring the impact of human activities on their behavior and habitats using satellite images should also be carried out at least every five to ten years.

Research on the Distribution of Incremental Benefits from the Entry of Collective Construction Land into the Market

In this paper,based on the process data of evaluating the benchmark land prices of collective construction land and agricultural land,the score of influencing factors is calculated,and a regression model between value-added benefits and influencing factors is established.According to the contribution of the government and collectives to value-added benefits,the distribution proportions of different purposes and levels are calculated.The research results show that there are significant differences in the distribution proportion of value-added income among different levels.The government distribution proportion decreases with the decrease of level,while the collective distribution proportion increases with the decrease of level.For each level of decrease in commercial service industry land and industrial and mining warehousing industry land,the government distribution proportion decreases by an average of 2.66%and 2.34%,while the collective distribution proportion increases by an average of 2.66%and 2.34%,respectively.The average distribution proportion of the government in the value-added income of commercial service industry land is 31.58%,which is much higher than the average income of 23.68%in the value-added income of industrial and mining warehousing industry land.

Analysis of structural characteristics and spatial distribution of the national intangible cultural heritage in China and its policy implications

Based on an investigation of four published batches listing 3, 140 national intangible cultural heritage(ICH) projects in China and using GIS and some quantitative analysis methods, the spatial structure was investigated and the characteristics and distribution discussed. The distribution of ICHs in China is agglomerative and spatially dependent. From the view of ICH type, each type is distributed in different places, for different reasons, with history being the most important one we found. Nationwide, high-density cores are located in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yangtze River Delta region. High densities of ICH are concentrated in flat, water-rich regions where broad-leaved forests dominate plains and low mountain areas-areas that have fertile soil, pleasant weather, a long history of culture, ethnic agglomeration, and development. This paper suggests that development of the ICH should be based on discovering unknown items, to break the existing pattern of strong cohesion and high density, and to seek a balanced development of the whole.

On Income Distribution Mechanism of Farmer Cooperatives in the Context of Membership Heterogeneity

With reference to several possible solutions to the issue of two subject allocation,using the Accumulation Point analysis method in Game Theory,this paper analyzed the income distribution mechanism between large farmers and small farmers in farmer cooperatives in the context of membership heterogeneity. It found that,in the practice of the income distribution in farmer cooperatives,there possibly exists equalization solution,pure utility solution,Nash solution and Kalai-Smorodinsky solution and it will be affected by social conventions. Finally,it made an empirical analysis using five cases of farmer cooperatives.

Establishment and optimization of project investment risk income models on the basis of probability χ distribution

In this paper, two kinds of models are presented and optimized for project investment risk income on the basis of probability χ distribution. One kind of model being proved has only a maximal value and another kind being proved has no extreme values.

Relationship Between National Income, Institutional Change and Outbound Tourism Based on Panel Data of the G20 from 1995 to 2014

Based on panel data of 17 economies in the G20 from 1995 to 2014,this paper,in terms of the total samples,developed countries and developing countries,explored the impact of national income on outbound tourism and the moderating effect of institutional change on the relationship between national income and outbound tourism.The results showed that:(1)for the total samples,developed countries and developing countries,national income had a positive impact on outbound tourism;(2)for the total samples and developing countries,institutional change had a positive moderating effect on national income and outbound tourism,indicating that with the deepening of marketization,the facilitating role of national income on outbound tourism strengthened;(3)for developed countries,institutional change had a negative moderating effect on national income and outbound tourism,indicating that with the deepening of marketization,the facilitating role of national income on outbound tourism weakened.

A Theoretical Explanation of the Causes of Popular Elements and Income Power Law Distribution Based on Data Analysis

The known statistical data show that the distribution of popular elements and people’s income presents the characteristics of power law distribution.At present,the explanation for this phenomenon is mostly through the“rich get richer”theory,but the author believes that this theory has major flaws and fails to provide a reasonable explanation for many phenomena.Therefore,the author expands some empirical and recognized theories in a similar direction in logic,and derives a logical mathematical model through the derivation of mathematical formulas,so as to explain the phenomenon that the distribution of popular elements and people’s income presents a power-law distribution.Then,by analyzing various characteristics of social networks and comparing them with some phenomena in nature,the conclusion can be extended to all self-organizing groups in nature.

China＇s National Income Distribution in the New Normal：Characteristics,Contradictions and Reforms

This paper discusses the evolution and characteristics of China's national income distribution structure after the dawn of the new century and particularly in China's new normal of social and economic development. This paper casts light on the profound national income distribution and redistribution effects of changing ownership and economic reforms, as well as the microscopic household income distribution effects of changes in macroscopic distribution structure. Based on an analysis of changes in macroscopic distribution pattern, this paper explains the structural contradictions of national income distribution in China and their effects on China's economy, providing a theoretical analysis of income distribution for deepening supply-side structural reform.

The Empirical Analysis of the Impacts of Income Distribution Gap on Consumption Demand:Based on the Statistic Data of Chinese Urban Residents in 2000-2010

This paper analyzes the impact of income distribution gap on consumption demand from a theoretical view,and draws the conclusion that there is an inverse relationship between income distribution gap and consumption demand.Then,the paper finds that the existing widening income distribution gap in China has a negative impact on consumption demand,but this is not the key factor for the insufficient consumption demand because of the low level of per capital income.At last,it suggests that governments should improve the income level of entire residents and adjust income distribution structure simultaneously.

The Approaches to Narrowing Urban-Rural Income Gap——From the Perspective of Rural Social Security

From the situations about the incomes and life quality of the urban and rural residents,the thesis briefly introduces the status quo of the urban-rural income gap and explores the impact of the income gap on social economy:firstly,it hampers economic development;secondly,it is detrimental to the social development.Then the thesis analyzes the role of a sound social security in narrowing urban-rural income gap:at first,it broadens the institutional environment of improving the agricultural efficiency;secondly,it eliminates the uncertainties influencing the farmers' income;thirdly,it improves the farmers' capacity to increase income;at last,it enhances the farmers' consciousness of wealth.Next the thesis inquires into the problems existing in the system of rural social security:the first problem is more obviously fragmented system;the second is inadequate security projects and narrower coverage;the third is an obvious lack of equality in urban and rural security;the fourth is even less sound management system;the last is the lagging of legislation.Afterwards the thesis proposes the countermeasures and suggestions to improve the system of rural social security and narrow urban-rural income gap:firstly,to integrate the social security system in rural areas;secondly,to perfect security projects and enhance the security system;thirdly,to integrate the administrative management of social security;at last,to enforce the legal system.

Mapping the potential distribution suitability of 16 tree species under climate change in northeastern China using Maxent modelling

Knowledge on the potential suitability of tree species to the site is very important for forest management planning.Natural forest distribution provides a good reference for afforestation and forest restoration.In this study,we developed species distribution model(SDM)for 16 major tree species with 2,825 permanent sample plots with natural origin from Chinese National Forest Inventory data collected in Jilin Province using the Maxent model.Three types of environmental factors including bioclimate,soil and topography with a total of 33 variables were tested as the input.The values of area under the curve(AUC,one of the receiver operating characteristics of the Maxent model)in the training and test datasets were between 0.784 and 0.968,indicating that the prediction results were quite reliable.The environmental factors affecting the distribution of species were ranked in terms of their importance to the species distribution.Generally,the climatic factors had the greatest contribution,which included mean diurnal range,annual mean temperature,temperature annual range,and iosthermality.But the main environmental factors varied with tree species.Distribution suitability maps under current(1950-2000)and future climate scenarios(CCSM4-RCP 2.6 and RCP 6.0 during 2050)were produced for 16 major tree species in Jilin Province using the model developed.The predicted current and future ranges of habitat suitability of the 16 tree species are likely to be positively and negatively affected by future climate.Seven tree species were found to benefit from future climate including B etula costata,Fraxinus mandshurica,Juglans mandshurica,Phellodendron amurense,Populus ussuriensis,Quercus mongolica and Ulmus pumila;five tree species will experience decline in their suitable habitat including B.platyphylla,Tilia mongolica,Picea asperata,Pinus sylvestris,Pinus koraiensis;and four(Salix koreensis,Abies fabri,Pinus densiflora and Larix olgensis)showed the inconsistency under RCP 2.6 and RCP 6.0 scenarios.The maps of the habitat suitability can be used as a basis for afforestation and forest restoration in northeastern China.The SDMs could be a potential tool for forest management planning.

China-U.S. Trade Balance from the National Income Perspective

This paper calculates the China-U.S. trade balance from the national income perspective based on an input-output model that differentiates domestic and foreign-invested companies. The result shows that due to different degrees of dependence of both countries on foreign production factors such as foreign capital for the manufacturing of export goods,only 87.7% of the domestic value-added created by China's exports to the U.S. in 2012 was China's national income, whereas 96.2% of value-added in U.S. exports to China was U.S.national income. In the comparison of total export volume and export value-added, the home country's national income created by exports can more realistically reflect a country's gains from trade. In 2012, China's trade surplus with the U.S. stood at 102.8 billion US dollars in national income terms, which is 61% and 22% smaller than the results in gross and value-added terms, respectively. The implication is that the traditional trade balance accounting method seriously exaggerates the China-U.S. trade imbalance.

Contribution of non-timber forest products to the livelihoods of the forest-dependent communities around the Khadimnagar National Park in northeastern Bangladesh

Non-timber forest products(NTFPs)play a significant role in the improvement of the forest-dependent people’s livelihoodsaround the world,strengthening protection for the sustainable use of forests.The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of occupational category-wise(fuelwood collectors,farmers,small-scale businessmen,day labourers,and tea estate labourers)dependencyon NTFPsand the role of NTFPs on household income around the Khadimnagar National Park(KNP)in northeastern Bangladesh.In 2014,178purposively selected respondents from four villages(out of 22 villagesaround the KNP)were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire.The study observed that these forest-dependent communities utilized resources of the KNP mainly for domestic energy supply,household income,and house construction.Results showed that income from NTFPs made a significant contribution to family income.Income data analysis indicated that small-scale businessmen earned relatively more income from NTFPs,followed by tea estate labourersand day labourers.The study revealed significant negative relationships of the distance of households from the forest with the amount of NTFPs collected(P<0.01)and monthly income from NTFPs(P<0.01).Positive significant relationships were found between the amount of NTFPs collected and the time spent in NTFP collection(P<0.001),as well as betweenmonthly income from NTFPs and family size(P<0.001).The fuelwood collectors and farmers collected significantly greater amounts of NTFPs per trip(P<0.001)than other occupational categories.The households that were moderately to highly dependent on NTFPs collected significantly higher amounts of NTFPs pertrip(P<0.01)than the households that were moderately dependent and less dependent on NTFPs.Community dependence on KNP’sresources,community’sappreciation of the KNP’s ecosystem services for villagers’livelihoods,and community’s high levels of concern for forest conservation provided a foundation for the sustainable management of the KNP.The study findings will be useful for designing an effective forest management plan and policy for NTFP management and forest conservation with the active involvement of the forest-dependent people in northeastern Bangladesh.

Distribution of primary school based on spatial network comprehensive model in low-income mountainous cities： a case study in Wanyuan, China

Focusing on the peculiarities of urban construction resulting from specific mountain terrains, the purpose of this study is to find out a suitable method based on a Spatial Network Comprehensive Model(SNCM) to reasonably plan and distribute primary schools in low-income mountain cities. The construction principles and advantages of the SNCM method are proposed and the method tested in Wanyuan city of Qinba Mountain area(Southwest China) to verify its feasibility and optimization. Taking account of the mountain terrain and its influence on user behavior, we used the SNCM method to build a comprehensive model which integrates the road slope and the walking speed of pupils into the basic spatial model. The model is used to calculate a reasonable layout of the primary schools and to validate the rationale. The results show that the SNCM method can be effectively applied in low-income mountainous cities. It can not only improve the accessibility and service efficiency of primary schools using as little capital-investment as possible, but also help the city grow in an intensive and efficient way.

Predicting Potential Distribution of Tibetan Spruce (Picea smithiana) in Qomolangma (Mount Everest) National Nature Preserve Using Maximum Entropy Niche-based Model

Tibetan spruce (Picea smithiana) is an endemic species of the Himalayas,and it distributes only in a re-stricted area with very low number.To address the lack of detailed distributional information,we used maximum en-tropy (Maxent) niche-based model to predict the species' potential distribution from limited occurrence-only records.The location data of P.smithiana,relative bioclimatic variables,vegetation data,digital elevation model (DEM),and the derived data were analyzed in Maxent.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to assess the prediction accuracy.The Maxent jackknife test was performed to quantify the training gains from data layers and the response of P.smithiana distribution to four typical environmental variables was analyzed.Results show that the model performs well at the regional scale.There is a potential for continued expansion of P.smithiana population numbers and distribution in China.P.smithiana potentially distributes in the lower reaches of Gyirong Zangbo and Poiqu rivers in Gyirong and Nyalam counties in Qomolangma (Mount Everest) National Nature Preserve (QNNP),China.The species prefers warm temperate climate in mountain area and mainly distributes in needle-leaved evergreen closed to open forest and mixed forest along the river valley at relatively low altitudes of about 2000-3000 m.Model simulations suggest that distribution patterns of rare species with few species numbers can be well predicted by Max-ent.

Prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases and Number of Comorbidities According to Differences in Household Income Levels in Japan: Analysis from National Health and Nutrition Survey

Though it has been reported that in Western developed countries socioeconomic status is associated with non-communicable diseases (NCD), there are sparse evidence from Japan, midst an income gap that has been pointed out in recent years. Therefore, we examined the presence or absence of NCD and the number of comorbidities according to household income in Japanese, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2010. 1287 men and 1659 women aged 20 - 79 years from households at 3 income levels (<2, 2 - 5.9, ≥6 million yen) were analyzed. Participants completed questionnaires regarding whether they had been diagnosed with NCD, as well as undergoing clinical laboratory tests. Logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analysis with adjustment for age, gender, household size, and population of municipalities. The prevalences of participants with high, medium, and low income were 22.3%, 57.6%, and 20.2%, respectively. Participants with the lowest income had the highest odds of hypertension (OR [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 1.71 [1.29 - 2.26], p p = 0.041), and stroke (5.07 [2.04 - 12.60] p < 0.001). Additionally, prevalences of participants with 2 or 3 NCD (hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia) were 15.0% and 33.0% in high and low income levels, respectively. A low income could contribute to a high prevalence of NCD and large number of comorbidities among Japanese. Establishing a health policy in Japan is needed to enable an optimal health condition and lifestyle regardless of socioeconomic disparities.

Study on the Relationship between 5-HttLPR Gene and BDNF Gene Polymorphism and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Li and Han Nationality of Hainan Province

Objective: To investigate the correlation between 5-HTTLPR (5-and serotonin transporter linked polymer region) gene polymorphism and BDNF (brain derived neural factor) gene polymorphism and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorders) in Li and Han nationalities in Hainan Province. Methods: 167 Hainan Li PTSD patients, 141 Hainan Han PTSD patients and 158 healthy volunteers (control group) were investigated by ETI, caps, Toh, WCST, TMT and WAIS-RC. The polymorphisms of rs6265 locus of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF genes were detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and page (polycylamide gel electrophoresis), and the correlation with PTSD was analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of PTSD. Results: The ETI score, total PTSD score and TMT time of Li PTSD patients were significantly higher than those of Han PTSD patients (P < 0.01). The comprehension, picture filling, picture arrangement, operation IQ and total IQ of WAIS-RC were significantly lower than those of Han PTSD patients (P < 0.01);The numbers of errors, TMT and Toh in WCST were significantly lower than those in Han PTSD patients (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the distribution of 5-HTTLPR genotype and allele between Li PTSD patients and control group (P > 0.05). SS genotype of 5-HTTLPR and (GA + AA) genotype of rs6265 locus may increase the risk of PTSD in Hainan Han population. AA and GA + AA genotypes at rs6265 locus may increase the risk of PTSD in Li population (P < 0.05). Among Li PTSD patients, the ETI score, PTSD total score, TMT time, Toh planning time and execution time of AA genotype at rs6265 locus were significantly higher than those of GG genotype;the total scores of comprehension and operation IQ, and Toh in WAIS-RC were significantly lower than those in GG genotype (P < 0.05). Among Han PTSD patients, the ETI score, PTSD total score and TMT time of SS genotype of 5-HTTLPR were significantly higher than those of LL genotype, and the comprehension, arithmetic and block diagram in WAIS-RC were significantly lower than those of LL genotype;The ETI score, PTSD total score and TMT time of patients with (GA + AA) genotype at rs6265 locus were also significantly higher than those of patients with GG genotype. The comprehension and block diagram in WAIS-RC were significantly lower than those of patients with GG genotype. The number of WCST errors in patients with AA genotype was significantly higher than those of patients with GG genotype, and the operational IQ in WAIS-RC was significantly lower than those of patients with GG genotype (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The LL genotype of 5-HTTLPR and the GG genotype of rs6265 locus are related to PTSD of Li and Han nationalities in Hainan, which are important protective factors for PTSD of Li and Han nationalities in Hainan.