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Anthropogenic Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO2 + NO) emissions are highly concentrated in urban area, and the weekly cycles, seasonal patterns and long-term trends of tropospheric NO2 columns over cities differ from region to region due to different emission sectoral compositions and human activities. In this study, we used satellite observed tropospheric NO2 column data to compare the long-and short-term NO2 column density time series over cities in the United Sates (the U.S.), western Europe and China. The results showed that in all the targeted cities, the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease in 2019 (COVID-19) moved the December peak of the city-level NO2 columns forward to November and October or even earlier in 2020 and 2021. On weekly level, cities in the U.S. show the lowest NO2 columns ratio on weekend/work day, then come the western European cities, and a weak weekly pattern is seen in Chinese cities. For all the cites, we find a higher weekend/work day NO2 ratio in cold seasons than in warm seasons, indicating a higher contribution from NOx emission sectors of residential, industry and power plants in the warm seasons. In the long-term, NO2 columns over the U.S. and western European cities declined by a fraction twice that of the regional mean level from 2004 to 2021. In China, NO2 columns started to decrease since 2012, at a similar rate between the city and regional level. This work confirms the importance to quantify and control NOx emissions from cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For babies, mother milk is the primary source of nutrition. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are released into the environment by the majority of metropolitan areas. The purpose of this study was to quantify the risks to milk consumers by determining the amounts of 14 PAH congeners in 60 milk samples that were taken from the rural Tanta area and the urban Kafr El-Zayat district of Egypt. Comparing the mean PAH content in Kafr El-Zayat samples to the reference zone's equivalent value (0.685 µg/g fat), it showed 11.87 µg/g fat. There is no probability risk when the hazard quotient (HQ) for babies linked to milk consumption is smaller than unity. Regarding low, medium, and high exposure percentiles, the estimated daily dosage equivalent to benzo[a]pyrene (Bap) revealed the corresponding values for mutagenicity: 9.77E-03, 8.37E-03, and 5.58E-03, and carcinogenicity: 5.13E-03, 4.40E-03, and 2.94E-03. Predicted hazards greater than unity were imposed by such doses. Because this was a first examination for an ancient industrial zone in Egypt, the important information of this work explains the projected non-safety pattern of the breast milk ingested in the Kafr El-Zayat region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in computer science and data-driven decision making have greatly decreased the impact of natural disasters on civilization. The Western zone of Surat, a city in Gujarat, India, is examined as a study area to assess the seismic vulnerability of the structures using the capacity spectrum method. A thorough field survey was carried out in the Western zone of Surat to create detailed building stock inventory. The building information was gathered through a comprehensive field survey, which involved collecting, organizing, enhancing, and finalizing the data. The data were determined based on factors, such as the building's height, material, configuration, and year of construction. The seismic hazard in the city's area is described using response spectra based on Indian seismic provision IS 1893: Part-I for seismic zone-III. According to the survey, the majority of the buildings in the Adajan area are special moment-resisting reinforced concrete (RC) building frame structures. ArcGIS Pro software is utilized to manage collected information for developing seismic vulnerability scenarios. The results indicate that midrise building structures designed according to older versions of the seismic codes are more susceptible to lateral damage. The results of the cluster mapping analysis carried out in the Western region help pinpoint the urban area that is vulnerable to seismic activity at a local regional level. Practical Applications: This study presents a new method for evaluating the susceptibility of structures to seismic events by measuring the level of uncertainty, denoted by the factor β , estimated for seismic standards in India. Doing so allows for more precise forecasts of structural harm on a regional scale, which is essential for metropolitan regions such as Surat, where rapid urbanization and a dense population contribute to heightened seismic vulnerabilities. Our research utilizes the capacity spectrum method to offer practical insights for urban planners, engineers, and policy-makers in identifying and prioritizing buildings at risk and needing upgrading. This approach conforms to local norms and improves the predicted precision of seismic evaluations, rendering it an essential instrument for disaster management and safety inspections. Applying these findings in practice can make urban areas more resistant to seismic activities, significantly reducing the risks and protecting residents from potential damages. This study cultivates a culture of readiness and advocates for elevated building safety standards, thus enhancing the safety and sustainability of places prone to seismic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface soils in urban regions play a crucial role in controlling regional climatic patterns and sustaining ecological equilibrium. This study evaluates the contamination status, distribution patterns and ecological risks of trace metals (TMs) in the soil. Twenty-two sets of surface soils were collected and analyzed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, to estimate the levels of TMs, including As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, V, Y, and Zn. The study reveals a high degree of spatial variability in the distribution of TMs, attributable to the influence of various contamination sources. Simultaneously, descriptive statistical analyses unveil that contents of Cu, V, Co, Ni, Cr, Ba, Y, Zn and Sr in the soils were higher than the local background values. Furthermore, most of the surface soil sampling demonstrated moderate to heavily pollution with a few indicating light pollution. The northern, north-western and central parts in the surveyed zone, particularly in the vicinity of Kabelmal, Naimatabad, and Waddi County, were found to be heavily contaminated. The presence of As, Pb, and Zn was primarily influenced by anthropogenic sources, including agricultural and traffic emissions, while Cr and Y were mainly due to industrial emissions. In addition, Ni, Cr and Co were largely attributed to human activities. This provides fundamental information on TMs in surface soils and underscores the necessity for long-term monitoring to safeguard soil and environmental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable site selection for the installation of solar power stations in urban areas is critical for the reason that one of the criteria parameters, aerosol pollution, which is a significant threat to the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems, is happened to be varied place to place within and surrounding areas of the urban region. Therefore, the present work is an attempt to ascertain the potential reduction of solar power generation between a commercial and a background site in the urban region of Lucknow, India. Power generation of 125-kW/h capacities of solar PV modules is installed in two campuses (i.e., commercial region and background region) of a national research institute CSIR-IITR, Lucknow. Simultaneous on-site hourly particle pollution measurements for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were captured using optical principle-based PALAS Frog Dust Analyzer for both locations from morning 7 AM to evening 5 PM during February 15–21, 2021 (i.e., Monday–Sunday). Mean concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were recorded for the commercial area as 47 µg/m3, 76 µg/m3, and 164 µg/m3, and in the background area as 20 µg/m3, 39 µg/m3, and 69 µg/m3, respectively. Despite the unchanged solar irradiance over the city, the power outputs of the solar power station located at the background area are found consistently higher than the power station at the commercial area as recorded atmospheric PM# levels at the commercial site are higher. Further, identified the deposition of dust particles on PV panels is gradually increased from clean-day to dusty-day, and this is relatively enhanced with higher level at commercial area than city background due to the load of coarse size particles in the ambient air and their instantaneous deposition on solar panels. Therefore, the loss of solar power output was found maximum of 17.2% and 6.17% in the commercial area and the background area, respectively. The study results revealed the importance of the selection of pollution-free sites for the effectiveness of energy generation by the solar power station in urban regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface solar radiation, as a primary energy source, plays a pivotal role in governing land–atmosphere interactions, thereby influencing radiative, hydrological, and land surface dynamics. Ground-based instrumentation and satellite-based observations represent two fundamental methodologies for acquiring solar radiation information. While ground-based measurements are often limited in availability, high-temporal- and spatial-resolution, gridded satellite-retrieved solar radiation products have been extensively utilized in solar radiation-related studies, despite their inherent uncertainties in accuracy. In this study, we conducted an evaluation of the accuracy of two high-resolution satellite products, namely Himawari-8 (H8) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), utilizing data from a newly established solar radiation observation system at the Beijing Normal University (BNU) station in Beijing since 2017. The newly acquired measurements facilitated the generation of a firsthand solar radiation dataset comprising three components: Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI). Rigorous quality control procedures were applied to the raw minute-level observation data, including tests for missing data, the determination of possible physical limits, the identification of solar tracker malfunctions, and comparison tests (GHI should be equivalent to the sum of DHI and the vertical component of the DNI). Subsequently, accurate minute-level solar radiation observations were obtained spanning from 1 January 2020 to 22 March 2022. The evaluation of H8 and MODIS satellite products against ground-based GHI observations revealed strong correlations with R-squared (R2) values of 0.89 and 0.81, respectively. However, both satellite products exhibited a tendency to overestimate solar radiation, with H8 overestimating by approximately 21.05% and MODIS products by 7.11%. Additionally, solar zenith angles emerged as a factor influencing the accuracy of satellite products. This dataset serves as crucial support for investigations of surface solar radiation variation mechanisms, future energy utilization prospects, environmental conservation efforts, and related studies in urban areas such as Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nesting behavior of the Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicopterus was observed during its breeding season in 2021 in an urban region encompassing the Aligarh Muslim University Campus and the surrounding areas. Data were collected by searching nests in the study area. The breeding season for the species in the study sites begins in March and re-nesting is attempted even in July. A total of 31 nests were found on 24 trees belonging to eight species. The analysis of nest site characteristics revealed that Millingtonia hortensis, Azadirachta indica, and Dalbergia sissoo were the most important nest tree species, accounting for 69% of the identified nests during the study period. These findings contribute to our understanding of the nesting behavior of the Yellow-footed Green Pigeon in an urban environment and have implications for its conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo examine the changes in online medicine purchases before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its correlates among urban young and middle-aged adults. MethodsBased on Wenjuanxing online survey platform, adults aged ≥ 18 years were randomly recruited for a electronic questionnaire survey during October 21 – 28, 2021. The collected information on 748 urban adults aged 18 – 59 years and ever purchasing medicine during the past year were finally included in the analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was adopted to examine the correlates of the changes in online medicine purchases. ResultsOf all the respondents, 178 (23.80%) reported no online medicine purchases before and after the COVID-19 pandemic; 477 (63.77%) reported ever purchasing medicine online before and after the pandemic; and 71 (9.49%) had purchased medicine online only after the pandemic. The results of regression analysis showed that, compared with those not ever purchasing medicine online before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the respondents with the education of bachelor degree or above were more likely to purchase medicine online after the COVID-19 pandemic (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 3.64, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.37 – 9.68); the respondents purchasing medicine at medical facilities after the epidemic were less likely to purchase medicine online after the epidemic (RRR = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.22 – 0.75); the respondents with the education of bachelor degree or above and having chronic diseases were more likely to purchase medicine online both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with RRR (95%CI) of 2.06 (1.25 – 3.39) and 2.54 (1.65 – 3.92); the respondents living in central and western regions were less likely to purchase medicine online before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (RRR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.33 – 0.84 and RRR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.36 – 0.93). ConclusionUnder the context of normalized COVID-19 pandemic control, online medicine purchases increased among urban young and middle-aged adults, especially among those with higher education, suffering from chronic disease, and not purchasing medicine at medical facilities.

ObjectiveTo analyze the results of colonoscopy screening on colorectal cancer among high risk individuals assessed from permanent residents of Shenzhen city during 2017 – 2019 for providing evidence to the optimization of strategies on the screening. MethodsTotally 6 2 60 permanent adult residents (aged 40 – 74 years) were assessed as having high risk of colorectal cancer based on the survey results of Major Cancer Early Diagnosis and Treatment Project in Urban Population conducted in Shenzhen city from May 2017 through August 2019. Of the high-risk individuals, 2 622 received colonoscopy examination and the data on 1 371 examinees with complete information of questionnaire interview and clinical examination were analyzed. ResultsThe compliance rate of colonoscopy examination was 41.88% for all the high-risk individuals identified in the project-based survey. Among the 1 371 colonoscopy examinees included in the analysis, the detection rate was 0.22% (3 cases) for colorectal cancer, 11.09% (152) for precancerous lesion, 34.50% (473) for benign polyps, 6.27% (86) for inflammatory bowel disease, 2.77% (38) for benign polyps combined with inflammatory lesion, and 10.80% (148) for other colorectal diseases, respectively. For the 1 371 examinees, the detection rate of precancerous lesions and benign polyps differed significantly by gender, age, body mass index, and salty food preference, while gender and salty food preference were also significantly related to the detection rate of other colon diseases (all P < 0.05); the detection rate of benign polyps combined with inflammatory lesion was influenced significantly by the frequency of fruit and meat consumption (both P < 0.05); and the detection rate of inflammatory bowel disease was significantly associated with tea drinking (P < 0.05). ConclusionIn urban Shenzhen, the compliance rate of colonoscopy examination is relatively high but the detection rate of various pathological lesions is low and influenced by multiple demographic and individual characteristics among the adult residents at high risk of colorectal cancer. The results suggest that both the scheme of colorectal cancer screening and the identification of high risk individuals need to be optimized for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Urban agglomeration has the function of being an incubator for innovation. Previous studies have only focused on the output of innovation, ignoring the knowledge cooperation and exchange between cities, which is an important embodiment of the incubation. Compared with scientific cooperation, technical cooperation is more experimental and application oriented, requires more face-to-face communication, and is more sensitive to distance. In this paper co-patent data were selected to show the development and differences of intercity technological cooperation networks within Chinese urban agglomerations. The results show that the technical cooperation network within Chinese urban regions has generally developed rapidly in the past decade, especially those in eastern China, which have become the closest urban regions in China’s technical cooperation.

Based on the scientific identification of urban built-up areas, the spatial and temporal characteristics of PM2.5 concentrations in Chinese cities during 2000–2015, and the factors influencing them, were analyzed by exploratory spatial analysis and spatial econometric models. The results showed that the concentration of PM2.5 in Chinese cities increased in an inverted "L" pattern during 2000–2015. However, the cities with high PM2.5 concentrations are characterized by large-scale agglomeration, and urban agglomeration is an urban agglomeration area with a high PM2.5 concentration. Specifically, the areas with high PM2.5 concentrations are affected by natural factors, social and economic factors and urban form factors which all work together. From 2000 to 2005, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 across all Chinese cities increased from 31.19 µg m–3 to 46.00 µg m–3, and small-scale high concentrations were densely concentrated at the intersection of Hebei, Shandong and Henan. From 2005 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2015, the annual average growth rate of the PM2.5 concentration in urban areas slowed down, with average levels of 47.67 µg m–3 in 2010 and 48.72 µg m–3 in 2015, representing increases of only 3.63% and 2.20%, respectively. In 2010, the high-concentration agglomeration areas expanded to include the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Central Yangtze River, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Chengdu Plain; while in 2015 they further expanded to the entire North China Plain, the Central Yangtze River, and the Harbin-Changchun region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing calculation methods of carbon emission cannot well meet the needs of gradual refinement and real-time of carbon emission regions. In order to ensure the real-time and accuracy of carbon emissions responsibility allocation, a real-time calculation method of carbon emissions in urban regions is proposed. The improved K-means clustering algorithm is used to cluster and combine the operating periods and operating scenarios of the urban area energy load,so as to obtain the typical carbon emission characteristics. The regional unit electricity carbon emission is proposed as a carbon emission indicator, the operating period and scenario are classified, and the unit electricity carbon emission and the total carbon emission of urban regions for each cluster are calculated. The proposed algorithm is verified based on part of the historical data of energy consumption in the energy brain of a certain region in eastern China. The results show that the clustering method and carbon emission indicators can effectively calculate the total carbon emission of urban regions in real-time.

Urbanism in the world has had a great role in the formation of the concept of urban area. A high ratio of urban population resides in metropolitan areas, and the advancement of transportation and HSR network has changed the concept and dimensions of urban areas. As most of the analyses of urban area development through HSR has been limited to economic studies, this study set out to pay attention to the geographical concept of area and the effects of HSR as a strong policymaking tool in use. In this article, the systematic literature review based on keywords was used to extract the related articles from the most authoritative scientific websites, and then based on the evaluation of abstract, methods, and results sections of the articles, 75 papers published between 1938 to 2022 were selected as the sample. Then, attention was paid to the background and process of the evolution of attitudes and conceptualizations of urban area from the beginning till now. The metropolitan area is discussed based on analytical and normative approach at urban, regional, national, and global levels. With the connection of metropolitan centers to high speed access networks, polycentric development occurs. High speed rail (HSR) has the potential to help evolve the urban network, bring about urban area integrity, and develop new centers. The conceptual explanation of the strategy of creating polycentric metropolitan areas through the expansion of HSR can help expand the connect metropolitan areas, enhance integrity, create specialized cities, creatively use space organization plans, and solve part of the developmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metropolitan government is still an unfinished business in Spain. An example of this is the metropolitan area of Valencia. The aim of this article is to learn about the process that has led to the current situation of a lack of metropolitan government and to propose actions that will help to make it a reality in the not-too-distant future. To this end, it analyses the history and the current regulations, and it is completed with the opinions and contributions of academics and politicians. The result is that, although there is no political will to include the consolidation of a metropolitan government in Valencia in the current political agenda, it is possible to set in motion initiatives of different types, on the part of local administrations and civil society, which can take advantage of the existing governance structures to advance toward a metropolitan government in the medium term.

Where integrated territorial development is concerned, contemporary regional research and policy is putting increased emphasis on the functional approach, as compared with the administrative approach. Such a change of orientation denotes reference to a functional area (such as a city and its zone of influence) as an object around which analysis and planning can be focused. While relevant Polish discourse on the strategic and spatial-planning system revolves increasingly around the concept of Functional Urban Areas (FUAs, or MOFs in Polish), few studies have attempted to divide the entire territory of Poland into such FUAs. The work detailed in this paper has thus sought to fill the gap through the de novo development of a procedural tool for delimitation that is nevertheless informed by previous studies; as well as through presentation of the results of the method’s application. The work thus commenced with a review and critical evaluation of Polish literature from the points of view of the conceptualization of Functional Urban Areas and methods used in their delimitation. We outline the use of related concepts involving the so-called Urban Agglomeration, City-region, Functional Urban Region, Metropolitan Area, Functional Urban Area, Local Labour-Market Area and Zone of Urban Influence (Table 1). We then focus on methods employed in researching Functional Urban Areas, identifying four important methodological dichotomies, i.e. (1) regions being defined zonally (by common characteristics) vs. nodally (by relations), and (2) regions developed deductively (by division) or inductively (by aggregation), as well as (3) the application of division that is either exhaustive (all units belong to a group) or non-exhaustive, and (4) classifications that are regional (involving spatially continuous regions) or else typological (Table 2). Summarising our review of the literature, we conclude that FUA delimitation needs to be based around nodal, inductive, exhaustive and regional division principles. On that basis, our original method of achieving delimitation of FUAs first entailed definition of such a region as a territorially continuous area including a central city or other urban locality and at least one subordinate local-government unit (gmina in Polish) connected to it by virtue of population flows (commutes to work and bidirectional migration) and located within the isochrone of 1 (or for the largest cities – 1.5) hours of travel to the central locality. A modified highest flow linkages method was used to allocate each gmina to an FUA, with use made of a commuting-to-work matrix (calculating the mean from the 2011 and 2016 commuting matrices from Statistics Poland) and an inter-municipal migration matrix (aggregating the 2011‑2020 migration matrices from Statistics Poland) as sources of information by which to assess functional relationships between gminas and potential central cities. The criterion of the maximum time separating a gmina and a central locality was then added in, a 1-hour isochrone being regarded as the limit of convenient single-day travel time to work, services or school, albeit extended to 1.5 hours for cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants. The Google Maps Distance Matrix API was used to determine distances, by reference to actual travel times accounting for road traffic. The delimitation procedure was completed as correction was applied to determine the spatial continuity of each FUA (Fig. 1). This procedure generated 413 FUAs (Fig. 2), each of between 2 and 92 gminas, and with areas ranging from 14 and 8800 km2 and populations of between 7500 and 3.3 million. The largest FUAs relate to the largest regional capitals in Poland, while the smallest involve small towns in regional peripheries. The number of FUAs, their average size, and the list of cities that emerged as FUA central localities bear some similarity with Poland’s second- (county-) level administrative division based on the unit known as the powiat. However, the main feature distinguishing the division into FUAs from the administrative division actually applied in the country concerns the huge size-range of individual FUAs, which generally correlate with the sizes of their central localities. In contrast, powiats as actually established are of rather similar size, regardless of the dimensions of their capitals. Indeed, the novelty of our means of delimiting Functional Urban Areas stems from its lack of regard for existing administrative boundaries at the level of the powiat or voivodeship (province-region), its exhaustive nature, the core reference to functional linkage, and the operability of the division into regions as founded in an integrated territorial approach. Our delimitation was developed to determine differences in spatial development, and to point to areas faced with specific challenges, including on account of their constituting internal peripheries. Internal peripherality is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that intensifies the effects of various socio-economic processes resulting in the limitation of functional links. The authors also intend for the proposed delimitation to serve as a point of reference for various types of analyses and studies, of both an academic and an applied nature. A serious problem for contemporary research is that established territorial units do not typically constitute “functional wholes” playing host to interrelated socio-economic activity. In contrast, our proposed means of delimitation allows for these by aggregating data from Polish gminas to the designated FUA level, and by providing authentic reference areas on which research can be focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aedes albopictus is an indigenous primary vector of dengue and Zika viruses in China. Wolbachia is a gram-negative and common intracellular bacteria, which is maternally inherited endosymbionts and could expand their propagation in host populations by means of various manipulations. Compared with research on the dispersion of Ae. albopictus at the macrospatial level (mainly at the country or continent level), little is known about its variation and Wolbachia infection at the microspatial level, which is essential for its management. Meanwhile, no local cases of dengue fever have been recorded in the history of Nanjing, which implies that few adulticides have been applied in the city. Thus, the present study examines how the Ae. albopictus population varies and the Wolbachia infection status of each population among microspatial regions of Nanjing City. Methods: The genetic structure of 17 Aedes albopictus populations collected from urban, urban fringe, and rural regions of Nanjing City was investigated based on 9 microsatellite loci and the mitochondrial coxI gene. The Wolbachia infection status of each population was also assessed with Wolbachia A- and Wolbachia B-specific primers. Results: Nine out of 58 tested pairs of microsatellite markers were highly polymorphic, with a mean PIC value of 0.560, and these markers were therefore chosen for microsatellite genotyping analysis. The Na value of each Ae. albopictus population was very high, and the urban area populations (7.353 ± 4.975) showed a lower mean value than the urban fringe region populations (7.866 ± 5.010). A total of 19 coxI haplotypes were observed among 329 Ae. albopictus individuals via haplotype genotyping, with the highest diversity observed among the urban fringe Ae. albopictus populations (Hd = 0.456) and the lowest among the urban populations (Hd = 0.277). Each Ae. albopictus population showed significant departure from HWE, and significant population expansion was observed in only three populations from the urban (ZSL), urban fringe (HAJY), and rural areas (HSZY) (p < 0.05). Combined with DAPC analysis, all the Ae. albopictus populations were adequately allocated to two clades with significant genetic differences according to population structure analysis, and the best K value was equal to two. AMOVA results showed that most (96.18%) of the genetic variation detected in Ae. albopictus occurred within individuals (FIT = 0.22238, p < 0.0001), while no significant positive correlation was observed via isolation by distance (IBD) analysis (R2 = 0.03262, p = 0.584). The TCS network of all haplotypes showed that haplotype 1 (H1) and haplotype 4 (H4) were the most frequent haplotypes among all populations, and the haplotype frequency significantly increased from urban regions (36.84%) to rural regions (68.42%). Frequent migration was observed among Ae. albopictus populations from rural to urban regions via the urban fringe region, with four direct migration routes between rural and urban regions. Furthermore, Wolbachia genotyping results showed that most of the individuals of each population were coinfected with Wolbachia A and Wolbachia B. The independent infection rate of Wolbachia A was slightly higher than that of Wolbachia B, and no significant differences were observed among different regions. Conclusion: In the microspatial environment of Nanjing City, the urban fringe region is an important region for the dispersion of Ae. albopictus populations between rural and urban areas, and Wolbachia A and Wolbachia B coinfection is the most common Wolbachia infection status in all Ae. albopictus populations among different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rise in population growth and increasing trend towards urbanization, urban spaces have become 'hot spots' for intensive resource use including water, energy and food (WEF). Thus, along with food production, food management from consumption side is equally important to address the issue of WEF resource scarcity. An analysis of urban food management in India was carried out through systematic study of different government documents. In-depth content analysis across five sectors, namely water, energy, food, urban and environment, was carried out to find parameters for urban food management strategies having linkage with WEF resources. The study identified six parameters under two categories, namely city region food systems (urban/peri-urban agriculture, green roof technology, urban farmers market) and managing food wastes (reducing food wastes, compost from waste, energy from wastes). The analysis revealed that urban food management in India is focused on managing food wastes through solid waste management strategies (compost and energy production). City region food system and role it plays in optimizing WEF nexus need the attention of policy makers. The study concludes that a paradigm shift is required towards integrated urban WEF policy to attain the goals of sustainable urban development in the developing nations of Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use in complex urban regions and their future development is uncertain, especially in view of (global) change conditions and the planetary boundaries discussed. An encompassing discussion and weighting within planning is necessary, on what ecosystems offer which kind of services to urban and regional societies and how this current supply and further potentials can be sustainably used. This is essential to contribute to a resilient urban and regional development. Scientific discussions on the role of ecosystem services in spatial planning do partly investigate the current status-quo of references to ecosystem services. This paper presents results from two German case study regions on the extent of references to ecosystem services in existing spatial planning instruments. Both binding as well as non-binding regional and urban development concepts were considered. Although none of the planning instruments explicitly uses the term “ecosystem services”, references to ecosystem services can be identified in all instruments. However, the majority of classified ecosystem services is not linked to specific objectives. This evokes questions on if spatial planning is oriented on keeping options open to act in the future and what the detected blind spots tell about the interpretation of the vision of sustainable spatial development.

The Coordinating Body of the Santa Fe Metropolitan Area (ECAM) was designed to integrate and develop this urban region. However, as an institutional device, it would seem not to achieve the expected performance. The problems it faces in meeting the expectations created respond to characteristics of its institutionalization process and weaknesses of the models of this type of institutional arrangements, the supramunicipal and the intermunicipal cooperation. To account for these weaknesses, five variables are proposed to guide the analysis of the process of institutionalization of the ECAM. The evidence produced indicates that the number of local member states has grown but political support fluctuates. Although the operating routines are met, the Body fails to regularize its financing and consolidate itself as a key player on a metropolitan scale. Finally, by not having non-state actors in its structure, the idea of governance is diluted in the resolution of these weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We investigate the upper‐crustal seismic velocity structure in the Seoul metropolitan area, where about 20 million people live. The Chugaryeong fault zone (CFZ) is placed in this area, but the seismic hazard potential remains unclear. We conducted ambient noise tomography to illuminate the high‐resolution upper‐crustal structure in the Seoul metropolitan area. We analyzed continuous vertical seismic records for ∼5 months from a dense seismic array with 77 broadband stations. Group velocity dispersion curves and tomographic maps were extracted between 0.5 and 10 s periods. We inverted 3‐D group velocity tomography models up to a depth of ∼10 km from the group velocity maps. The shear‐wave velocity model is consistent with the geological features. High‐velocity anomalies at shallow depths are correlated with the surface topography and geology. The CFZ is located at a low velocity below the 5 km depth and presented as the simplified model. The large VS contrast regions are located beneath NS‐trending faults. The cross‐sections coincide with the near‐vertical strike‐slip faults in this area. In the southern region of the Seoul metropolitan area, low‐velocity anomalies correlate with high heat flow regions. Our results effectively suggest high resolution upper‐crustal structures and subsurface hidden faults in the urban area. Plain Language Summary: The Chugaryeong fault zone (CFZ) runs across the Seoul metropolitan area, where more than 20 million people live. The Chugaryeong fault system was repeatedly reactivated in the Quaternary. This study investigates the upper crustal structures in the Seoul metropolitan area using ambient seismic tomography based on densely deployed seismic stations. The seismic velocity structures are correlated with surface topography and geology. Low velocities are present in the southern Seoul metropolitan area of high heat flows. Vertically consistent low shear‐wave velocity anomalies are observed at depths of 5–10 km in the CFZ. Lateral variations in seismic velocities reveal the fault structures, which is consistent with seismic activities. The lateral gradients of shear‐wave velocities illuminate the near‐vertical fault geometry. The upper‐crustal shear‐wave velocity model may provide information to assess seismic hazard potentials in the Seoul metropolitan area. Key Points: High‐resolution upper‐crustal structures in urban region are derived from ambient noise tomography based on dense seismic stationsAmbient noise tomography reveals near‐vertical strike‐slip fault zones with low velocity anomalies in the Seoul metropolitan areaThe fault zones run across the Seoul metropolitan area, producing earthquakes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this paper is an evaluation of defined urban regions in Serbia, with an aim towards identifying their basic features, with special emphasis on the measurement of their functional polycentricity. These features include methods with following indicators: share of settled inhabitants to overall population number in the centre of urban region and surrounding area, according to the outcome; concentration level of employees in centres and structure of activities of active population performing an occupation, functional dependence of settlements in the area of the region and determining the functional polycentricity index of the urban region. Therefore, the goal of the paper is to clarify the difference between the urban regions that have developed in the area of Serbia, which are significant factors for further planning of polycentric and balanced regional development. The results of the survey show differences between urban regions. Almost half of the urban regions in Serbia have characteristics of monocentricity, while few polycentric urban regions differ in number of secondary centers. Certain differences between urban regions refer to the results related to share of the employees in primary centres in connection with the secondary centre region, if refers to a polycentric region, or in comparison to the region as a whole, if it implys to monocentric urban regions. All in all, primary differences between urban regions pertain to the degree of functional polycentrism.

With the rapid expansion in the number of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs) available and the development of modern technologies, the commercial applications of UAVs in urban areas, such as urban remote sensing (RS), express services, urban road traffic monitoring, urban police security, urban air shows and so on, have increased greatly. However, most UAVs, especially light and small civil UAVs, have been operating in low-altitude airspace, and a conflict may exist between increasing the number of UAVs and the limited low airspace. To promote low-altitude airspace resource development and to standardize the operation and management of UAVs in urban regions, some global laws and regulations and key technologies for urban low-altitude applications of UAVs have been implemented. This paper reviews the development of current policies and key technologies concerning safe and efficient operations of the light-and-small civil UAVs in low altitude in urban areas. Discussions are made progressively on measures and methods of airspace restriction, airspace structuring and air route planning in China primarily and the rest of world. After surveying the practical industry tests and the initial studies of air routes, the survey results indicate that the construction of air route networks is a scientific and effective measure to standardize and improve the efficiency of low-altitude UAV operations. From the view point of safety and efficiency, the most valuable direction for UAV regulation in urban regions involves deepening the research which largely relies on urban RS and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, and application demonstrations of low-altitude public air route networks.

Urban areas account for around 50% of global solid waste generation. In the last decade, the European Union has supported numerous initiatives aiming at reducing waste generation by promoting shifts towards Circular Economy (CE) approaches. Governing this process has become imperative. This article focuses on the results of a governance analysis of six urban regions in Europe involved in the Horizon 2020 project REPAiR. By means of semi-structured interviews, document analysis and workshops with local stakeholders, for each urban area a list of governance challenges which hinder the necessary shift to circularity was drafted. In order to compare the six cases, the various challenges have been categorized using the PESTEL-O method. Results highlight a significant variation in policy contexts and the need for these to evolve by adapting stakeholders’ and policy-makers’ engagement and diffusing knowledge on CE. Common challenges among the six regions include a lack of an integrated guiding framework (both political and legal), limited awareness among citizens, and technological barriers. All these elements call for a multi-faceted governance approach able to embrace the complexity of the process and comprehensively address the various challenges to completing the shift towards circularity in cities.

The logistic activity has been analysed by different approaches, but with a lack of attention to its impacts in the urban and spatial configuration. This work studies the logistic expansion in the Urban Region of Madrid, considering the geographical polarization and its preferential location in suburban and rural zones in the metropolitan area. The methodology considers three variables enlightening the spatial and temporal diffusion: workers and companies by municipality, logistic land use by province and different types of logistic land use. The results confirm the dissemination of logistics in metropolitan areas according to suburbanization and spread processes, at the same time appears new urban centralities as a consequence of the capitalist integration of the economy at different scales.

Introduction: Intake of processed meats has been associated with serious health problems that are common among women. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meats as human carcinogens, associated specifically with colon cancer. The increase in intake of processed meats, which are a low-cost source of dietary protein, varies by socioeconomic status (SES) and can impact chronic disease incidence. Objective: Examine the association between processed meats intake and (a) total protein intake, (b) inadequate protein intake, by SES. Methods: This study included a representative sample (N = 135) of women age 25 to 45 years, with one to four children, from three different socioeconomic groups who were residents of two counties from the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, Costa Rica between June 2014 and March 2015. Using photographs, we examined women’s perceptions of the cost and perceived desirability of 12 different foods, including processed meats. Using 24-hour dietary recalls collected on three different days, and the ValorNut food composition database, we estimated total protein intake, in grams, and determined the intake frequency (times/day) of processed meat. Each women’s dietary protein requirement was estimated based on her bodyweight. Inadequate protein intake was calculated as the difference between protein requirement and actual intake. A linear regression model was used to determine the association between total protein intake in grams and intake frequency (times/day) of processed meat. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between low protein intake and intake frequency (times/day) of processed meat. Results: Processed meats were perceived as the least preferred protein source but were the third most commonly consumed protein source. Consumption of processed meats differed by SES and was lower in the higher SES group (P < 0.01). The most commonly consumed processed meats by SES were “mortadella” (low-SES), sausages (middle-SES), and sliced turkey/ham (high-SES). Processed meat intake was significantly associated with an increase in protein intake. There was an inverse association between SES and inadequate protein intake. Conclusions: Processed meat intake is associated with SES. Women may consume processed meats because they are perceived to be a low-cost protein source. Educational strategies are needed to help women identify their protein needs and meet those needs with healthier and affordable dietary alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are major producers of atmospheric CO2 emissions, but at the same time they can offset some of the associated C losses by retaining stable organic carbon in their soils (SOC). Despite the importance of urban SOC there are still many uncertainties associated, resulting in low accuracy of SOC stock estimations or in its neglection in the regional and national carbon budgets. We focused on one of the most extended urban areas of Italy (Milan) estimating SOC stock in the topsoil and comparing it for different urban land uses (park/non-park) and covers (woodland/grassland). We also compared urban SOC stocks with other typologies of natural and semi-natural land use in the region. We found generally high variability in urban soil properties. Average SOC of urban parks was higher (7.9 ± 2.4 kg m−2) than urban non-parks (5.3 ± 2.5 kg m−2); while SOC stock did not significantly differ for urban land cover types. Urban parks had SOC stock values comparable with forest, pasture and grasslands of the same region and higher than SOC of croplands. At the same time, urban non-parks had the lower SOC stocks values found in the region. The results highlighted the significant contribution of urban SOC stock to carbon budget estimations and differences based on urban land use types. Furthermore, we described the main pedological characteristics of investigated urban soils and we identified the factors that contribute to limiting our capacity to model urban SOC stock that can be partially overcome by the addressed strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belgian urban regions were defined for the first time in the early 1970s. Later on they were updated based on the censuses of 1981, 1991 and 2001. The current update is based on administrative data varying between 2014 and 2017. In 2017, 19 cities in Belgium developed an urban region with on the one hand an agglomeration (a zone of uninterrupted built environment) and on the other hand an urban fringe (a zone of more dispersed residential settlements but with a strong focus of the population on the agglomeration). The Belgian urban regions concentrate 56% of the population and 64% of the employment. After a long period of a netto exodus from the centres of the urban regions in Belgium, one can see a growth of the population of the centers between 2001 and 2017. Immigration from abroad plays an important role in this netto growth, but more issues are at stake. A final important reversal takes place in the periphery of the urban regions. Between 1970 and 2001, the growth of the populations in the urban fringes was twice as high compared to the growth in the commuter zones. Between 2001 and 2017, an equal growth in both zones took place, meaning that the sprawl of the population did not stop and takes as much place at a longer distance from the centres of the urban regions then at a shorter distance.

We analyse the impact of preference matching and income on the distribution of the population in an aggregate economy of an urban and an adjacent rural region. It costs more (less) to live in the urban (rural) region. Individuals choose to live either in the urban or in the rural region. They differ in their incomes. These incomes are uniformly distributed on the unit interval. Our analysis leads to four results. First, when the cost differential parameter satisfies a condition, both regions are occupied in the equilibrium. Second, when this parametric condition holds, in any equilibrium in which the mean income of individuals varies across the two regions, every resident of the rural region has a lower income than every resident of the urban region. Third, there exists an income threshold and all individuals with higher (lower) incomes choose to live in the urban (rural) region. Finally, in the equilibrium with income sorting, it is possible to make everyone better off by slightly modifying their residential choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the growth effects over space arising from the adoption of new agricultural technology in a rural-urban setting. We use a dynamic model to study the impacts of technology and learning on the steady state growth rates of rural and urban regions that produce agricultural goods. New applications of agricultural technologies are tested and adopted in the rural region and they are gradually learned by the urban region. Our analysis leads to four results. First, we determine the steady state growth rate of agricultural output per worker in the rural region. Second, we define an urban to rural region agricultural technology knowledge ratio, analyze its stability properties, and then use this ratio to compute the steady state growth rate of agricultural output per worker in the urban region. Third, for specific parameter values, we study the ratio of agricultural output per worker in the urban to the rural region when both regions have converged to their balanced growth paths. Finally, we discuss the policy implications of our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay investigates the process of urbanization in the Red River Delta (RRD) of Vietnam and critically assesses its governance. Focusing on recent periurban dynamics, it shows that the rapidly increasing scale of urbanization in the delta along with new forms of urban development and modes of real estate investment have contributed to outstrip Vietnam's established planning approach. The analysis contrasts the country's current socio-economic and spatial planning systems with everyday urbanization and governing practices that have emerged in parallel to it. The preeminent role of these practices, conceptualized as 'actually existing urbanisms,' is illustrated through a discussion of periurban land redevelopments conducted by business-state coalitions. The paper concludes by calling for a better understanding of the role played by such alternate regimes, not only in shaping the RRD's urban growth, but also in constraining avenues to adapt its governance in the face of increasing urban scale and complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]