Coupling coordination degree of healthcare resource supply, demand and elderly population change in China.

OBJECT: To analyze the trend of the coupling and coordination of the supply and demand of healthcare resources between the elderly population and healthcare resources in China during the period of 2012-2022, to reveal the impact of the growth of the elderly population on the relationship between the supply and demand of healthcare resources, and to put forward suggestions to improve the coupling and coordination between the supply and demand of healthcare resources and the elderly population, in order to cope with the challenges of an aging society. METHODS: By obtaining relevant data from authoritative data sources such as China Statistical Yearbook, Health and Health Statistics Yearbook, and the Chinese government website from 2012 to 2022, we constructed a comprehensive measurement index for the three systems of elderly population, healthcare resource supply, and healthcare resource demand; Using the entropy value method to assign weights to the indicators, combined with the coupling coordination degree model, to reveal the changes of the elderly population change and the supply and demand of medical and health resources; using ArcGIS technology, to study the spatial characteristics of the elderly population change and the supply and demand of medical and health resources. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2022, the supply and demand of healthcare resources and the variation of the elderly population in China show a continuous growth trend, and the comprehensive development level of the system gradually climbs from a low level to a high level. The fluctuation of coupling degree and coordination degree rises, although the coordination degree has always been lower than the coupling degree, but the distance between the coordination degree and the coupling degree gradually narrows with the passage of time. The coordination degree between population aging and medical and health resources development shows spatial heterogeneity in China, with the eastern region significantly higher than the western region/. CONCLUSIONS: The coupling degree between population aging and healthcare resource supply and demand in China from 2012 to 2022 shows a general upward trend from low coupling to medium-high coupling, but it is worth noting that even though the degree of coupling increases, the degree of coordination is still relatively lagging behind, suggesting that the government and relevant departments need to pay more attention to coordinated allocation and management of healthcare resources. At the same time, the spatial differences in the degree of coordination among provinces suggest that future policymakers should take regional differences into full consideration in policymaking and sustainable development.

Study on the coordinated development of urban competitiveness and energy-carbon emission reduction in China.

The urban competitiveness (UC) evaluation system is multidimensional and complex. This paper takes the simulated annealing (SA) model as the projection pursuit (PP) optimization to achieve a comprehensive assessment of competitiveness of 277 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019, accompanied by energy saving and carbon-emission reduction (ESCER) as environmental measurements, to explore whether the two can meet the Porter hypothesis through coupling coordination degree (CCD). Further using spatiotemporal autocorrelation and obstacle degree model to uncover spatiotemporal features and interfering factors of coordinated development. Key findings include: (1) UC and ESCER show a slightly fluctuating upward trend during the research period, with apparent spatial variations. The eastern coastal region has a robust UC, while the less competitive central and western regions benefit from natural conditions, excelling in ESCER. (2) 87% of cities have achieved coordinated development between competitiveness and ESCER. Some coastal areas, often with a high CCD, are improving resource use efficiency and environmental benefits through economic agglomeration. From the perspective of the CCD collaboration network, the positive correlation accounts for about 85%, which reveals that most adjacent regions can cooperate on the road of coordinated development. (3) While differences exist in the coordinated development of UC-ESCER across various regions, social factors predominantly influence the obstacles affecting coordinated development. Specifically, a substantial barrier to the concordant progression of most cities is the number of patent applications, underscoring the pivotal role of innovation in aligning UC with ESCER.

Study on the measurement of coupling and coordinated development level between China's internet and elderly care services and its influencing factors.

BACKGROUND: With the intensification of China's aging population, the demand for elderly care services has become increasingly prominent. At the same time, rapid development of internet technology provides more convenience and possibilities for the elderly. However, the coordinated development between the internet and elderly care services still faces challenges. This study aims to measure the level of coupling and coordinated development between the internet and elderly care services in China, and analyze the influencing factors, in order to provide reference for promoting elderly care services. METHODS: In this paper, the entropy method and coupling coordination degree model were used to measure the coupling coordination development index of the internet and elderly care services in China from 2012 to 2021. In addition, considering that the coordinated development between the two is affected by many factors, the Tobit model was used to analyze the main factors affecting the integration of the internet and elderly care services. RESULTS: (1) The coupling and coordination of the Internet and senior care services is in its infancy, but the coupling and coordination of the two is on the rise, and there is still a lot of room for development in the future. (2) In terms of time scale, the coupling coordination development level between the internet and elderly care services in China has gone through three stages of "disorder recession-transition coordination-coordinated development". (3) In terms of influencing factors, government management ability has a more positive impact on the development of the integration of the Internet and senior care services, financial support, scientific and technological investment and the level of innovation play a mild pulling role, while the level of informatization to a certain extent restricts the level of integration of the Internet and senior care services. CONCLUSION: In order to promote the coordinated development of China's Internet and senior care services, it is necessary to comprehensively understand the current situation and development space of China's Internet and senior care services coupling coordination degree, accurately grasp the dynamic trend of China's Internet and senior care services coupling and coordinated development, promote the stage of leapfrogging, and fully consider the influencing factors, so as to realize the optimal allocation of policies and resources. These measures will help to promote a more coordinated and sustainable development of the internet and elderly care services in China.

Research on the coupling measurement of medical education and health resource allocation under the background of healthy China.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the coupling and coordination level of medical education and health resource allocation in China, and to provide scientific basis for promoting the high-quality development of medical education and the efficient allocation of health resources. METHODS: Based on the panel data from 2011 to 2021, the coupling coordination degree model was used to measure the coupling coordination index of medical education and health resources in China. The spatial auto-correlation model was used to analyze the development status and distribution characteristics of the coupling coordination degree of the two systems. The kernel density estimation method was used to analyze the dynamic evolution trend of the coupling coordination of the two systems. The QR quantile regression model was used to explore the key factors affecting the coupling coordination degree of the two systems. RESULTS: During the observation period, the coupling coordination degree of the two systems increased from 0.393 to 0.465, with a growth rate of 18.3%. The coupling coordination degree between regions gradually decreased in the eastern-central and eastern-western regions, and there were still large differences between the central and western regions. The coupling coordination degree of the two systems in the region was significantly different in the eastern and western regions, and the central region was relatively similar. There is a positive spatial correlation between the provinces, and 25.81% of the provinces have transitions. Finally, the number of points in the first and third quadrants is higher than that in the second and fourth quadrants. In the process of dynamic distribution, the degree of polarization of the coupling coordination degree curve of the two systems is gradually weakened. Per capita GDP, residents ' income difference and population size are the positive and significant factors driving the coupling and coordinated development of the two systems. CONCLUSION: The coupling and coordination degree of the two systems of medical education and health resource allocation showed a stable upward trend during the observation period, and the global spatial positive correlation also gradually increased, showing the spatial agglomeration characteristics of ' high-high agglomeration ' and ' low-low agglomeration '. The spatial difference of coupling coordination degree shows a shrinking trend and develops towards equalization. The coupling coordination degree of the two systems is affected by social, economic and demographic factors to varying degrees. Therefore, it is necessary to innovate the coordinated development mechanism of the two systems, promote the two-way flow of medical education and health resource allocation in talents, technology and other elements, and then promote the coupling and coordinated development of the two systems.

A two-dimensional four-quadrant assessment method to explore the spatiotemporal coupling and coordination relationship of human activities and ecological environment.

Human activities that involve diverse behaviors and feature a variety of participations and collaborations usually lead to varying and dynamic impacts on the ecological environment. Quantitative analysis of the dynamic changes and complex relationships between human activities and the ecological environment (eco-environment) can provide crucial insights for ecological protecting and balance maintaining. We proposed a two-dimensional four-quadrant assessment method based on the dynamic changes in Human Activity Index (HAI) - Environmental Ecological Condition Index (EECI) to analyze the dynamic trends and coupling coordination degree (CCD) between HAI and EECI. This approach was applied in an empirical study of Hainan Province. A comprehensive HAI at a resolution of 1 km × 1 km is established to measure human activities, while an EECI is developed to evaluate ecological environment quality. The eco-environment showed continuous improvement, with the HAI initially rising and then declining. Analysis of coupling coordination revealed a ratio of 6:1 between coordinated development regions and conflict regions, indicating a gradual improvement in overall coupling coordination. The interaction between the HAI and EECI is strengthening, though variations exist across different locations. Using the geodetector method, we identified Net Primary Productivity (NPP), Land use and land cover (LULC), and Particulate Matter (PM) as the primary factors influencing changes in coupling coordination between HAI and EECI. These factors indirectly affect the stability and carrying capacity of the ecological environment. This method facilitates a quantitative examination of the dynamic relationship between HAI and EECI in different regions, offering insights into ecosystem functionality, biodiversity maintenance, and the effect of HAI on the region.

Systematic coupling and multistage interactive response of the urban land use efficiency and ecological environment quality.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have greatly contributed to boosting regional economic growth and mitigating the problem of poverty, but blind expansion of cities and towns has not only caused the inefficient use of urban land resources but also caused the deterioration in the urban ecological environment. Within the current context of emphasizing high-quality development, achieving synergy between the efficient use of urban land and ecological environmental protection is an urgent task for promoting new urbanization construction. In this study, cities in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (URYR) were adopted as the research object, a theoretical analysis framework for the urban land use efficiency (ULUE) and ecological environment quality (EEQ) was established, the ULUE was measured by using the Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model, the coupling coordination and interactive corresponding response relationship between the ULUE and EEQ were analyzed, and the influencing factors of the coupling coordination between these two systems were explored by using the random forest model. The following conclusions can be obtained: in 2020, compared with those in 2006, both the ULUE and EEQ were improved, and the two systems exhibited interactions and significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The coupling coordination degree (CCD) between the ULUE and EEQ could facilitate maintaining the original state, and the transfer of the CCD exhibited a significant spatial correlation with the state of neighbouring cities. The effect of the ULUE on the EEQ indicated nonlinear characteristics, while the effect of the EEQ on the ULUE was manifested as inhibition initially and then promotion. The random forest regression results showed that the population density, landscape agglomeration and connectivity, market conditions, government intervention, and industrial institutions are the key influencing factors of the CCD. Finally, this study provides policy implications for innovative urban land use modelling, environmental regulation, and industrial transformation and upgrading.

Research on the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of urbanization and carbon emission efficiency coupling coordination: From the perspective of global countries.

Strategic coordination between urbanization and carbon emission efficiency (CEE) is vital for promoting low-carbon urbanization and sustainable urban planning. In order to assess the coupled coordination degree (CCD) of urbanization and CEE and investigate the factors influencing the CCD, this research employs the Super slacks-based measure (SBM) model, the coupled coordination degree model (CCDM), and the Tobit model. Four key findings emerge from the analysis of the temporal and spatial evolution traits of the CCD based on data from 106 nations worldwide between 2005 and 2020. (1) The global CEE shows a significant downward trend, and the spatial disparity is unambiguous. high CEE countries hang in the north and west of Europe, while those in Asia, Africa and the east of Europe have lower CEE. (2) The combined urbanization level and demographic, economic and social urbanization are all on an upward trend. Singapore has the greatest degree of urbanization overall globally. (3) The CCD of urbanization and CEE shows a fluctuating upward trend, with particularly strong changes in 2018-2020. 2017 and 2018 are the years with better global coupling coordination status. During the study period, the CCD results of countries are mostly uncoordinated and low coordination, and the CCD of the United States, China, India and Japan is in the front. (4) The effect of urban electrification rate on the CCD is positive; the effect of foreign trade and net inflow of foreign direct investment is negative; while energy structure and industrial structure have no significant effect. A number of policy proposals are put forth in light of the outcomes of the research to enhance the coordination.

Optimizing zoning for ecological management in alpine region by combining ecosystem service supply and demand with ecosystem resilience.

In order to enhance ecosystem stability and promote sustainable regional ecological, social, and economic development, it is crucial to explore the coupling relationship between ecosystem service supply and demand and the resilience of ecosystem, so as to propose scientific ecological management zones and strategies. Taking the vulnerable alpine ecosystem in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gannan Prefecture) as the study area, this paper comprehensively utilized multi-source data, grid analysis, ecosystem service supply and demand estimation model, and coupled coordination model to analyze the spatio-temporal differentiation and coordination pattern of ecosystem service supply and demand in the study area from 2000 to 2020. With the assistance of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the ecosystem resilience index system was constructed to evaluate the regional ecological resilience. The results reveal the following: (1) In the past 20 years, the ecosystem service supply and resilience in Gannan Prefecture showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the demand continued to grow steadily. Their spatial differentiation were obvious, but the pattern remained stable. (2) There was a moderate incoordination indicated by the average coordination degree of the supply and demand coupling of ecosystem services, which rangeed between 0.3 and 0.4. (3) Gannan Prefecture was split into three ecological management zones, considering the spatial distribution of ecosystem service supply and demand, as well as resilience. Through system function monitoring and other measures, the ecological conservation zone will rely on its high resilience to support the restoration and self-sufficiency of the system, ensuring the stability and well-being of the ecosystem. The primary objectives of general protected zone includes environmental preservation, strict regulations, and the prevention of human intervention. To enhance their ecological background, key restoration zone must intensify the implementation of ecological restoration initiatives. To address the needs of the locals, strategies such as ecological compensation, optimizing the land use structure, and fostering the growth of environmentally friendly companies can be implemented simultaneously.

Research on the supply and demand of elderly care service resources in China.

PURPOSE: This study aims to assess the current status and spatial distribution differences of elderly care service resources supply and demand in China. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were utilized to gather participants' insights into the current demands for elderly care services, the status of resource allocation, and related indicators. The entropy weight method was employed to determine indicator weights, yielding objective demand and allocation indices for elderly care service resources. Kernel density estimation was used to illustrate the distribution characteristics of the demand and allocation indices. The coupling coordination degree model was applied to measure the coupling coordination level of China's elderly care service resource supply and demand system in 2020. RESULTS: The demand index ranks highest in Beijing (0.3291), Shanghai (0.2941), and Tianjin (0.2563), while the lowest are found in Tibet (0.1673), Guangxi (0.1727), and Guizhou (0.1737). Kernel density estimation shows that the demand index is concentrated in the range of 0.1800 to 0.2000. The top three regions for allocation index are Shanghai (184.0007), Qinghai (129.8177), and Beijing (109.5941), with the lowest in Liaoning (34.8558), Hainan (35.3168), and Yunnan (36.6366). Kernel density estimation indicates that the allocation index is concentrated in the range of 25-75. Calculations of coupling coordination degree show that Shanghai has high coordination quality (0.9368), Beijing has good coordination (0.8392), while Hainan and Yunnan experience severe imbalances (0.1990, 0.1831). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant lack of coordination between the demand for elderly care services and the allocation of resources in Hainan and Yunnan provinces in China. Most provinces, with the exception of Beijing and Shanghai, exhibit some degree of misalignment. The Chinese government should address the varying needs of the elderly population in different regions, pay timely attention to regional disparities, enhance regional cooperation, and dynamically allocate elderly care resources in a rational manner.

Evaluation of sustainable development capacity of water sources: a case study of China.

The issue of water scarcity has drawn attention from all over the world. The coordination of the interaction between ecological and environmental development of water sources and socio-economic development is currently an essential issue that needs to be solved in order to safeguard the water resources environment for human survival. In this essay, we suggest a paradigm for assessing the sustainable exploitation of water resources. First, three ecological, economic, and social factors are investigated. Twenty essential evaluation indexes are then constructed using the Delphi approach, along with an index system for assessing the potential of water sources for sustainable development. The weights of each evaluation index were then determined using the combination assignment approach, which was then suggested. The coupled degree evaluation model of the capability for sustainable development of water sources was then developed. In order to confirm the viability and validity of the suggested model, the model was used to assess the Liwu River water source's capacity for sustainable growth in the context of the South-North Water Transfer in Shandong, China. It is believed that the aforementioned study would serve as a helpful resource when evaluating the capacity of water sources for sustainable development.

Spatiotemporal pattern and obstacle factors of coupling relationship between habitat quality and urbanization level in the Yellow River Basin, China.

Land use change stands as the primary factor influencing habitat quality (HQ). Clarifying the spatiotemporal change and the obstacle factors of the coupling relationship between HQ and urbanization level (UL) can provide imperative references for achieving sustainability in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). This study is based on the InVEST model, spatial autocorrelation, and obstacle factor analysis to measure the spatiotemporal dynamics and impediments of the coupling relationship between HQ and UL from 2000 to 2020 in the YRB. The findings were as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the HQ showed a tendency of rise first and then fall, with the pattern of "High in the middle and west, low in the east"; (2) from 2000 to 2020, the UL had an upward trend, with the pattern of "Low in the west, high in the middle and east"; (3) the coupling and coordination level of HQ and UL in the YRB changed from extreme incoordination to verge of coordination, and it had a distribution pattern of "High in the east, low in the west", with the high-value area expanding to the east and the low-value area shrinking to the west. (4) Location condition, climate, proportion of construction land, vegetation index, and proportion of non-agricultural employment are the main obstacle factors that determined the coupling and coordination of the HQ and UL.

A study on the equity of self-rated health of older adults at the family level.

BACKGROUND: The self-rated health of older adults (SHOA) plays an important role in enhancing their medical service utilization and quality of life. However, the determinants and magnitude variations in SHOA at the family level (SHOAFL) remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the status and equitable level of SHOAFL in China, as well as to analyze the influencing factors and the precise nature and scope of their impacts. METHODS: This study analyzed the data from the "Chinese residents' health service needs survey in the New Era", and included a total of 1413 families with older adults. The status and influencing factors of SHOAFL were analyzed using mean comparison and Logistic regression (LR) models. The Concentration Index method was used to explore the equity of the distribution of SHOAFL. The relationship between differences in personal characteristics among family members and differences in SHOA was determined by the method of Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD). RESULTS: The total score of SHOAFL was 66.36 ± 15.47, and LR results revealed that the factors with a significant impact on SHOAFL were number of people living in family, distance to the nearest medical service institution, travel time to the nearest medical service institution, annual family income, yearly family medical and health expenditures, average age, and residence (all P < 0.05). The Concentration index of SHOAFL ranged from -0.0315 to 0.0560. CCD of the differences between SHOA and medical insurance and smoking status were 0.9534 and 0.7132, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SHOAFL was found to be generally but more inclined towards urban families with high incomes and a short time to medical service institution. The observed disparities in SHOA among family members were mostly attributable to differences in health insurance and pre-retirement occupations. The status and equality of SHOAFL may be improved if policymakers prioritize making services more accessible to older rural residents with low incomes. Concurrently, reducing the existing discrepancy in health insurance coverage between older couples may also enhance their health.

Analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns and decoupling effects of China's water resource spatial equilibrium.

The significance of water resource spatial equilibrium (WRSE) research is to maximally remove the spatial restrictions of water on regional development, including social development, economic development and eco-environmental maintenance. Although great achievements have been made, national-scale WRSE research is rare; besides, the spatiotemporal patterns and decoupling effects of WRSE have been poorly studied in current research. Thus, the aim of this research is to measure the WRSE in China for the period 2008-2019 by using an improved coupling coordination model and to empirically analyse its distribution dynamics and decoupling effects. The results show that the WRSE status of China's 31 provincial administrative regions from 2008 to 2019 is at a moderate level. Based on the spatiotemporal patterns and decoupling effects analysis, areas in urgent need of improving WRSE status are identified, and tailored countermeasures are provided for each area. To our knowledge, this paper is the first nationwide study of the spatiotemporal patterns and decoupling effects of WRSE.

Interpretation of the coupling mechanism of ecological security and urbanization based on a Computation-Verification-Coupling framework: Quantitative analysis of sustainable development.

In recent decades, China's rapid urbanization has produced numerous economic benefits while simultaneously creating substantial risks to ecological security. China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have recently explicitly called for the coordinated development of ecological security and urbanization. Given this context, it is important to explore the mechanism by which ecological security and urbanization are coupled and coordinated to promote sustainable development. In this study, an index of the relationship between ecological security and urbanization was established via high-resolution data, and a "Computation-Verification-Coupling" (CVC) framework was constructed. The accuracy of the ecological security index was verified using a linear regression model, and the coordination level between ecological security and urbanization was analyzed via a coupled coordination model (CCM). The results revealed a steady increase in the ecological security index from 2010 to 2020; the proportion of the area above the medium level increased from 63.1 % to 74.1 %. The urbanization index in core counties exhibited rapid growth, with level V urbanized areas expanding from 5.5 % to 9.9 %. The ecological security verification model produced a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.75685, indicating a satisfactory degree of predictive capability. From 2010-2020, the coupled coordination improved, with the high coordination area accounting for 48.8 % and the extreme discoordination area decreasing from 1.8 % to 1.0 %. Coordinated development exhibited a stable progression, characterized by a cyclical evolution from initial coupling to antagonistic coupling and finally to coordinated development. This framework can be used not only to investigate the relationship between ecological security and urbanization but also to provide a quantifiable measure of progress toward achieving the SDGs.

Resource allocation of rural institutional elderly care in China's new era: spatial-temporal differences and adaptation development.

OBJECTIVES: In the new era of China, to ensure that rural residents can get the corresponding institutional elderly services equally, it is necessary to investigate the current situation of resource allocation of rural institutional elderly care and make corresponding adaptation suggestions. STUDY DESIGN: This research discusses the characteristics and evolution pattern of rural aging, the resource allocation of rural elderly care institutions, and the adaptation degree of rural institutional elderly care resource and aging. METHODS: The research methodology consists of the following stages: entropy-based Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), kernel density estimation, coupling coordination, spatial autocorrelation, and Theil index decomposition. RESULTS: The degree of aging in rural areas of China is rising, and the whole population has entered a moderate aging society, showing the spatial characteristics of 'high in the east and low in the west'. The resource allocation of rural institutional elderly care in China is at a low level, and the absolute differences among provinces tend to reduce over time, and the overall resource allocation level tends to decline. The provinces that were in the mismatched adaptation relationship in the early stage have improved; however, the number of provinces with mismatched adaptability has continued to increase. The local spatial autocorrelation of resource adaptation verifies that the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River as the core form a hot spot, and during the observation period, the spatial agglomeration effect of the core is strengthened. The Theil index decomposition of resource adaptation indicates that the within-group differences between the eastern and western regions is significantly higher than that between the northeastern and central regions. CONCLUSIONS: First, special attention should be paid to preventing the resource allocation of rural institutional elderly care in the eastern and western regions from falling again. Second, to avoid more and more low-adapted provinces falling into the 'mismatch dilemma' with the deepening of the aging degree. Third, strengthen cooperation among regions and promote the coordinated development of resource allocation of institutional elderly care in various regions. Fourth, the priority of institutional elderly care balanced development should be given to the eastern region and western region, thus weakening the overall difference.

A temporospatial assessment of environmental quality in urbanizing Ethiopia.

Global environmental quality has been negatively affected by urbanization, particularly vulnerable in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanism and driving forces for the change of environmental quality with urbanization process is essential to improve the environmental sustainability. In this study, the compounded night light index (CNLI) and remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) were used respectively to evaluate the urbanization level and environmental quality in Ethiopia from 2010 to 2020. On this basis, a temporospatial assessment framework was proposed, followed by methods of coupling coordination degree, spatial autocorrelation, elasticity, and decomposition. The results showed that 63 out of 690 woredas experienced environmental deterioration. Socioeconomic effect, carbon intensity, and climate change were decomposed as drivers to environmental quality, with socioeconomic effects contributing >68% of environmental improvement, while carbon intensity and climate change were responsible for >51% and >58% of environmental deterioration from 2010 values. Continuous increase in impervious surfaces resulted in a six-fold increase in surface runoff, which raised the flooding risk in sub areas and rural landscapes. This demands reforms of climate strategies and proper livestock management.

Identifying the coupling coordination relationship between urbanization and forest ecological security and its impact mechanism: Case study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China.

Boosting the coordination and symbiosis of urbanization and forest ecological security is notably critical for promoting regional green and sustainable development and achieving emission peak and carbon neutrality goals. However, there was still a lack of in-depth analysis of the coupling coordination relationship between urbanization and forest ecological security and its impact mechanism. On the basis of the data from 844 counties in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, this paper explored the spatial differences and influencing factors of the coupling coordination degree of urbanization and forest ecological security. The results manifested that: i) There were apparent spatial disparities in the urbanization index, forest ecological security index, comprehensive index, coupling degree and coupling coordination degree of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Among them, the spatial pattern of coupling coordination degree had a strong consistency with urbanization index, that is, areas with higher urbanization index also had higher coupling coordination degree. ii) Based on coupling feature identification, it was found that 249 'problem areas' were mainly located in Yunnan Province, southeastern Guizhou Province, central Anhui Province, and central and eastern Jiangsu Province. The main factor for the formation was due to the lag of urbanization in coordinated development. iii) Among the socioeconomic indicators, population structure (0.136), per capita year-end financial institutions loan balance (0.409) and per capita fixed asset investment (0.202) all had a positive impact on coupling coordination degree, while location conditions (-0.126) had a negative impact. Among the natural indicators, soil organic matter (-0.212) and temperature (-0.094) had a negative impact on coupling coordination degree. iv) During the process of coordinated development, it was necessary to increase financial investment and financial support, actively formulate policies to attract talents, enhance the education and publicity of ecological civilization, and develop a green circular economy. The above measures can promote the harmonious development of urbanization and forest ecological security in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Coordination of industrial structure and eco-efficiency in ecologically fragile areas: A case study of the Loess Plateau, China.

The relationship between industrial structure (IS) and eco-efficiency (EE) is intricate with mutual influence and constraint. Exploring the coordinated relationship between IS and EE is beneficial to the sustainable development of ecologically fragile areas. This paper estimates and analyses the levels of EE and IS in 39 prefecture-level cities of the Loess Plateau, discussing the comprehensive and coordinated development levels between industrial structure rationalization (ISR) and EE, industrial structure advancement (ISA) and EE based on the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM). The results showed that the comprehensive development of the Loess Plateau has rough and imbalanced issues. The EE and IS are developing at a relatively low level, and the spatial distribution shows the development trend of high in the east and down in the west. The CCD of ISA and EE performs better than that of ISR and EE, but neither has reached the collaborative coupling state. The poor CCD score in the Loess Plateau is primarily attributable to its relatively backward degree of integrated EE and IS. The results are expected to provide decision-making support for EE improvement and industrial restructuring in the Loess Plateau and other ecologically fragile areas.

Construction and influencing factors of an early warning system for marine ranching ecological security: Experience from China's coastal areas.

Marine ranching has been widely considered as a new mode of marine fishery production. Marine ranching ecological security (MRES) is the basis and premise to ensure the sustainable utilization of marine ranching functions. In this study, an MRES early warning system was constructed based on comprehensive marine ranching ecological security index (CMRESI) and system dynamic model to reveal the main factors affecting the development of marine ranching and explore the changes in MRES under different future development scenarios in China's coastal areas from 2011 to 2035. The results showed that (1) the mean CMRESI of China was only 0.3265 and spatial heterogeneity was significant, showing a general security state; (2) coupling and coordination degree of MRES subsystems was high in Jiangsu, Fujian, Shandong, and Guangdong, and resources was a major constraint on the coordinated development of MRES in the study area (63.6%); (3) Under the ecological priority development scenario, the CMRESI will be the highest in 2035; however, 27% of MRES (in Jiangsu, Fujian, and Hainan) will continue to issue serious early warnings. This study could provide a reference for construction planning, management maintenance, and decision-making of marine ranching.

Great transition and new pattern: Agriculture and rural area green development and its coordinated relationship with economic growth in China.

Agricultural and Rural Green Development (ARGD) and economic growth are major challenges prevalent in China, but also in other developing countries. A notable gap in current literature lies in the limited holistic approach to agriculture and rural areas, with scant attention being paid to the spatiotemporal evolution of ARGD and its coordination relationship with economic growth. This paper first offers a theoretical analysis of the interactive relationship between ARGD and economic growth and subsequently examines the policy implementation process in China in this regard. It observes 31 provinces in China from 1997 to 2020 to uncover the spatiotemporal evolution of Agricultural and Rural Green Development Efficiency (ARGDE). Using the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model and the local spatial autocorrelation model, this paper analyses the coordination relationship and spatial correlation between ARGDE and economic growth. The results show that ARGDE in China exhibited a phased growth trend and was greatly affected by policies during 1997-2020. The interregional ARGD produced a hierarchical effect. However, provinces with a higher ARGDE did not necessarily exhibit faster growth, leading to a differential pattern of optimization that involved continuous optimization, phased optimization, and continuous deterioration. Over a long period, ARGDE exhibited a trend of significant upward leaps or jumps. Finally, the CCD between ARGDE and economic growth improved, with a clear trend of high-high agglomeration characteristics that shifted from the eastern and northeastern provinces to the central and western ones. This suggests that promoting "quality agriculture" and "green agriculture" can have practical significance in accelerating the development of ARGD. In the future, it is vital to promote ARGD's transformation while mitigating the risk of degrading the coordinated relationship between ARGD and economic growth.