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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is frequntly accompanied by venous thromboembolism (VTE), and its mechanism may be related to the abnormal inflammation and immune status of COVID-19 patients. It has been proved that interleukin-6 (IL-6), ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) may play an important role in the occurrence of VTE in COVID-19 infection. But whether they can server as predictors for VTE in COVID-19 is still unclear. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare IL-6, ferritin and LDH in VTE and non-VTE COVID-19 patients in order to shed light on the prevention and treatment of VTE. Methods: Related literatures were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANGFANG. COVID-19 patients were divided into VTE group and non-VTE group. Meta-analysis was then conducted to compare levels of IL-6, ferritin and LDH between the two groups. Results: We finally included and analyzed 17 literatures from January 2019 to October 2022. There was a total of 7,035 COVID-19 patients, with a weighted mean age of 60.01 years. Males accounted for 62.64% and 61.34% patients were in intensive care unit (ICU). Weighted mean difference (WMD) of IL-6, ferritin and LDH was 31.15 (95% CI: 9.82, 52.49), 257.02 (95% CI: 51.70, 462.33) and 41.79 (95% CI: -19.38, 102.96), respectively. The above results indicated that than compared with non-VTE group, VTE group had significantly higher levels of IL-6 and ferritin but similar LDH. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis pointed out that elevated levels of IL-6 and ferritin were significantly possitive associated with VTE, thus could be used as biological predictive indicators of VTE among COVID-19 patients. However, no association was found between level of LDH and VTE. Therefore, close monitoring of changes in IL-6 and ferritin concentrations is of great value in assisting clinicans to rapidly identify thrombotic complications among COVID-19 patients, hence facilitating the timely effective managment. Further studies are required in terms of the clinical role of cytokines in the occurrence of VTE among COVID-19 infection, with more reliable systematic controls and interventional trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first detect the uneven distribution of regional inequality in rural China with the per capita net income data at county level, and then diagnose the various factors that contribute to this as well as its driving mechanisms using the four-dimension transitional framework. The results suggest that rural inequalities are clustered at the province level, and those most unequal regions tend to be geographically gathered. Stemming from the framework, the study reveals that the spatio-temporal disparity in rural inequality is deeply embedded in the quadruple-transition process of marketization, globalization, decentralization and urbanization. Employing both the pooled OLS and spatial regime models, the study further unfolds that influences of the transition processes are diversified across regions and study periods. We finally argue that human investment rather than economic growth plays the key role in reducing the rural inequality in eastern provinces, and that the formulation of policies in line with regional characteristics would be helpful to address or alleviate rural inequality. • The uneven distribution of regional inequality in rural China is detected. • Major contributors and impetus of the disparities of rural inequality is diagnosed. • Rural inequalities tend to be geographically gathered. • Spatio-temporal disparity in rural inequality is deeply embedded in China's transitional process. • Human investment plays the key role in reducing the inequality in eastern provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rich body of literature is stressing the crucial importance of migration and market evolution on the underutilization of housing in cities. Rural housing is unique given its less mature market structure. Drawing on an empirical case of Sunan, the work reported in this paper addresses underlying mechanisms of housing land underutilization in rural China. Employing a multi-level modeling approach, results suggest that the likelihood of underutilization relates to household and village features, such as family attributes, housing/parcel characteristics, type of villages, and geographical locations. Additionally, underutilization was also closely associated with regional contexts including local economic development levels and migration patterns. Theoretically, we conceptualized rural housing land underutilization as a land use transition with villagers' awareness of policy change possibilities in the context of both rapid urbanization and rural transformation with nested hybrid results. We argue that urban-rural differences do not induce underutilization. Rather, policy-induced overbuilding of new houses and insistence on retaining uninhabited older houses combined with the tendency for villagers' to view investments as a mechanism to retain ties to their rural hometowns drove underutilizaiton. • We propose a multi-scalar analytical framework on the underutilization of rural housing land. • We identify the nested impacts of factors at different levels on the utility of rural housing land. • The dualistically organized regime is argued as the primary driver of housing land underutilization in rural China. • The transition of rural space from productivism to post-productivism matters as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key to community remediation, villagers' withdrawal from homesteads has long been a core subject of academic inquiry and a major concern of governments in China. Drawing upon the multi-level framework, we examine villagers' willingness to withdraw from rural homesteads in Sunan and explore the influencing mechanisms. The results of binary logistic regression (BLR) models imply that future expectations of villagers matter for their willingness within the twofold context of urbanization and rural revitalization, and that the expectations vary across households and regions. Developed regions and wealthy households with access to opportunities and social security tend to have better expectations and higher odds of withdrawal; villagers in less-favored regions are also inclined to escape the current environment of living, but however bound to homesteads by the disadvantage in coping with future uncertainties. Furthermore, we argue that differences in villagers' willingness well reveals the uneven pattern of homesteads transition towards multifunctionality and can to some extent reify or even amplify inequalities in villages and across regions. • Future expectations of villagers matter for their willingness to withdraw from rural homesteads. • The heterogeneity of expectations across households and regions shapes an uneven pattern of willingness to withdraw. • Differences in villagers' willingness reveals the uneven pattern of homesteads transition towards multifunctionality. • Differences in villagers' willingness may reify or even amplify inequalities in villages and across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental externalities of industrial agglomeration have generated intense debate, yet few studies have considered their effects and inner influence mechanism based on varied agglomeration types. This study distinguished between industrial density and proximity (spatially) and industrial specialization and diversity, as well as related variety and unrelated variety (organizationally). Using the panel data from China's 285 cities from 2003 to 2013, we examined the different effects of multiple agglomeration types of industrial agglomeration on industrial SO 2 emissions, and their inner influence mechanism from two aspects of industrial structure and technological progress. First, we found that various agglomeration types have different environmental externalities and that industrial density and proximity both have significant reduction effects on SO 2 emissions; diversity and related variety effectively reduce SO 2 discharges, but specialization and unrelated variety are linked to increased emissions. Second, technological progress and industrial structure are the critical channels of industrial agglomeration affecting pollution emissions while technological progress plays a greater role in the reducing emission effect of industrial agglomeration. Our findings reveal the importance of different agglomeration types and technological progress between industrial agglomeration and pollution emission. • We build a theoretical hypothesis to clarify the relationship between industrial agglomerations and environmental pollution. • We match firm-level data and panel data of 285 cities from 2003 to 2013 in China. • We analyze the effect of industrial agglomerations on industrial SO 2 emissions based on multiple types of agglomeration. • With a simultaneous equation model, we explore the inner influence mechanism through industrial structure and technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the effects of industrial agglomeration on electrical energy consumption from a spatial perspective by highlighting multiple agglomeration types. It is argued that different types of industry agglomeration may exert differentiated effects on energy consumption and their possible spatial interactions. With city sector panel data of China's 285 prefecture-level cities for the period 2003-2013, we adopted the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) with fixed effects to examine the spatial effects of industrial agglomeration types on energy consumption. The model found that all types of industrial agglomeration play significant and different roles in explaining overall local energy consumption. Second, geographical proximity, diversity, and related variety show the spatial spillover effects on surrounding areas. Third, the spatial energy effects of industrial agglomeration across regions are evidently heterogeneous. Diversity and one of its sub-forms-related variety maintains consumption-saving effects in regions with the initial or intermediate stage of an industry life cycle, while unrelated variety changes over different phases. The results suggest that policymakers scientifically discriminate regional features and guide the agglomerated types of industries in order to balance economic growth with energy conservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)