Spatial Pattern of Multi-dimensional Regional Disparities in the Level of Socio-economic Development in West Bengal: A Geographical Analysis

Micro-level spatial analysis of the different phenomenon duly associated with human development and also with the wellbeing of a nation. The study is a heart-core attempt to examine the inter-block regional disparity and development by constructing a multi-dimensional approach-based index. The study used thirty-four sub-dimensional variables under the five dimensions, including health, education, economy, socio-demography, and transport. The article used the data of the district statistical handbook of 2013 and census data of 2011. The empirical results of the study confirm the existence of huge inter-regional disparity on multi-dimensional developmental aspects, which drastically hampers the all-round growth and socio-economic development of Jalpaiguri Administrative Dvision (JAD) of West Bengal. The blocks of Khairabari, Darjeeling-Pulbazar, Rngli-rangit, Mirik, Kurseong, Kalimpong I & II are found to be high regional imbalances in the development of education, health, employment, and economy. The study also helps to identify the most backward blocks. It confirms the huge inter-block/district disparities in West Bengal. The study argued that the low developed and high disparities blocks require special attention from policymakers in order to the improvement of overall socio-economic development of the study area. Keywords: Jalpaiguri Administrative Dvision; Multi-dimensonal approach; regional disparity; regional imbalances; socio-economic development Copyright (c) 2021 Geosfera Indonesia and Department of Geography Education, University of Jember This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share A like 4.0 International License

Geography matters to disability: regional disparity of bathing difficulty among older adults in China

Bathing is a major type of disability among older adults. While studies on bathing difficulties have recently started to go beyond the limitations of the human body to examine bathroom amenities; researchers have rarely considered the environment beyond the bathroom. This study explored the regional disparities in bathing disability among older adults in China. Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey from 1998 to 2018, random-effects logistic regressions were performed to examine how bathing difficulties differed across regions among older adults in China. We found that older adults residing in the northern regions were significantly more likely to experience bathing disability compared to those from the South after controlling for confounding variables. Women and the oldest-old were also the most likely to experience bathing disabilities. Within the Northern regions itself, individuals from the Northeast stood out for having the highest likelihood of experiencing bathing disability. Interestingly, this regional disparity only existed for bathing disability and not the other Activities of Daily Living (ADL) items. It is concluded that the large regional disparity could be due to both climate differences and uneven economic development across the different regions in China. As bathing is a highly environment-dependent activity, this study highlights the potential for policy interventions to reduce the prevalence of bathing disability among older adults through improving the bathing environment. Additionally, we aim to put forth the notion that disability research should move towards analyses of specific disability items rather than an undifferentiated ADL index.

Judicial Discretion in Sentencing: A Justice System that is No Longer Just?

<p>One of the fundamental principles of the criminal law is consistency: like offenders must be treated alike. However, research has shown that when it comes to sentencing in New Zealand there is in fact substantial regional disparity in the penalty imposed on similarly situated offenders. The situation is unacceptable, and undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system. This paper will explore three different mechanisms for guiding judicial discretion in the pursuit of sentencing consistency. It will undertake an analysis of mandatory sentences and the ‘instinctive synthesis’ approach, both of which will be shown to be unsatisfactory. Instead, the paper will argue that the establishment of a Sentencing Council with a mandate to draft presumptively binding guidelines is the most appropriate way forward for New Zealand. This option finds the correct equilibrium between giving a judge sufficient discretion to tailor a sentence that is appropriate in the circumstances of the individual case, yet limiting discretion enough to achieve consistency between cases.</p>

Judicial Discretion in Sentencing: A Justice System that is No Longer Just?

<p>One of the fundamental principles of the criminal law is consistency: like offenders must be treated alike. However, research has shown that when it comes to sentencing in New Zealand there is in fact substantial regional disparity in the penalty imposed on similarly situated offenders. The situation is unacceptable, and undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system. This paper will explore three different mechanisms for guiding judicial discretion in the pursuit of sentencing consistency. It will undertake an analysis of mandatory sentences and the ‘instinctive synthesis’ approach, both of which will be shown to be unsatisfactory. Instead, the paper will argue that the establishment of a Sentencing Council with a mandate to draft presumptively binding guidelines is the most appropriate way forward for New Zealand. This option finds the correct equilibrium between giving a judge sufficient discretion to tailor a sentence that is appropriate in the circumstances of the individual case, yet limiting discretion enough to achieve consistency between cases.</p>

Regional Disparity of Reperfusion Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Japan: A Retrospective Analysis of Nationwide Claims Data from 2010 to 2015

Background We aimed to determine whether a regional disparity exists in usage of reperfusion therapy (intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [IV rt‐PA] and endovascular thrombectomy [EVT]) and post‐reperfusion 30‐day mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke, and which regional factors are associated with their usage. Methods and Results We retrospectively investigated 69 948 patients (mean age±SD, 74.9±12.0 years; women, 41.4%) with acute ischemic stroke treated with reperfusion therapy between April 2010 and March 2016 in Japan using nationwide claims data. Regional disparity was evaluated using Gini coefficients for age‐ and sex‐adjusted usage of reperfusion therapy and 30‐day post‐reperfusion in‐hospital death ratio in 47 administrative regions. The association between regional factors and reperfusion therapy usage was evaluated with fixed‐effects regression models. During the study period, Gini coefficients showed low inequality (0.11–0.15) for use of IV rt‐PA monotherapy and IV rt‐PA and/or EVT and extreme inequality (0.49) for EVT usage in 2010, which became moderate inequality (0.25) by 2015. The densities of stroke centers and endovascular specialists, as well as market concentration, were associated with increased usage of reperfusion therapy whereas the proportion of rural residents and delayed ambulance transport were negatively associated with usage. Inequality in the standardized death ratio after EVT was extreme (0.86) in 2010 but became moderate (0.29) by 2015; inequality was low to moderate (0.17–0.23) for IV rt‐PA monotherapy and IV rt‐PA and/or EVT. Conclusions Scrutinizing existing data sources revealed regional disparity in reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke and its associated regional factors in Japan.

A geographical analysis of the first wave of Covid-19 with reference to highland and lowland regions of India

The issue of health has become a major concern in recent years as a result of extensive coverage of media reporting outbreaks of diseases and the spread of deadly infectious diseases around the world. There has been a growing concern over the accessibility and affordability of healthcare facilities. The spread of the ongoing pandemic COVID-19 has been felt all over the world. However, the rate of infection varies across certain regions of the world. There exists intra-regional disparity as well. Recent research shows that there are latitudinal and altitudinal variations in the spread of the COVID-19. This paper studies variation of infection COVID-19 across the highlands of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and the lowland areas in India. The paper also examines the role of geographical spaces in the spread of coronavirus in these regions. The study indicates that place-based effects (altitude, temperature, pollution levels, etc.) on health can be seen in a variety of ways; therefore, locational issues are very important for addressing health questions. The paper also analyses the Spatio-temporal pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic in the study area to understand the nature of the disease in different locations.