Characterization and childhood exposure assessment of toxic heavy metals in household dust under true living conditions from 10 China cities

Health hazards caused by metal exposure in household dust are concerning environmental health problems. Exposure to toxic metals in household dust imposes unclear but solid health risks, especially for children. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, a total of 250 household dust samples were collected from ten stratified cities in China (Panjin, Shijiazhuang, Qingdao, Lanzhou, Luoyang, Ningbo, Xi'an, Wuxi, Mianyang, Shenzhen) between April 2018 and March 2019. Questionnaire was conducted to gather information on individuals' living environment and health status in real-life situations. Multivariate logistic regression and principal component analysis were conducted to identify risk factors and determine the sources of metals in household dust. The median concentration of five metals in household dust from 10 cities ranged from 0.03 to 73.18 μg/g. Among the five heavy metals, only chromium in household dust of Mianyang was observed significantly both higher in the cold season and from the downwind households. Mercury, cadmium, and chromium were higher in the third-tier cities, with levels of 0.08, 0.30 and 97.28 μg/g, respectively. There were two sources with a contribution rate of 38.3 % and 25.8 %, respectively. Potential risk factors for increased metal concentration include long residence time, close to the motorway, decoration within five years, and purchase of new furniture within one year. Under both moderate and high exposure scenarios, chromium showed the highest level of exposure with 6.77 × 10-4 and 2.28 × 10-3 mg·kg-1·d-1, and arsenic imposed the highest lifetime carcinogenic risk at 1.67 × 10-4 and 3.17 × 10-4, respectively. The finding highlighted the priority to minimize childhood exposure of arsenic from household dust.

Scorpion envenomation in Brazil and its relationship with the social determinants of health: A population-based ecological study

This study comprehensively analyzed cases of scorpion envenomation in Brazil, exploring the temporal trends and geographic patterns of such incidents between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022. Simultaneously, we assessed the correlation between scorpion envenomation and social determinants of health and social vulnerability. We conducted a population-based ecological study, gathering information on the number of scorpion envenomation cases in Brazil, as well as socioeconomic data and social vulnerability indicators across the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities. The season-trend model, based on the classical additive decomposition method, informed estimations of scorpion envenomation variations over time. The spatial correlation of scorpion envenomation with socioeconomic and vulnerability indicators was assessed using the Bivariate Moran's I. A total of 1,343,224 cases of scorpion envenomation were recorded in Brazil from Jan 2012 to Dec 2022. A single increasing time trend was observed for the entire country for this period (APC 8.94, P < 0.001). The seasonal analysis was significant for Brazil as a whole and all regions (p < 0.001), with peaks evident between October and November. The spatial distribution of cases was heterogeneous, with spatial clusters concentrated in the high-risk Southeast and Northeast regions. There was a high incidence of scorpion envenomation in municipalities facing social vulnerability, and, paradoxically, in those with better sanitation and waste collection. Our study revealed a heterogeneous geographical distribution of scorpion accidents in Brazil. Municipalities with higher social vulnerability exhibited a high incidence of scorpion envenomation.

The Role of Childhood Circumstances on Social Conditions and Health of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Ardakan Cohort Study on Aging (ACSA)

Some studies suggest that childhood can affect some later outcomes. This cross-sectional study of the first phase of the Ardakan Cohort Study on Aging (ACSA) on 5,197 individuals examined the effects of childhood socioeconomic and health on aging well. Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) was measured using parents' education and self-expressed family's financial status. Quality of Life (SF-12), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), WHO well-being scale, and self-reported health questionnaire were used. All data, including childhood experiences, was collected at a single time point. Poor childhood health was associated with lower well-being, life satisfaction, and mental quality of life (OR: .53, p = .032, OR: 0.49, p = .019, and β: -3.51, p = .008, respectively). The family's financial status during childhood was associated with the mental and physical quality of life, satisfaction, well-being, and health (all p < .05). Fathers and mothers who had some level of education increased the odds of being healthy by 1.20 and 1.49 times, respectively. Childhood circumstances affect older adults' health and social conditions. Policies to improve childhood health and SES should be prioritized.

Migration process of Venezuelan women to Brazil: living conditions and use of health services in Manaus and Boa Vista, 2018-2021

BACKGROUND

The last decade saw the emergence of a new significant migration corridor due to the mass migration of Venezuelans to neighboring countries in South America. Since 2018, Brazil became the third host country of Venezuelan displaced populations. Little is known about how migratory processes affect needs, access to social programs, and public health services of migrant women. The goal of this study is to shed light on the socio-economic profile, living conditions, and use of health services of Venezuelan migrant women in two main reception cities in Brazil.

METHODS

A survey was conducted using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in the cities of Boa Vista (Roraima), and Manaus (Amazonas). The study included 2012 Venezuelan migrant women aged between 15 and 49 years old who migrated from Venezuela to Brazil between 2018 and 2021. Relative prevalence was calculated, and the χ2 test was used to analyse the homogeneity of proportions. All analyses considered the complex sampling.

RESULTS

The main reasons for migrating relate to difficulties obtaining food (54%) and accessing health services (37.8%) in their country of origin. They were young and mixed race (65.7%) and had high school education (69.9%). In Manaus, 3.7% of the interviewees declared that they had no family income in the last month, while in Boa Vista, it was higher (66.2%) (p-value < 0.001). Almost one-third of them sought health care in the last 15 days, and 95% of them received care. The residents of Boa Vista arrived more recently and family income and access to paid work improved with time of residence in Brazil.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the increasing flow of Venezuelan migrants crossing to Brazil, a reception system was established for the provision of food, shelter, access to health services, and income transfer programs to migrants. This was the case despite high unemployment and poverty levels and income inequality, particularly in the city of Boa Vista. However, the majority had legal migrant status and had access to the public and universal healthcare system in Brazil (SUS). The use of the SUS was similar in both cities, acting as a buffer for the differences in opportunities offered.

A monetary model of global peace and health

BACKGROUND

This study aims to expand on the concept of peace and health by drawing from Keynes' theory of the economic consequences of peace, in light of the global pandemic experienced in 2020 due to COVID_19.

METHODS

In this paper, I will elaborate on the concept of 'security', as an indicator of peace in the time of biological shocks, in order to expand the definition of Keynesian precautionary motivation. This puts forth a new monetary policy model developed to make contributions to achieving global peace. In so doing, I will calculate the optimal growth rate of discount rate through utilizing the Global Peace Index (GPI), adjusted by the Case Fatality Risk (CFR) of COVID-19 in a dynamic shopping time monetary model. This analysis is comprised of the top 15 GDP countries as well as the 10 most and least peaceful countries in 2020.

RESULTS

The results indicate that households in more peaceful and healthy countries tend to hold less money compared to those in less peaceful and healthy countries. Besides, the discount rate needs to be reduced due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the decrease in the level of peace in the economy.

CONCLUSION

Insofar as the imposition of fines through international legal circles on countries with an insignificant health and peace policy will increase the cost of liquidity, other alternative methods of financing will be affor dable for the countries.

Spatial characteristics of non-communicable diseases and their associations to social conditions in a large urban cohort in Germany-Results from the Hamburg City Health Study

BACKGROUND

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for many deaths. They are associated with several modifiable and metabolic risk factors and are therefore prone to significant regional variations on different scales. However, only few intra-urban studies examined spatial variation in NCDs and its association with social circumstances, especially in Germany. Thus, the present study aimed to identify associations of personal risk factors and local social conditions with NCDs in a large German city.

METHODS

This study is based on a population-based cohort of the Hamburg City Health Study including 10,000 probands. Six NCDs were analyzed (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], coronary heart disease [CHD], diabetes mellitus, heart failure, depression, and hypertension) in 68 city district clusters. As risk factors, we considered socio-demographic variables (age, sex, education) and risk behaviour variables (smoking, alcohol consumption). Logistic regression analyses identified associations between the district clusters and the prevalence rates for each NCD. Regional variation was detected by Gini coefficients and spatial cluster analyses. Local social condition indexes were correlated with prevalence rates of NCDs on city district level and hot-spot analyses were performed for significant high or low values.

RESULTS

The analyses included 7,308 participants with a mean age of 63.1 years (51.5% female). The prevalence of hypertension (67.6%) was the highest. Risk factor associations were identified between smoking, alcohol consumption and education and the prevalence of NCDs (hypertension, diabetes, and COPD). Significant regional variations were detected and persisted after adjusting for personal risk factors. Correlations for prevalence rates with the local social conditions were significant for hypertension (r = 0.294, p < 0.02), diabetes (r = 0.259, p = 0.03), and COPD (r = 0.360, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows that regional differences in NCD prevalence persist even after adjusting for personal risk factors. This highlights the central role of both personal socio-economic status and behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco consumption. It also highlights the importance of other potential regional factors (e.g. the environment) in shaping NCD prevalence. This knowledge helps policy- and decision-makers to develop intervention strategies.

Energy-saving targets and carbon neutrality: A perspective on carbon emissions and carbon substitution in 288 Chinese cities

Environmental protection is a shared task among nations. In pursuit of its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China has implemented more robust energy-saving targets. This study utilizes panel data from 288 Chinese cities spanning from 2006 to 2020 to examine the policy effects of energy-saving targets on carbon neutrality. The findings reveal that (1) energy-saving targets positively impact carbon substitution, resulting in reduced carbon emissions and facilitating the progress towards carbon neutrality through three primary channels: energy governance, energy production, and energy consumption. (2) The influence of energy-saving targets on carbon neutrality exhibits a significant spatial spillover effect, driven primarily by the reduction in carbon emissions, although the spatial spillover effect of carbon substitution is relatively limited. The collaboration between the government and enterprises plays a crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality, while the engagement of the general public is yet to be fully realized. (3) However, the inadequacy of enhancing carbon neutrality through energy-saving targets lies in the compulsory emissions reduction behavior at the expense of sacrificing some economic benefits in cities that overachieve energy-saving targets. This undermines the coordinated development of ecology and economy. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a policy implementation monitoring system to ensure the scientific basis of policy objectives, enhance the level of green technology innovation, accelerate the digital transformation of enterprises, and establish a synergistic mechanism that involves multiple stakeholders.

An occupational mechanical job exposure index based on five Norwegian nationwide surveys of living conditions on work environment

OBJECTIVES

Nordic register data are not collected for research purposes, and various dimensions of working conditions are typically missing in register-based research. One way to address the issue of missing information on the work environment in register data is to utilize a job exposure matrix (JEM). The purpose of this paper is to document and provide access to a Mechanical Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) and a validated Occupational Mechanical Job Exposure Index based on the constructed JEM, allowing researchers to utilize the index in register-based research. The JEM and the Occupational Mechanical Job Exposure Index were created using data from five nationwide Surveys of Living Conditions on work environment conducted in Norway in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2019, encompassing a total of 43,977 respondents. The index can be merged to register data using occupational codes (STYRK-98) and gender, which is information collected by the registries. The ultimate aim of constructing the index was to create a comprehensive measure of mechanical job exposures for use in future analyses of Norwegian register data.

DATA DESCRIPTION

This paper provides the scripts documenting the construction of the Mechanical Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) and the Occupational Mechanical Job Exposure Index, as well as a data file including the matrix and the index. A script for merging the matrix and index to register data is also provided.

Genetically identical mice express alternative reproductive tactics depending on social conditions in the field

In many species, establishing and maintaining a territory is critical to survival and reproduction, and an animal's ability to do so is strongly influenced by the presence and density of competitors. Here we manipulate social conditions to study the alternative reproductive tactics displayed by genetically identical, age-matched laboratory mice competing for territories under ecologically realistic social environmental conditions. We introduced adult males and females of the laboratory mouse strain C57BL/6J into a large, outdoor field enclosure containing defendable resource zones under one of two social conditions. We first created a low-density social environment, such that the number of available territories exceeded the number of males. After males established stable territories, we introduced a pulse of intruder males and observed the resulting defensive and invasive tactics employed. In response to this change in social environment, males with large territories invested more in patrolling but were less effective at excluding intruder males as compared with males with small territories. Intruding males failed to establish territories and displayed an alternative tactic featuring greater exploration as compared with genetically identical territorial males. Alternative tactics did not lead to equal reproductive success-males that acquired territories experienced greater survival and had greater access to females.

Association between the experience of exertional heat illness (EHI) and living conditions of collegiate student athletes

Exertional heatstroke (EHS), a severe form of exertional heat illness (EHI), is the third leading cause of death in athletes; thus, early detection and prevention of EHI can help prevent EHS, which is a life-threatening condition. This study aimed to clarify the association between the cognizance of experiencing EHI and living conditions and specific EHI symptoms among collegiate athletes. This study was conducted in October 2022 by administering a questionnaire to 237 male collegiate athletes. Of the 215 (90.7%) respondents, 197 (91.6%) provided valid responses; among them, 88 (44.7%) responded they had experienced EHI, while 109 (55.3%) had not. A history of medical examinations due to EHI, having experienced headaches during summer activities, and having read the EHI manual were factors indicating cognizance of EHI. The number of times meals containing a staple food, main dish, and side dish were eaten in a day was a factor in preventing EHI. Early detection of EHI is important for its prevention, and it is important that athletes themselves have knowledge of symptoms and can correctly self-diagnose EHI. Emphasizing the potential of a well-balanced dietary intake has the potential to prevent EHI is crucial.

Impacts of poverty eradication on carbon neutrality in China

China is facing challenges to tackle the threat of climate change while reducing social inequality. Poverty eradication requires improvement in the living conditions of low-income households, which leads in turn to higher carbon footprints and may undermine the efforts of climate change mitigation. Previous studies have assessed the climate impacts of poverty eradication, but few have quantified how the additional carbon emissions of poverty eradication are shared at the subnational level in China and the impact on China's climate targets. We investigated the recent trend of carbon footprint inequality in China's provinces and estimated the climate burden of different poverty reduction schemes, measured by increased carbon emissions. The results indicate that poverty eradication will not impede the achievement of national climate targets, with an average annual household carbon footprint increase of 0.1%-1.2%. However, the carbon emissions growth in less developed provinces can be 4.0%, five times that in wealthy regions. Less developed regions suffer a greater climate burden because of poverty eradication, which may offset carbon reduction efforts. Therefore, interregional collaboration is needed to coordinate inequality reduction with investments in low-carbon trajectories in all provinces.

Can institutional pressures serve as an efficacious catalyst for mitigating corporate carbon emissions?

Driving enterprises to implement carbon emission reduction actions and reduce carbon emissions is a crucial research topic in achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. As a significant external environment factor influencing corporate behavior, can institutional pressures effectively promote enterprises to reduce carbon emissions? This study aims to probe into the impact and mechanism of three institutional pressures, namely coercive, mimetic, and normative, on corporate carbon emissions, taking Chinese-listed companies as the research object. The results indicate that coercive pressure is positively associated with corporate carbon reduction, while normative pressure has no significant impact. Furthermore, mimetic pressure impedes corporate carbon emissions. The mechanism test shows that carbon reduction is a mediator in the influence exerted by three institutional pressures on corporate carbon emissions. In response to coercive pressure and mimetic pressure, enterprises tend to reduce their carbon emissions by cultivating concepts related to carbon emission reduction. Concepts related to carbon reduction play a more dominant role than carbon reduction actions when both are mediators, with the former even replacing the latter. This research provides a new perspective for improving corporate environmental performance and corporate sustainability.

Loneliness during the post-confinement period: The significance of social living conditions for stress biomarkers and memory

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown, concerns about the impact of loneliness and reduced social interactions on mental health have arisen. This study explored the repercussions of post-lockdown social restrictions across psychological (loneliness, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms), biological (hair cortisol and cardiovascular activity), and cognitive dimensions (subjective memory complaints and working, declarative, and prospective memory), with a specific emphasis on perceived loneliness and the living situation. The study included 45 students: 23 (mean age = 25.69 years) in the Alone Group (AG), who experienced significant family changes and international relocation, and 22 (mean age = 25.50 years) in the Not Alone Group (NAG), who maintained their nuclear family and did not move from their home country. We assessed heart rate variability (HRV) before, during, and after immediate memory evaluations using time-domain (the square root of the mean, RMSSD) measures. The analysis revealed no significant group differences in telematic contact with family and friends, perceived stress, or depression. However, the AG participants reported fewer face-to-face interactions and greater perceived loneliness compared to the NAG. Additionally, the AG group exhibited slightly higher hair cortisol levels and worse working memory (WM) and prospective memory (PM) performance. Importantly, no significant associations were observed between memory outcomes and stress biomarkers. However, a significant interaction effect of loneliness in the relationship between hair cortisol levels and PM was found. That is, hair cortisol concentrations were negatively related to PM when participants perceived high and moderate loneliness. This interaction was absent in the working and declarative memory domains. In summary, these findings underscore the intricate interplay between loneliness, cortisol, and memory, emphasizing the need for comprehensive research on the complex mechanisms governing these multifaceted relationships.

Climate change and geopolitical conflicts: The role of ESG readiness

This study examines the relationship between climate change vulnerability and geopolitical risk using data on 42 countries from 1995 to 2021. Utilising two distinct indices, the climate vulnerability index (CVI) and the country-specific geopolitical risk (CGPR) indices, we find that countries with high vulnerability to climate change are more likely to experience geopolitical conflicts. Further analysis reveals that country-level overall economic, social, and governance (ESG) readiness significantly mitigates this detrimental effect. This moderation is mainly attributed to the social and governance readiness measures. Additional tests indicate that the mitigating role of ESG is more pronounced for countries with high institutional governance. These results remain resilient through a set of endogeneity tests using matched samples of countries generated through propensity score matching (PSM) estimation. Our findings suggest that addressing climate vulnerability is crucial to promoting global peace and geopolitical stability.

Impact of different geopolitical factors on the energy transition: The role of geopolitical threats, geopolitical acts, and geopolitical risks

In order to better understand the impact of different geopolitical factors on energy transition, the impact of geopolitical threats (war threats, peace threats, military buildups, nuclear threats and terror threats), geopolitical acts (beginning of war, escalation of war and terror acts), and geopolitical risks on energy transition were systematically investigated. Green technologies, natural resource rents and trade openness were incorporated into the analytical framework, and a dynamic panel threshold model was utilized to explore the impact of geopolitical risks on energy transition across different income levels. To this end, data on geopolitical threats, geopolitical acts, geopolitical risks, energy transitions and other key social economic factors for 38 countries from 2000 to 2022 were collected. The heterogeneity simulation results show that there is a negative correlation between geopolitical threats, geopolitical acts, geopolitical risks and energy transition. Moreover, geopolitical threats have more significant hindrance to the energy transition than geopolitical acts. The results of the nonlinear panel simulation show that there is a double threshold effect of geopolitical risks on energy transition. When geopolitical risk crosses the threshold (0.5197), the coefficient decreases to -0.29, which means that the rising geopolitical risk increases the inhibition on energy transition, and the inhibitory effect is slightly weakened after a certain level. Finally, policy implications are offered.

Use of General Health Examination and Cancer Screening among People with Disability Who Need Support from Others: Analysis of the 2016 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan

Research on preventive healthcare services among people with disability in Japan is scarce. This study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between disability and the use of general health examination (GHE) and cancer screening (lung, gastric, colorectal, breast and cervical cancer) and (2) explore the reasons for not using GHE. This cross-sectional study used secondary data from individuals aged 20-74 years (n = 15,294) from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions of 2016. Binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between disability and non-participation in preventive services. In addition, a descriptive analysis was conducted to explore the reasons for non-participation in GHE. Consequently, disability was identified as an independently associated factor for non-participation in GHE (odds ratios (OR): 1.73; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.14-2.62) and screening for colorectal (OR: 1.78; 95%CI: 1.08-2.94), gastric (OR: 2.27; 95%CI: 1.27-4.05), cervical (OR: 2.12; 95%CI: 1.04-4.32) and breast cancer (OR: 2.22; 95%CI: 1.04-4.72), controlling for confounding factors. The most dominant reason for non-participation was "I can go to see the doctor anytime, if I am worried (25/54, 46.3%)." Our findings imply the existence of disability-based disparity in preventive healthcare service use in Japan.

Environmental governance-public supervision and participation nexus under state supervision system and carbon neutrality targets in China

China is now experiencing severe environmental issues due to its rapid socio-economic advancement. Environmental governance is crucial to preserving China's rapidly degrading natural ecology. Public supervision and participation are important factors that effectively promote environmental quality. Therefore, this analysis primarily examines the relationship between China's public participation and environmental governance. Hence, the primary focus of the analysis is to investigate the asymmetric impact of public participation on environmental governance from 1996 to 2020. We have employed the nonlinear QARDL model that estimates the short- and long-run impact across different quantiles. The study's results support that long-run estimates for positive change in environmental NGOs (ENGOs) are significantly positive for almost all quantiles, while those for negative change in ENGOs are negative and have a significant impact at higher quantiles. In the short run, the estimates of positive change in ENGOs are positive and significant; however, the negative change in ENGOs does not significantly impact environmental governance at lower quantiles. The Wald test also confirms the asymmetric impact of ENGOs on environmental governance across various quantiles in short and long run. The findings of this analysis underscore the critical role of public supervision and participation in influencing environmental governance in China.

Balancing low-carbon and eco-friendly development: coordinated development strategy for land use carbon emission efficiency and land ecological security

Correctly identifying and handling the relationship between land use carbon emission efficiency (LUCEE) and land ecological security (LES) are important to promote carbon neutrality in the overall layout of ecological civilization construction. This study takes 30 provinces in China as the research unit and measures the level of LUCEE and LES in each province in the period from 2011 to 2020 via a super-efficient slack-based measure model considering undesirable output. The coupling coordination degree (CCD) of LUCEE and LES is calculated, and its spatiotemporal evolution pattern is explored by kernel density estimation and standard deviational ellipse (SDE). The Dagum Gini coefficient is used to study spatial regional differences and the sources of differences. Results show that (1) China's LUCEE exhibited a downward and then an upward trend, as well as a spatial pattern of "high in the west and low in the east" with obvious regional differences. The LES experienced a positive transformation of "less secure → basically secure → more secure" nationwide, with no apparent regional differences. (2) The kernel density curves showed a continuous increase in CCD in general, while interprovincial differences increased, then decreased, and shifted from multipolar to bipolar differentiation. (3) The migration of SDE centers in CCD demonstrated a path of "southeast → southwest → northeast," and the ellipticity increased from 0.167 to 0.173, showing a trend of concentrated distribution. (4) The overall Gini coefficient of the national CCD indicated a decreasing trend, but imbalances remained, with the largest annual average value in the western region (0.120) and the smallest in the northeast (0.044). The main source of regional disparity was the intensity of transvariation. Accordingly, this study proposes targeted regional development strategies to promote low-carbon sustainable land use and improve the ability of land ecosystems to prevent security risks.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of firms in the era of geopolitical conflicts

Do geopolitical conflicts matter for the environmental, social, governance (ESG) and overall ESG performance of firms? We answer this question by studying the impact of geopolitical conflict of a country on the ESG performance, separately and collectively, of firms of that country. We use data from Refinitiv and UCDP/PRIO (Uppsala Conflict Data Program/International Peace Research Institute, Oslo) databases for the period from 2002 to 2021 for 79 countries and we use fixed effects regression as our main methodology. We find that if a country is in a geopolitical conflict, their firms are impacted in the form of lower E, S and G performance and overall ESG performance, with stronger effects for developed countries. This comes on top of the direct costs of geopolitical conflicts. Our results are robust to country, year and firm fixed effects as well as robust to endogeneity as we use Lewbel (2012) estimator to eliminate any chances of endogeneity. We provide first evidence on this topic and it has geopolitical and socioeconomical implications.

Low carbon city and FDI inflows: evidence from China

Achieving the goals of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality" becomes one of the important elements of the ecological civilization strategy in China. Based on the strong balanced panel data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, we investigate the impact of Low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP policy) on FDI inflows by using the multi-period DID model and intermediary model. After that, we discuss the heterogenous impact in terms of both policy tools and geographic locations. Furthermore, we investigate the spillover effects of the LCCP policy on the FDI inflows of surrounding cities using the Spatial Dubin DID model. The results show that (1) the LCCP policy can significantly attract FDI through reducing compliance costs and promoting technological innovation, and the Bacon decomposition and the placebo test show that the estimation error is small and the regression result is relatively stable; (2) command-mandatory tools have negative effects on FDI, while market-oriented tools can effectively attract FDI in pilot cities, but voluntary tools have no significant effect on FDI in pilot cities; (3) the LCCP policy can significantly promote the inflows of FDI in the eastern and western regions, but it does not significantly promote the FDI in central regions; (4) there is a positive spillover effect on FDI inflows to surrounding cities.

Carbon neutrality endeavors: the impact of carbon emission trading policies on total factor carbon emission efficiency

Deepening the carbon market allocation reform is a strong support for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. China has been piloting carbon trading in batches since 2013. However, there is little literature on whether and how carbon emission trading (CET) improves total factor carbon emission efficiency (TFCEE). To fill this gap, this study first calculates urban TFCEE using an extended Epsilon-based model and then designs a quasi-natural experiment based on causal inference. The staggered DID model is adopted to investigate the impact of CET pilot policies on urban TFCEE and its impact mechanism. Our results show that (1) the CET policy has a significant promoting effect on TFCEE in pilot cities, and this conclusion is reconfirmed by adopting robustness tests. (2) The mediating effect models are employed to confirm the mediating role of green technology innovation, industrial structure upgrading, and resource allocation efficiency in CET policy promoting regional TFCEE. (3) The heterogeneity test of CET policy depicts a considerable positive impact on TFCEE in cities with abundant resources. Eastern and developed cities are more likely to experience better carbon efficiency promotion through this policy than other cities. This study provides evidence for the important role of CET in promoting the development of a low-carbon economy and carbon neutrality.

Heading towards carbon neutrality: how do marine carbon sinks serve as important handle for promoting marine ecological civilization construction?

As an efficient long-term carbon sink, marine carbon sinks and the associated carbon sink effects, technology, accounting and trading market construction warrant investigation across various disciplines. However, information on the interrelationships and their development over time with respect to the research conducted in China is limited, affecting the ability to drive research directions and optimize continued advancement in this field. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to understand the current situation of marine carbon sink research in China to promote a deeper level of scientific development based on the research literature related to marine blue carbon sinks in the core databases of the China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS). We used bibliometric tools in the Citespace software to quantitatively compare and analyse the main characteristics of marine blue carbon sink research including publication volume, time, journals, authors and institutions. We also explored the popular research topics, frontier areas, and theme evolution trends through keyword clustering and emergent and co-occurring knowledge maps. The key recommended research directions for ocean carbon sinks are: (1) to promote the unified carbon sink market research of land and sea integration through multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research; (2) to achieve new breakthroughs in ocean carbon sinks with the support of coastal wetlands and seawater offshore aquaculture environments; (3) to explore the protection provided by ocean carbon sinks with a comprehensive eco-compensation mechanism; (4) to improve the application of marine carbon sinks by taking the theory and technological innovation research related to marine carbon sinks as the guide. Ultimately, our work helps characterise the current situation of marine carbon sink research, promote the research in this field to a deeper level of development and provide reference for subsequent scholars to carry out related research.

Spatial effect of carbon neutrality target on high-quality economic development-Channel analysis based on total factor productivity

This study utilizes panel data from 30 provinces in mainland China from 2011 to 2020 to investigate the impact of carbon-neutral development on economic high-quality development by constructing an economic high-quality development index and a carbon-neutral development index. Firstly, the study examines the effects of carbon-neutral development on economic high-quality development using baseline regression and spatial Durbin regression. The results indicate that carbon-neutral development has a positive direct effect on economic high-quality growth, but there are negative spatial spillover effects. Secondly, this study employs total factor productivity (TFP) as an intermediate variable in the mediation model regression. The findings demonstrate that carbon-neutral development significantly improves TFP, and the significant improvement in TFP promotes high-quality economic growth. Lastly, the study conducts regional heterogeneity analysis and finds a significant promoting effect of carbon-neutral development on economic high-quality development in the eastern and central regions of China, while it is not significant in the western region. Therefore, it is recommended that China, in the process of achieving carbon-neutral growth, consider the geographical connections between different regions to prevent negative spillover effects. Additionally, regional heterogeneity should be taken into account when formulating relevant policies to promote economic high-quality development.

The intertwined nature of peace and war

Glowacki discusses how humans regularly face collective action problems that may result in either peaceful or aggressive between-group interactions. Peace and war probably coevolved in humans. Using a gene-culture evolutionary framework is a powerful way to analyse why, when, and how humans have the capacity to build and maintain long-term peaceful interactions between groups and also to wage deadly wars.

The evolution of peace (and war) is driven by an elementary social interaction mechanism

Here we revise Glowacki's model by proposing a simple and empirically tested mechanism that is applicable to a comprehensive set of social interactions. This parsimonious mechanism accounts for the choice of both cooperative and peaceful alternatives and explains when each choice benefits the interacting parties. It is proposed that this mechanism is key to the evolution of both peace and conflict.

Peace is a form of cooperation, and so are the cultural technologies which make peace possible

While necessary parts of the puzzle, cultural technologies are insufficient to explain peace. They are a form of second-order cooperation - a cooperative interaction designed to incentivize first-order cooperation. We propose an explanation for peacemaking cultural technologies, and therefore peace, based on the reputational incentives for second-order cooperation.

Police for peace

Glowacki's detailed account of small-scale societies' endogenously emerging tendencies to oscillate between phases of peace and war highlights a need for understanding better the incentives governing "internal" policing for "external" peacekeeping. Here, I sketch some of these incentives and point out a resulting dilemma which Glowacki's account leaves unresolved for the time being.

Capacities for peace, and war, are old and related to Homo construction of worlds and communities

The capacities required for both peace and war predate 100,000 years ago in the genus Homo are deeply entangled in the modes by which humans physically and perceptually construct their worlds and communities, and may not be sufficiently captured by economic models.

Peace as prerequisite rather than consequence of cooperation

We take issue with Glowacki's assumption that intergroup relations are characterized by positive-sum interactions and suggest to include negative-sum interactions, and between-group independence. As such, peace may be better defined as the absence of negative-sum interactions. Rather than being a consequence of cooperation, peace emerges as a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for positive (in)direct reciprocity between groups that, in turn, is key to social identities and cultural complexity.

Language likely promoted peace before 100,000 ya

Based on evidence of selection against alpha-male behavior in the earliest Homo sapiens, I suggest that by 300,000 ya (years ago) language would have been sufficiently sophisticated to contribute to peacemaking between groups. Language also influenced the social landscape of peace and war, and groups' ability to form coalitions.

The evolution of (intergroup) peace hinges on how we define groups and peace

Glowacki defines peace as harmonious relationships between groups maintained without the threat of violence, where groups can be anything from families to nation states. However, defining such contentious concepts like "peace" and "groups" is a difficult task, and we discuss the implications of Glowacki's definitions for understanding intergroup relationships and their evolutionary history.

A neurological foundation for peaceful negotiations

Glowacki explored the conditions required for peace and argued its preconditions arose only within the last 100,000 years. The present commentary addresses some major brain changes that occurred only in Homo sapiens within that period of time and the verbal and nonverbal cognitive sequelae of those neurological changes that may have aided the diplomatic negotiations required for peaceful solutions.

Peace in other primates

We elaborate on Glowacki's claim that humans are more capable of establishing peace than other mammals. We present three aspects suggesting caution. First, the social capabilities of nonhuman primates should not be underestimated. Second, the effect of these capabilities on peace establishment is nonmonotonous. Third, defining peace by human-centered values introduces a fallacy.

Predicting low carbon pathways on the township level in China: a case study of an island

Carbon prediction on the township level is usually difficult due to a lack of necessary information. To fulfil the research gap, the study focused on a town located in a nearshore island (Lingshan) in China. A questionnaire survey was performed to collect essential information about the future development of the town, followed by validating interviews with the island management committee. The carbon prediction of the town was established by the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) model. The baseline scenario reflecting the existing method of carbon management was compared with an alternative low-carbon scenario. The prediction from 2020 to 2060 covers the periods of the planned carbon emissions peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060. It is found that energy-related activities and electricity consumption are the primary contributors to carbon emissions on the island. The carbon emission of Lingshan Island increases from -1333 tCO2e in 2020 to 2744 tCO2e in 2060, and the carbon peak target cannot be achieved in the baseline scenario. However, the carbon emission of the low-carbon scenario is predicted to have a peak of -850 tCO2e in 2029. The prediction model developed in this study, along with the proposed policy recommendations, can be applied to other towns or regions where data availability is limited to promote carbon reduction.

On the evolved psychological mechanisms that make peace and reconciliation between groups possible

If group norms and decisions foster peace, then understanding how norms and decisions arise becomes important. Here, we suggest that neither norms nor other forms of group-based decision making (such as offering restitution) can be adequately understood without simultaneously considering (i) what individual psychologies are doing and (ii) the dynamics these psychologies produce when interacting with each other.

Is peace a human phenomenon?

Peace is a hallmark of human societies. However, certain ant species engage in long-term intergroup resource sharing, which is remarkably similar to peace among human groups. We discuss how individual and group payoff distributions are affected by kinship, dispersal, and age structure; the challenges of diagnosing peace; and the benefits of comparing convergent complex behaviours in disparate taxa.

Group-structured cultural selection can explain both war and peace

Glowacki recognizes the importance of norms in enabling war and peace, but does not focus on the cultural evolutionary mechanisms by which these norms are maintained. We highlight how group-structured cultural selection shapes the scale and nature of peaceful intergroup interactions. The mechanistic perspective reveals that there are many more cases of peaceful intergroup relations than the current account implies.

Cultural technologies for peace may have shaped our social cognition

Peace, the article shows, is achieved by culturally evolved institutions that incentivize positive-sum relationships. We propose that this insight has important consequences for the design of human social cognition. Cues that signal the existence of such institutions should play a prominent role in detecting group membership. We show how this accounts for previous findings and suggest avenues for future research.

Impediments to peace

While effective institutional practices are critical for the evolution of peace certain factors deter their effectiveness. In-group and out-group dynamics may make peace difficult between culturally distinct groups. Critical ecological conditions often lead to intractable conflict over resources. And within group conflicts of interest most prominently between generations may inhibit effective peace making.

Evolution, culture, and the possibility of peace

Glowacki's work meshes well with our view of human nature as having evolved to use culture to improve survival and reproduction. Peace is a cultural achievement, requiring advances in social organization and control, including leaders who can implement policies to benefit the group, third-party mediation, and intergroup cooperation. Cultural advances shift intergroup interactions from negative-sum (war) to positive-sum (trade).

Creating shared goals and experiences as a pathway to peace

Glowacki offers many new directions for understanding and even eliminating the problem of war, especially creating positive interdependencies with out-group members. We develop Glowacki's intriguing proposition that in-group dynamics provide a route to peace by describing a prosocial motivational system, the caregiving system, that aligns individual interests and eliminates the need to use coercion to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

On peace and its logic

Glowacki argues that the human capacity for peace emerged 100,000 years ago, and that the logic of peace is such that the traits and technologies that enable peace are the same that are used to wage war. In my commentary I raise some concerns about these points as well as about Glowacki's understanding of peace.

Social and economic interdependence as a basis for peaceful between-group relationships in nonhuman primates and humans

Glowacki asserts that interdependent relationships beyond group boundaries are exceptionally rare among nonhuman mammals. However, rudimentary forms of interdependence can be seen in primate species that form multilevel societies, that is, core social units embedded within higher-level grouping categories. Studies of primate multilevel societies can enrich discussions about the evolutionary origins of peaceful between-group interactions in humans.