Search Results (464)

Against the backdrop of widening regional disparities and the rapid expansion of digital connectivity, understanding the relationship between new quality productive forces (NQPF) and urban–rural integration requires a systemic and network-based perspective. This study approaches urban–rural integration from a complex adaptive system perspective embedded in dynamic interregional networks. Using panel data from 31 Chinese provinces from 2014 to 2024, we construct composite indices for NQPF and urban–rural integration and combine two-way fixed-effects models, static Spatial Durbin Models (SDM), and dynamic-network two-way fixed-effects spatial-lag specifications. This framework helps examine local associations, network-based spillover patterns, and heterogeneous system responses. The results show that: (1) urban–rural integration exhibits significant spatial clustering, with Moran’s I becoming positive and statistically significant after 2016, reflecting persistent structural imbalances within the regional system; (2) the static SDM results show that NQPF is positively associated with urban–rural integration both locally and through spatial indirect linkages; (3) compared with conventional static geographic matrices, the dynamic network-based spatial weights provide additional information on evolving interregional linkages shaped by economic proximity, digital capability similarity, and factor mobility; and (4) under the dynamic network-based specification, NQPF remains positively associated with network exposure in connected provinces, with heterogeneous patterns across regions. More stable local associations are observed in high-connectivity and eastern regions, while the low-connectivity group and central–western regions appear to benefit more from network-based linkages. These findings suggest that the relationship between NQPF and urban–rural integration is embedded in a spatially connected and network-conditioned regional system. By integrating spatial econometrics with a complex systems perspective, this study provides a complementary framework for understanding regional transformation in the digital era. Full article

The water–energy–food (WEF) system acts as a critical nexus of social–ecological systems. However, rapid urbanization has intensified the regional imbalance in the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs). Clarifying the spatiotemporal matching of ecosystem services supply and demand (ESSD) within the WEF framework and revealing the driving mechanisms behind such imbalances are essential to formulating reasonable zoning schemes and targeted optimization strategies for the coordinated development of the regional WEF system. Taking Zhejiang Province as a case study, this research uses water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS), and grain production (GP) to characterize the WEF nexus system. It uses the InVEST model to assess WY and CS, applies spatial allocation methods to characterize GP, and integrates socioeconomic data to quantify the demand for the above three ESs. All indicators were standardized and integrated with equal weights to further clarify the comprehensive levels of ESSD. By integrating the Geodetector and K-Means clustering methods, the study analyzes the supply–demand matching of ecosystem services and its driving mechanisms in Zhejiang Province during this period, thereby exploring ecological management zoning and optimization strategies within the WEF system. The study findings indicate that: (1) From the supply perspective, Zhejiang Province’s WY services demonstrate a trend of elevated activity in the southwest and diminished presence in the northeast; high values for CS services are predominantly found in the vegetation-rich areas of the northwest, while high values for GP services are clustered in the northern Zhejiang Plain; from the demand perspective, high values for all three ESs in Zhejiang Province are primarily located in economically active, densely populated urban areas. (2) The correlation between ESSD within Zhejiang Province’s WEF system exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity and is driven by the combined effects of natural and socioeconomic factors, with the interaction between these two factors often producing a synergistic effect. Specifically, annual average precipitation and population density are the dominant factors influencing WY services, NDVI and human footprint are the dominant factors influencing CS services, and population density and GDP are the dominant factors influencing GP services. (3) From 2000 to 2020, the supply–demand ratio for comprehensive ESs in Zhejiang Province generally followed a pattern of being lower in the east and higher in the west. The supply–demand imbalance of ESs intensified in the core areas of eastern cities, whereas the western regions maintained a relatively sound supply–demand balance. (4) The study classifies the counties in Zhejiang Province into four ecological management zones—ecological stable zones, ecological conservation zones, ecological control zones, and ecological restoration zones—and explores differentiated approaches to optimizing these zones and implementing control strategies. Full article

In the context of increasing climate variability and carbon neutrality targets, understanding the relative roles of climate and human activities is essential for accurately assessing vegetation carbon sink dynamics. This study develops a climate-controlled attribution framework to disentangle human-induced effects from natural climatic variability in Guizhou Province, a representative karst region of Southwest China. Using multi-source remote sensing and climate data from 2004 to 2023, net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was estimated, and its spatiotemporal dynamics were analyzed. A two-step attribution approach was applied to isolate climate-driven variability and quantify the contribution of anthropogenic activities. Results indicate that mean NEP increased significantly from 273 gC·m⁻²·yr⁻¹ in 2004 to 369 gC·m⁻²·yr⁻¹ in 2023, with a provincial average of 318 gC·m⁻²·yr⁻¹. Human activities are estimated to contribute a dominant share (approximately 60–75%), although uncertainties remain due to methodological limitations. Spatial analysis reveals pronounced heterogeneity, with stronger human-induced enhancement in eastern regions and mixed restoration–disturbance effects in ecologically fragile western areas. These findings suggest that ecological restoration policies in fragile karst ecosystems can generate amplified carbon sink responses beyond background climatic effects. These findings provide insights into understanding climate–carbon cycle interactions and improving region-specific climate mitigation strategies. Full article

How AI can contribute to green sustainable development (GSD) in China is a critical yet underexplored question. Leveraging the staggered implementation of the National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone (AIPZ) as a quasi-natural experiment, this study employs a difference-in-differences approach with panel data from 285 prefecture-level cities (2017–2022). The main findings are threefold. First, AI directly promotes GSD and, more importantly, indirectly enhances GSD by upgrading new-quality productivity (NQP)—a novel mechanism that distinguishes this study from conventional environmental policy evaluations. Second, the facilitating effect is not uniform: significant positive effects are detected in the western, eastern, and central regions, but not in the northeastern region; among major urban agglomerations, the Pearl River Delta, Chengdu-Chongqing, and Yangtze River Deltaexhibit significant effects, whereas the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region does not. Third, spatial spillover analysis reveals that AI’s favorable effect on GSD spreads primarily through intercity similarity in economic development level. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers aiming to harness AI for sustainable development, highlighting the importance of fostering NQP and designing regionally differentiated strategies. Full article

This study examines the multidimensional nature of poverty and its underlying local determinants within the Suri Sadar Sub-Division of Birbhum District, Eastern India, an area marked by sharp ecological and socio-economic contrasts. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the research integrates primary household survey data (2024-25) with secondary spatial datasets to construct a comprehensive analytical framework. The extent and intensity of multidimensional poverty were measured using the Alkire–Foster (AF) method, while the determinants were identified through a Binary Logistic Regression model. Findings reveal that multidimensional poverty in the region is deeply rooted in the intersection of human, environmental, and spatial factors rather than mere income deprivation. Approximately 26.8 per cent of households were found to be multidimensionally poor, with the western plateau blocks, i.e., Rajnagar, Khoyrasole, and Md. Bazar, showing the highest deprivation levels. Spatial poverty drivers include education, agriculture, and gender equality improvements. Policy implications emphasise the need for geographically tailored, multi-sectoral interventions that focus on human capability, investing in infrastructure, and promoting gender-inclusive development. By elucidating the localized dynamics of poverty, this research contributes to the broader discourse on spatial inequality and sustainable development in rural Eastern India, offering actionable insights for evidence-based regional planning and targeted poverty alleviation. Full article

The genus Hydrochara (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) comprises large-bodied water beetles associated with shallow, well-vegetated freshwater habitats and is characterised by considerable taxonomic complexity. While Hydrochara caraboides is relatively well studied in western and central Europe, lineage diversity and species boundaries within the genus remain poorly resolved in eastern and south-eastern Europe. This study uses an integrative approach combining mitochondrial DNA data, morphometric analyses, and male genital morphology to investigate Hydrochara populations in continental Croatia. Specimens were collected from floodplain and lowland aquatic habitats across major river basins, morphologically identified and verified using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (16S) sequences through comparison with reference data from public databases (GenBank and BOLD). Molecular analyses confirmed the presence of H. caraboides and Hydrochara flavipes in continental Croatia. A single specimen from the upper Drava River basin (CROH030-26) formed a distinct mitochondrial lineage positioned between H. caraboides and Hydrochara dichroma in the COI phylogeny. Morphometric analyses showed extensive overlap between this specimen and H. caraboides, indicating no clear differentiation in external body size. In contrast, examination of male genitalia revealed an intermediate aedeagus morphology with transitional characters between H. caraboides and H. dichroma. Haplotype network analysis revealed a star-like structure with a dominant central haplotype shared by most H. caraboides specimens and several low-frequency variants, while the divergent specimen occupies a peripheral position, separated from the main cluster by multiple mutational steps. These results indicate that H. caraboides is a genetically heterogeneous taxon comprising multiple divergent mitochondrial lineages, suggesting that lineage diversity within this species may be underestimated. By integrating molecular and morphological evidence, this study provides new insights into the lineage diversity of Hydrochara in floodplain ecosystems of south-eastern Europe and highlights the importance of integrative approaches for resolving species boundaries and informing freshwater biodiversity conservation. Full article

Lung cancer screening has been widely studied, and strong evidence supports its role in reducing mortality among heavy smokers. The 2011 National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality, with further validation from European trials, such as NELSON and MILD. In 2015, the United States Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved lung cancer screening as a reimbursable service, later expanding the criteria in 2021 to include individuals aged 50–80 years with a ≥20 pack-year smoking history. While screening models such as the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) have effectively stratified risk among smokers, emerging research on non-smokers remains inconclusive. This review highlights five key issues in lung cancer screening in Eastern and Western countries. First, the screening rates differ significantly between regions owing to variations in healthcare policies and awareness. Second, subsolid nodule (SSN) prevalence varies between Eastern and Western populations, influencing screening strategies. Third, differences in SSN growth thresholds affect clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Fourth, there are variations in the management of SSNs, particularly in follow-up recommendations and intervention strategies. Fifth, overdiagnosis remains a critical concern, with distinct challenges in each region owing to screening frequency and healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, microsimulation models predict a decline in smoking-related lung cancer but an increase in non-smoking-related cases, emphasizing the need for tailored screening approaches. Addressing these five issues is crucial for optimizing lung cancer screening strategies and balancing early detection with the risk of overdiagnosis. Full article

Eastern Thailand serves as a critical case study for the escalating tension between agricultural preservation and urban expansion, a dynamic recently intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study addresses a pivotal research question: To what extent do emerging socio-economic realities, such as policy shifts, labor fluctuations, and climatic extremes, alter the spatiotemporal continuity of urban expansion? Employing a mixed-methods approach, we integrated multi-stakeholder insights with quantitative spatial modeling to simulate context-specific land use futures through 2030. Qualitative findings indicate that while COVID-19 accelerated agricultural modernization, evidenced by increased mechanization and e-commerce integration, these shifts have limited long-term impact on land use patterns. Instead, regional policy, climate change, and technological innovation emerged as the primary drivers of landscape transformation. Quantitative simulations reveal that urban growth will concentrate in the western provinces bordering Bangkok and the southern coastal corridors of Chon Buri and Rayong. Crucially, across all scenarios, approximately 60% of new urban land is projected to be converted from existing croplands, followed by significant losses in natural forest cover. These results demonstrate that current growth-oriented policies may undermine regional food security and ecosystem services. This study provides a framework for balancing agricultural modernization with ecological preservation, offering essential evidence for developing the integrated, sustainability-focused land use frameworks required to meet 2030 development goals. Full article

Land cover (LC) change is reshaping terrestrial ecosystems and profoundly impacting sustainable development in Africa, yet the long-term, continental-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of these shifts remain obscured. To address the above issue, this study systematically explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of LC across Africa from 1985 to 2022 by leveraging the fine-resolution remote-sensing-derived GLC_FCS30D LC dataset within a stratified Intensity Analysis framework. To decompose landscape changes into interval, category, and transition levels across five climatic sub-regions of Africa, we systematically evaluate the temporal consistency of land systems. This hierarchical approach disentangles systematic transition pathways from random fluctuations, thereby revealing the distinct regional regimes governing continental transformation of LC. Our results ultimately show a strong LC change acceleration in Africa after 2010, mainly in Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa, which together made up 80 to 90% of the continent’s LC dynamics. During the whole study period, shrubland and grassland had the highest gross turnover due to their high bidirectional volatility. Intensity-wise, forest remained inactive even though it was a persistent net loser to crop in East Africa (2010–2020), to shrub in Southern Africa (1990–2022), and to wetland in West Africa during the post-2000 intervals. Wetland had a major change in dynamics from historical growth during 1985–1990 to systematic decline in 2015–2022. Cropland increased by systematically targeting shrubland and grassland, mainly in East Africa. Additionally, the Sahel contributed 40% of continental grassland to bare area transitions, despite some recovery of grassland in the region. These findings show that aggregate net-change metrics obscure the volatility in African LC; therefore, distinct regional regimes such as agricultural expansion and forest degradation necessitate spatially differentiated management strategies. Full article

Teaching biblical history and biblical archaeology to undergraduates presents distinctive pedagogical challenges. Unlike graduate students, undergraduates often enroll with limited historical literacy, minimal exposure to ancient Near Eastern history, and religiously shaped assumptions about the Bible that have not been examined critically. At the same time, the cursory treatment of the biblical world in standard Western Civilization textbooks leaves many students without adequate chronological and historical frameworks. Presenting undergraduates with the complex historiographic issues innate to the field is problematic, as it can lead to alienation or even challenges to faith. This essay argues that instructors must be clear about their approaches and keep the distinction between teaching religion and teaching about the Bible as a historical document explicit, while acknowledging the diverse backgrounds with which students enter the classroom. The article uses several examples (including approaches to the Exodus narrative) to demonstrate how scholarship can be presented responsibly. The essay also addresses disciplinary and terminological complications. Full article

This paper examines the evolution of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) performance among European Union (EU) countries from 2000 to 2024 using a taxonomy-based approach. It aims to identify changes in sustainability performance, investigate regional disparities between Western Europe (WE) and Eastern Europe (EE), and assess progress across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions. A panel dataset comprising multiple SDG indicators was employed, with variables aggregated into the Taxonomic Measure of Sustainable Development (TM_SD). Based on this measure, countries were classified into performance categories—pioneers, challengers, below-average performers, and underperformers—allowing for the analysis of long-term structural trends. The results indicate an overall improvement in SDG performance across the EU, reflected in an increasing share of countries classified as pioneers and a declining share of underperformers. WE countries more often occupy higher performance categories, although the gap with EE has recently narrowed. Progress is found to be uneven across SDG dimensions, with more pronounced improvements in the economic and environmental areas than in the social dimension. The study contributes by providing a comprehensive and longitudinal assessment of SDG implementation in the EU over a 25-year period, identifying persistent regional disparities, and supporting systematic monitoring and policy coordination at the European level. Full article

Amidst escalating global economic instability, urban economic resilience has emerged as a fundamental pillar for sustainable urban development. Using a dataset of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2008 to 2021, this study examines the impact of financial agglomeration on urban economic resilience. The entropy weight approach is used to measure urban economic resilience. The main empirical results show that financial agglomeration has a statistically significant positive impact on urban economic resilience, mainly through two mediating channels: the promotion of technical innovation and the optimization of the industrial structure. The beneficial effects of financial agglomeration increase with city size, according to a threshold effect analysis, giving urban sustainable development a stronger boost. Furthermore, compared to resource-based cities, cities in the central and western regions, and cities with low levels of digital finance development, this promotional effect is much more noticeable in non-resource-based cities, cities in the eastern regions, and cities with a high degree of digital finance development. This study underscores the pivotal influence of financial clustering on reinforcing urban economic robustness, offering policy recommendations for fostering sustainable growth and urban development. Full article

Many debates in Christian theology and philosophy, especially debates having to do with the Trinity (like the debate over the filioque) and with divine action (like the debate over whether there is a distinction between God’s essence and God’s energies), have made use of the idea of divine processions. But with rare exceptions, theologians have said little about how the terms used for divine processions are the same terms used for liturgical, military, and state processions and marches. Rather, in general, theologians have treated these terms in a purely technical metaphysical sense. I contend that progress will be made on solving these debates if we attend to the image of actual processions that is conveyed by words originally used for divine processions (including Latin words like ‘processio’ and ‘procedere’ and Greek words like ‘proodos’ and ‘ekporeusis’). After describing the relevant debates, I outline a method for recovering the experiences and images conveyed by those procession words; this perceptual and aesthetic method draws upon the work of a range of phenomenologists and phenomenologically-inspired thinkers. I then use this method to draw out the content of procession words, and to show that procession as such is a pure perfection, a property of being, a privileged manifestation of persons, and a divine attribute. Finally, I show how this more holistic approach to divine processions allows for a defense of the Western Christian doctrine of the filioque, without losing essential Eastern Christian insights about the procession of the Holy Spirit, and a defense of the Eastern doctrine of the essence–energies distinction, without losing crucial Western insights about divine simplicity. While it is of course beyond the scope of a single paper to solve such complex debates, this paper lays a foundation for future synthesis between Eastern and Western views. Full article

This study investigates the spatial implications of formal environmental regulation for urban green development by separating command-and-control tools from market incentive-based approaches and analyzing a 280-city panel dataset from China spanning 2012–2024. A spatial Durbin model is employed to assess the spillover effects of these regulatory tools on GTFP. The estimation results show that command-and-control regulation exerts a significant negative spillover effect on neighboring cities and is also associated with a reduction in local GTFP. In contrast, market-based regulation generates positive spillovers that benefit surrounding cities and is linked to improvements in both local and nearby GTFP. Regional heterogeneity analysis shows that command-and-control regulation produces negative but insignificant spillovers in the eastern and western regions and positive yet insignificant effects in the central and northeastern regions, whereas market-based regulation generates significant positive spillovers across all regions. Mediation analysis suggests that industrial relocation has a significant suppression effect in the relationship between CER and GTFP. When the carbon emissions trading scheme is used as a proxy for market-based regulation, the policy initially appears to suppress GTFP, although its effect tends to become positive over time. Informal environmental regulation is found to enhance local GTFP and to generate favorable spillovers for neighboring cities. Taken together, these findings suggest that policymakers should place greater emphasis on market-based and informal regulatory approaches, while encouraging firms and the public to play a more active role in advancing urban green development. Full article

As a novel approach to address the lack of systematic studies on spatial Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) accounting and Ecological Security Pattern construction, this study integrates GEP thresholds with Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) to identify ecological sources. A resistance surface is constructed using five representative influencing factors, and the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model is applied to extract ecological corridors, thereby establishing the Ecological Security Pattern for the Yellow River-Fronting Region of Henan in 2020. The results indicate the following: (1) GEP in the study area exhibits a spatial distribution of “high in the northwest, low in the southeast,” with regulating services accounting for more than 90% of the GEP. (2) A total of 11 ecological sources, 13 ecological corridors, and 7 ecological nodes were identified, primarily distributed in mountainous regions. (3) The Ecological Security Pattern exhibits spatial imbalance, with dense corridors in the western mountains and sparse distribution in the eastern plains. These findings provide scientific support for formulating ecological conservation measures and optimizing ecosystem management in the Yellow River Basin. Full article