Representação social da Covid-19 para a população de uma cidade de pequeno porte / Social representation of Covid-19 for the population of a small-sized city / Representación social del Covid-19 para la población de un pequeño pueblo

Objetivo: analisar a representação social da Covid-19 para a população geral de uma cidade de pequeno porte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Método: estudo qualitativo, apoiado na abordagem estrutural das representações sociais. Participaram 100 usuários de serviços de saúde. Os dados foram coletados por questionário sociodemográfico de evocações livres de palavras e roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados foram analisados com o auxílio dos softwares Excel, EVOC 2005 e análise de conteúdo temático-categorial para contextualização das evocações respectivamente. Resultados: os termos do possível núcleo central foram: morte, sofrimento, cuidados, ansiedade-angústia e vacina. Na primeira periferia: medo e prevenção. À segunda periferia: informação-desinformação; desgoverno; ter-fé e proteção. A zona de contrate: doença; isolamento-social; dificuldades; catástrofe-mundial; desemprego e pandemia. Considerações finais: marcaram essa representação os impactos psicossociais negativos resultantes da desestruturação da vida e das mortes ocasionadas pela nova doença, no entanto o grupo aderiu as medidas de cuidados de proteção.

Objective: to analyze the social representation of Covid-19 among the general population of a small-sized city in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Method: Qualitative study, based on the structural approach of social representations. One hundred healthcare service users participated. Data were collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire, free word evocation, and a semi-structured interview guide. The data were analyzed using Excel software, EVOC 2005, and thematic-categorical content analysis for contextualization of the evocations, respectively. Results: the terms of the possible central core were: death, suffering, care, anxiety-distress, and vaccine. In the first periphery: fear and prevention. In the second periphery: information-misinformation; mismanagement; having faith and protection. The contrast zone: disease; social isolation; difficulties; global catastrophe; unemployment; and pandemic. Final considerations: this representation was marked by the negative psychosocial impacts resulting from the disruption of life and the deaths caused by the new disease; however, the group adhered to protective care measures.

Objetivo: analizar la representación social del Covid-19 para la población general de una pequeña ciudad del Estado de Río de Janeiro. Método: estudio cualitativo, basado en el enfoque estructural de las representaciones sociales. Participaron 100 usuarios de servicios de salud. Los datos se recolectaron mediante un cuestionario sociodemográfico con evocación libre de palabras y una guía de entrevista semiestructurada. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando lo software Excel y EVOC 2005 y análisis de contenido temático-categórico para contextualizar las evocaciones respectivamente. Resultados: los términos del posible núcleo central eran: muerte, sufrimiento, cuidados, ansiedad-angustia y vacuna. En la primera periferia: miedo y prevención. En la segunda periferia: información-desinformación; desgobierno; tener fe y protección. La zona de contraste: enfermedad; aislamiento-social; dificultades; catástrofe-mundial; desempleo y pandemia. Consideraciones finales: esta representación se caracterizó por los impactos psicosociales negativos derivados de la desestructuración de la vida y de las muertes causada por la nueva enfermedad, sin embargo, el grupo adhirió a las medidas de protección.

Mapping the relationship between urban form and CO2 emissions in three US cities using the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) framework.

Understanding the relationship between urban form and CO2 emissions is essential for developing mitigation measures. However, most studies so far have been limited to examining the urban form at the macro level. Existing studies have limitations, such as a lack of granularity and a standardized approach, and focus on a limited set of urban form indicators. To address these issues, this study employs the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) framework to investigate the relationship between urban form and CO2 emissions at the micro level in three American cities: Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. Results indicate that LCZ offers a valuable framework for mapping emissions at the building and street level and facilitates a better understanding of different urban forms' emission behavior. According to the findings, emission intensity in compact areas with few or no trees and limited green space is up to 3.5 times higher than in areas characterized by open layouts, scattered trees, and abundant plant cover. Also, per capita emissions in compact areas are, on average, two times higher than in areas with more open layouts. Additionally, the results show that compact high-rise and mid-rise areas without trees and greenery (LCZ 1 and 2), particularly in Baltimore and Indianapolis, experience higher emissions levels than other LCZs during the daytime. The findings suggest that the LCZ framework holds promise for understanding the link between urban form and emissions in intricate urban settings, as well as for low-carbon urban planning and climate change mitigation.

How should climate actions be planned? Model lessons from published action plans.

To effectively protect against the increasingly pervasive effects of climate change, countries and cities around the world are tasked with formulating and implementing climate actions that effectively respond to the challenges ahead. However, choosing the optimal climate actions is complex, since it is necessary to consider many external impacts as early on as the planning phase. Our novel methodology uncovers and integrates into first-of-its-kind decision support framework the identified climate actions of 443 European cities (from 32 countries) and the city structure-related features that influence the basic success of strategy creation into a first-of-its-kind decision support framework. Depending on their budget, population density, development and energy consumption portfolio, the results highlight that the analyzed European cities need to adopt a different way of thinking. The research results lay the foundation for the decision support of evidence-based climate action planning and contribute towards strengthening the role of cities worldwide in the fight against climate change in the future.

Does county urban shrinkage in China affect the concentration of lung-accessible particulate matter? An analysis from spatial effects and EKC perspectives.

The environmental effects of urban shrinkage have gradually attracted academic attention. Based on spatial effects and EKC perspectives, this study constructs an environmental impact assessment framework and examines the impact of urban shrinkage on the concentration of lung-accessible particulate matter at the county level in China from 2013 to 2020. The results show that, from a two-dimensional perspective in space and time, lung-accessible particulate matter concentrations show a decreasing trend in the time series and an obvious autocorrelation feature in space. Urban shrinkage can affect lung-accessible particulate matter concentrations through spatial effects. Through direct effects, urban shrinkage promotes the increase of lung-accessible particulate matter concentrations. Through spillover effects, urban shrinkage suppresses the growth of lung-accessible particulate matter concentrations. The effect of urban shrinkage on lung-accessible particulate matter concentration is nonlinear (EKC). This may be the result of the "siphon effect." Furthermore, in the extended STIRPAT model, it was found that population and economic and technological factors differentially affect lung-accessible particulate matter concentrations in shrinking cities. This study gives a new idea and insight into the changes in environmental pollution in shrinking cities.

The impact of green low-carbon development on public health: a quasi-natural experimental study of low-carbon pilot cities in China.

Background: In recent years, climate change and environmental pollution have posed significant threats to public health. As environmental policies such as low-carbon city initiatives are progressively implemented, their role in enhancing public health has become a topic of growing interest. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between green low-carbon development and public health and to analyze the underlying mechanisms. Methods: We utilized data from 271 prefecture-level cities in China spanning from 2007 to 2020, focusing on green low-carbon development, climate change, environmental pollution, and public health. Employing the quasi-natural experimental framework of China's low-carbon city pilot projects, we constructed a multi-site difference-in-differences (DID) model for empirical analysis. Various robustness checks, including parallel trend tests, placebo tests, sample selection bias checks, and adjustments to the temporal and spatial scope of the samples, were conducted to ensure the reliability of the results. Additionally, we explored the positive effects of green low-carbon development on public health through dual mediation pathways involving climate change mitigation and pollution reduction. Finally, we examined the heterogeneity of the results across different city tiers, economic growth rates, levels of technological investment, and green finance development. Results: The findings indicate that green low-carbon development significantly enhances public health, a conclusion supported by robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that the benefits of green low-carbon development on public health are realized through mitigating climate change and reducing environmental pollution. Further analysis reveals that the positive impact on public health is more pronounced in first-and second-tier cities, as well as in cities with faster economic growth, greater technological investment, and more developed green finance sectors. Discussion: This study highlights the crucial role of urban green low-carbon development in improving environmental quality and public health. In addition to providing empirical evidence that supports the promotion of green low-carbon development in cities, the results point to policy recommendations for enhancing public health. Moreover, the findings contribute to the development of environmental policies and the implementation of the "Healthy China" strategy.

Interannual variability and spatial diversification of global urban tree cooling effects.

While widespread urban greening is documented, how these efforts translate into changes in a city's cooling potential remains unanswered. Here, we employed multi-satellite observations to assess the spatial dynamics and temporal variations in tree cooling efficiency (TCE) over 550 cities worldwide from 2002 to 2020. Our study identified substantial interannual variability of TCE across cities, especially in developing regions like Africa, Asia, and South America. Conversely, cities in Europe and the United States, characterized by a larger share of urban trees, exhibited a markedly lower degree of year-to-year fluctuations. Despite the prevalent urban vegetation expansion, which may not considerably enhance the cooling capability, we revealed a significant association between the tree cover level and the magnitude of temporal dynamics in TCE. This study highlights that tree cover improvement may play a crucial role in contributing to the stability of tree cooling potential under a changing climate.

How working from home reshapes cities.

In recent decades, economic activity has become increasingly concentrated in major global metropolises. Yet, the rise of working from home threatens this dominance of cities. Using multiple high-frequency datasets on spending, commuting, migration, and housing, we provide global evidence that remote work has dispersed economic activity away from city centers. We label this the "Donut Effect," which is much larger and more persistent in cities with high levels of remote work. Using detailed household microdata from the United States, we show that three-fifths of households that left city centers in big cities moved to the suburbs of the same city. This is likely explained by the rise of hybrid work, in which employees still commute to the office a few days a week. The enduring popularity of hybrid work into 2024 suggests that the Donut Effect will persist while also leaving broader metropolitan areas intact.

Analysis of land-use and livelihood transformations in peri-urban areas: Insights from North-Western Ghana.

This paper questions claims that peri-urbanization perpetuates the shrinking of livelihood opportunities. A critical analysis of the peri-urbanization process presents a more nuanced transformation of livelihood opportunities. Drawing on concurrent triangulation mixed-method, primary data was sourced from non-farm workers using survey questionnaires, informant interviews, and observation from 225 respondents in a Ghanaian peri-urban community -Bamahu. Digital image software, Erdas Imaging 2015 and Landsat satellite were used to acquire land use and land cover data to affirm spatial differences. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics complemented with thematic analysis for qualitative data. The findings showed significant land use and land cover alterations from 2000 to 2019. These changes resulted in the springing up of non-farm livelihoods that populated formal and informal non-farm opportunities. The analysis provides evidence that supports two key contributions to peri-urbanization and livelihood transformation debates. Empirically, it brings in-depth insights from original fieldwork data to highlight specific contextual realities by not only revealing the spatial alterations but also peering into how emerging non-farm livelihoods trade-off with existing farm-based livelihoods. Theoretically, it extends the debate by reframing peri-urbanization as a process of transforming livelihoods that thrive due to infrastructural development, new skills, and a ready market for goods and services. These findings have important implications for opening up a theorization of the peri-urbanization phenomenon. This paper concludes that the emergence of these livelihoods is crucial and should be adequately integrated into urban policies and plans to ensure inclusive cities.

Health effects of greenspace morphology: Large, irregular-shaped, well-connected, and close-clustered greenspaces may reduce mortality risks, especially for neighborhoods with higher aging levels.

The healthcare burden has intensified with urbanization and aging populations in many global cities. While the health effects of urban greenspaces have been well documented, little is known about the associations between greenspace morphological features and health, especially in a high-density city with significant aging populations. Drawing on land use data with 10-m resolution, we assessed seven greenspace morphological metrics in terms of size (the percentage of greenspace, the largest pixel index, the average greenspace area), fragmentation (the patch density), shape (the average weighted shape index), connectedness (the cohesion index), and proximity (the aggregation index). We further conducted an ecological study to examine their associations with all-cause and three cause-specific (cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer) mortality. Results from the negative binomial regression models revealed protective effects of five greenspace morphology metrics, including the percentage of greenspace, the largest pixel index, the average weighted shape index, the cohesion index, and the aggregation index, on mortality. The shape index showed the greatest effects, with every 1 Standard Deviation (SD) increase in the shape index linked to a reduction of 22.1% (95% CI: 22.0%-31.0%) in all-cause mortality, 22.1% (12.2%-30.8%) in mortality from cardiovascular diseases, 25.0% (14.0%-34.6%) in mortality from respiratory diseases, and 22.0% (12.3%-30.6%) in mortality from cancers. Moreover, stratified analyses revealed that the health effects of the cohesion index and the aggregation index were significantly more pronounced in neighborhoods with higher aging levels. Our findings highlight the significance of greenspace morphology features, beyond greenspace quantity, in improving residents' health, particularly for societies with high aging populations.

Research on the prediction and realization path of urban carbon peak along the Yellow River Basin.

China and the international community attach great importance to sustainable development goals such as peaking carbon emissions. As an important energy base in China, the Yellow River Basin has significant capacity for reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sinks. To accelerate the achievement of carbon peak targets, social and natural development data as well as carbon emission data of 56 cities along the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2021 were analyzed. Based on the evaluation indicators of the model, the PSO-XGBoost-RF model was selected from the comparative models to predict the carbon peak of cities in the Yellow River Basin under different paths. Under the current economic and social development, cities along the Yellow River Basin in China are facing huge pressure to reduce emissions. It is expected to achieve a carbon peak in 2033, with a peak of 2,051,320,000 tons, so the target of reaching the peak of carbon emissions before 2030 will not be accomplished. But through comprehensive optimization of the industrial structure and reduction of energy consumption, cities along the Yellow River Basin as a whole may achieve carbon peak by 2026, with a peak of 1,917,132,000 tons.

Ambient fine particulate matter and its constituents may exacerbate the acceleration of aging in adults.

Both ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and aging are important urban concerns. However, the associations between PM2.5 constituents and the acceleration of aging (AA) remain unclear. We included 16,051 adults (aged 25-80 years) with 19,252 medical observations in Taiwan during 2008-2017. 2-year average PM2.5 and its five major constituents were assessed using a two-stage machine learning model at a resolution of 1 km2. AA was determined by the difference between the Klemera-Doubal biological age and chronological age. A linear mixed model (LMM) with inverse probability weights was used to examine the associations between AA and air pollution. In a semi-randomized study design, we applied a post-matching LMM to assess the impacts of changes in air pollution exposure on AA. Each interquartile range increase in ambient PM2.5, SO4-2, NO3-, NH4+, organic matters (OM), and black carbon (BC) was associated with a 0.20 (95 %confidence interval [CI]: 0.17-0.24), 0.19 (0.15-0.23), 0.14 (0.11-0.18), 0.21 (0.17-0.24), 0.22 (0.19-0.26) and 0.25 (0.21-0.28) year increase in AA, respectively. BC was generally associated with the greatest increase in AA as compared to other constituents. We did not find evident thresholds in their concentration-response associations. Participants exposed to increased levels of PM2.5, SO4-2, NO3-, NH4+, OM, and BC experienced an increase in AA of 0.11 (-0.07-0.29), 0.20 (0.02-0.39), 0.15 (-0.02-0.33), 0.12 (-0.07-0.31), 0.24 (0.07-0.41), and 0.30 (0.07-0.52) years, respectively, compared to those exposed to decreased/unchanged levels. Long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and its constituents may accelerate biological aging among Chinese adults. Exposed to increased levels may further aggregate the aging process. This study suggests that reducing exposure to air pollution is beneficial, even for residents within moderately-to-highly polluted regions, such as Taiwan. Rigorous regulation of PM2.5 and its constituents may prevent the acceleration of biological age.

"Balancing work and movement": barriers and enablers for being physically active at Indian workplaces - findings from SMART STEP trial.

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases are rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Reducing sedentary behavior (SB) and increasing physical activity (PA) offer numerous health benefits. Workplaces provide an ideal setting for promoting SB/PA interventions; however, understanding the barriers and enablers is crucial for optimizing these interventions in workplace environments. METHODS: Nested within a cluster randomised controlled trial (the SMART-STEP trial), the present study employed in-depth interviews with 16 office workers who have completed 24 weeks of two distinct (technology assisted and traditional) workplace SB/PA interventions. Using a deductive analysis, semi-structured interviews were administered to explore the barriers and enablers to the SB/PA interventions at individual, interpersonal and organisational level using the socio-ecological model. RESULTS: Several individual (poor goal setting, perceived health benefits & workload, attitude, intervention engagement), interpersonal (lack of peer support) and organisational (task prioritisation, lack of organisational norm and material or social reward) barriers were identified. Indian women engaged in desk-based office jobs often find themselves burdened with intense home and childcare responsibilities, often without sufficient support from their spouses. A primary concern among Indian office workers is the poor awareness and absence of cultural norms regarding the health risks associated with SB. CONCLUSIONS: Raising awareness among workplace stakeholders-including office workers, peers, and the organization-is crucial before designing and implementing SB/PA interventions in Indian workspaces. Personalized interventions for Indian female office workers engaged in desk-bound work are warranted.

Are cities under bright lights more innovative? Evidence from China.

The prosperity of the nighttime economy is an important criterion for measuring urban development. Based on regression analysis of data from 330 prefecture-level cities in China, this study explores the potential link between urban lighting and urban innovation capacity. The results show that the relationship between nighttime light intensity and urban innovation capacity follows an inverted U-shaped curve. Moreover, urban nighttime light stability moderates the above relationship. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis indicates that low population density, weak economic foundation, and high administrative grade weaken the relationship between lighting intensity and urban innovation capacity. Finally, the mechanism analysis suggested that the inverted U-shaped relationship between urban lighting and innovation capacity may be caused by the encroachment of the service industry and the loss of urban attractiveness. By exploring the proxy effect of nighttime lighting on urban innovation, this study reveals the imbalance between extrinsic image and the intrinsic capacity of cities, which not only extends the research on urban construction and development but also provides guidance for local governments concerning how to achieve all-round coordination of cities.

Modeling and Analyzing the Availability of Technical Professional Profiles for the Success of Smart Cities Projects in Europe.

The success of developing and implementing Smart Cities (SC) projects depends on a varied set of factors, where the availability of a qualified technical workforce is a critical one. The combination of ICT requirements, like the effectiveness and quality of solutions merging IoT, cloud computing, sensors, and communications with the work from many varied disciplines (e.g., civil engineering, architecture, etc.), mixed with aspects of environmental and business sustainability, makes the management of these projects really challenging. Reports forecast a scarcity of qualified candidates, given this complexity and the growth of activity in SC projects. The European project SMACITE has addressed the requirements of the qualification of an ICT workforce with an analysis of multiples sources of information from the labor market, feedback from involved stakeholders, and the literature. The goal was the development of two occupational ICT profiles as a reference for training and for the availability of candidates for job vacancies. The result is two ICT role profiles for engineers and technicians, mapped with the European skills frameworks ESCO and EN16234. The profiles determined the whole set of requirements, including not only the technical areas and soft skills, but also additional technical areas and sustainability and managerial skills and the analysis of different sources of information. Our work has also determined which existing ESCO occupations are similar to the two reference profiles, so they are better adapted to SC projects. The training activities of SMACITE have also suggested the amount of training expected for a varied sample of candidates who want to be qualified for SC projects.

Biomimetic Adaptive Building Façade Modeling for Sustainable Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Integration of Nature's Water-Harvesting Strategy into Sun-Breakers.

Urban freshwater ecosystems have many critical functions, such as providing water to all living things and supporting biodiversity. Factors such as water pollution, increased water consumption, habitat loss, climate change, and drought threaten the health of urban freshwater ecosystems. Looking for solutions to these challenges, this article aims to recycle water and return it to its life cycle using a climate-sensitive water collection strategy. The model focuses on the biomimetic method as a basic strategy. In this regard, the concept of water-harvesting has been examined in detail by conducting a deep literature review, including architecture and engineering disciplines. With all these data obtained, a synthesis/integration study was carried out by developing a model proposal based on adaptive building façade elements to solve the water problems experienced in cities. The model proposal, which is directly related to the titles of "Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)" and "Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)", which are among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to provide different perspectives on the disciplines with its superficial and functional features. In this context, it is anticipated that the article will become an indispensable resource for other researchers working on the subject.

Housing Insecurity and Older Adults' Health and Well-Being in a Gentrifying City: Results from the EPIPorto Cohort Study.

Using 2022 data from 600 adults (≥ 60 years) in Porto, Portugal, we explored the association between housing insecurity and various health outcomes. We examined housing conditions, affordability, and stability in relation to loneliness, quality of life, cognitive function, perception of healthy ageing, and sleep using regression models. Older adults without house heating (ß = 2.293; 95%CI = 0.753, 3.833), with leaks/dampness/rot (ß = 3.741; 1.818, 5.664), insufficient daylight (ß = 2.787; 0.095, 5.479), living in neighborhoods with noise (ß = 1.793, 0.280 to 3.305), pollution/grime (ß = 2.580; 0.746, 4.414), and violence/crime/vandalism (ß = 3.940; 1.723, 6.157), who faced housing cost overburden (ß = 2.001; 0.426, 3.577), eviction (ß = 12.651; 0.852, 24.450), and moved frequently (ß = 4.129; 1.542, 6.716) exhibited higher levels of loneliness. Similarly, lack of house heating (ß = - 1.942; - 3.438, - 0.445), leaks/dampness/rot (ß = - 4.157; - 5.999, - 2.316), insufficient daylight (ß = - 3.124; - 5.714, - 0.534), noise (ß = - 2.143; - 3.600, - 0.686), pollution/grime (ß = - 2.093; - 3.860, - 0.325), violence/crime/vandalism (ß = - 2.819; - 4.948, - 0.691), and those with housing cost overburden (ß = - 2.435; - 3.930, - 0.940) reported lower quality of life. Those with no toilet (ß = - 1.891; - 3.760, - 0.021) or shower (ß = - 1.891; - 3.760, - 0.021) and who faced forced displacement (ß = - 2.179; - 3.516, - 0.842) presented lower cognitive function. Furthermore, those living in neighborhoods with pollution/grime (OR = 0.494; 0.322, 0.756) and violence/crime/vandalism (OR = 0.477; 0.284, 0.801), those in social housing (OR = 0.728; 0.575, 0.922), and those who moved frequently (OR = 0.475; 0.257, 0.879) reported lower levels of perceived healthy ageing. Insufficient sleep was more common among residents in social housing (OR = 2.155; 1.102, 4.213), while poor sleep quality was least likely both among those living in social housing (OR = 0.445; 0.220, 0.900) and affordable housing (OR = 0.381; 0.162, 0.896). Good quality, stable, and affordable housing seems crucial for healthy ageing.

Global scale assessment of urban precipitation anomalies.

Urbanization has accelerated dramatically across the world over the past decades. Urban influence on surface temperatures is now being considered as a correction term in climatological datasets. Although prior research has investigated urban influences on precipitation for specific cities or selected thunderstorm cases, a comprehensive examination of urban precipitation anomalies on a global scale remains limited. This research is a global analysis of urban precipitation anomalies for over one thousand cities worldwide. We find that more than 60% of the global cities and their downwind regions are receiving more precipitation than the surrounding rural areas. Moreover, the magnitude of these urban wet islands has nearly doubled in the past 20 y. Urban precipitation anomalies exhibit variations across different continents and climates, with cities in Africa, for example, exhibiting the largest urban annual and extreme precipitation anomalies. Cities are more prone to substantial urban precipitation anomalies under warm and humid climates compared to cold and dry climates. Cities with larger populations, pronounced urban heat island effects, and higher aerosol loads also show noticeable precipitation enhancements. This research maps global urban rainfall hotspots, establishing a foundation for the consideration of urban rainfall corrections in climatology datasets. This advancement holds promise for projecting extreme precipitation and fostering the development of more resilient cities in the future.

The impact of determinants of health on the relationship between stigma and health in people living with HIV.

Determinants of health are important drivers of health states, yet there is little work examining their role in the relationship between HIV stigma and health. This study uses moderation analysis to examine how determinants of health affect the relationship between enacted, internalized, and anticipated stigma and mental health. Quantitative data was collected on 337 participants in Ontario, Canada at baseline (t1) between August 2018 and September 2019 and at follow-up (t2) between February 2021 and October 2021. Separate moderation models were created with each determinant of health (age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geographic region, education, employment, and basic needs) acting as the moderator between types of stigma at t1 and mental health at t2. Age was a significant moderator for the relationship between internalized and enacted stigma at t1 and mental health at t2. Region was a moderator for enacted and anticipated stigma and mental health. Sexual orientation was a moderator for anticipated stigma and mental health. Lastly, having basic needs was a moderator for enacted and anticipated stigma and mental health. Our findings suggest that intervention strategies may be more effective by incorporating supports for these determinants of health in addition to stigma reduction to improve mental health.

Assessing spatio-temporal heterogeneity and drivers of ecosystem services to support zonal management in mountainous cities.

With complex topography and geomorphology, mountainous cities possess abundant natural resources. They are constrained by ecological environment and topographic conditions, leading to a prominent contradiction between urbanization development and ecological protection. As a result, ecosystem services (ESs) are under greater regulatory pressure. The identification of ecosystem services bundles (ESBs) can be the foundation for developing zonal ecological protection planning policies. We took Chongqing as a case study, investigated the impact mechanisms of socio-ecological factors on the level of ES supply in each ESB. The findings reveal that: (1) The quantitative assessment of ESs for 2000, 2010, and 2020 showed that ESs were temporally stable and spatially heterogeneous. Areas with high supplies of food production (FP) and water yield (WY) were predominantly found in the northwestern cropland and urban built-up regions, whereas high supply areas for the other four ESs were primarily located in the northeastern Dabashan Mountains and the southern Wuling Mountains. (2) The quantification of trade-offs and synergies between ESs showed that FP had a trade-off effect with all five other ESs, while most other ES pairs exhibited synergistic effects. It was found that the interrelationships produced changes over time. (3) Then, three types of ESBs were identified. After examining the influence mechanisms of socio-ecological factors across the three ESBs, individual ESs were found to have essentially the same types of main impact factors in three ESBs, but varies in impact. (4) Finally, with reference to changes in ES levels and interrelationships and the driving mechanisms of socio-ecological factors in each zone, this study proposed zonal strategies for managing ecosystem services and optimizing territorial space based on the geographic characteristics and socio-economic development in different ESBs, with the goal of attaining sustainable urban development and improving human welfare.

Impact of urban form on carbon emissions of residents in counties: evidence from Yangtze River Delta, China.

Urban form is a key factor affecting carbon emissions. Accurately estimating the impact of urban form on the carbon emissions of residents (CER) is an important prerequisite for China to adopt effective low-carbon spatial planning strategies and respond to climate change. However, counties mainly account for China's energy consumption, and the relationship between their urban form and the CER remains unclear, limiting their low-carbon development. Therefore, in this study, the PLS-SEM model and data from 90 counties in the Yangtze River Delta are used to determine the extent and ways that urban form affects the CER. The model considers the impact of both geometric-aspect urban form factors (urban scale, compactness, spatial structure, and urban shape) and built environment-aspect urban form factors (public service facilities, urban greening, road traffic, public transportation, and urban energy infrastructure) on the CER. The results indicate that urban form factors related to the built environment (public service facilities, urban greening, road systems, and municipal infrastructure) have a direct impact on the CER. Geometric-aspect urban form factors (size, compactness, spatial structure, and shape) not only directly affect the CER but also indirectly affect the CER by altering built environment-aspect urban form factors. This study identifies the complex relationship between urban form and the CER, facilitating the coordinated integration of multiple elements and providing a basis for the formulation of low-carbon spatial planning strategies for counties.