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Background Very few studies have evaluated the global prevalence of pruritus. Objectives To assess its prevalence according to age, sex, ethnicity and geographic region. Methods An international cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 countries from January to April 2023. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on sociodemographics, and to confirm the presence or absence of a skin disease in the last 12 months and the presence or absence of pruritus in the last 7 days. Results The studied sample included 50 552 individuals. The worldwide prevalence of pruritus was 39.8%. The age group ≥ 65 years had the highest prevalence (43.3%). The prevalence was 40.7% among women and 38.9% among men (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between ethnicities (P = 0.14). Compared with North America (41.2%), the prevalence of pruritus was significantly lower in Europe (35.9%, P < 0.001), Australia (38.4%, P = 0.017), East Asia (40.2%, P = 0.04) and Latin America (36.5%, P < 0.001), and higher in Africa (45.7%, P = 0.007). No significant difference was found with the Middle East (40.2%, P = 0.36). The prevalence of pruritus in BRICS countries (40.3%) was significantly higher than that in developed countries (38.7%) (P < 10– 3 ). Conclusions Out analysis is limited because there is no information about the severity or type (acute, chronic) of pruritus. The global prevalence of pruritus revealed age, sex and geographic region differences, with no ethnic differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, Brazil and China have deepened their political cooperation and intensified their economic relations. They have done so by founding multilateral institutions, such as BRICS and the New Development Bank. However, Brazil's policymakers have not accepted China's proposal to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This article examines why and how Brazil—China relations have evolved to high-level political and economic cooperation. We aim to understand the reasoning behind Brazil's latest foreign policy decision to not sign a MoU, whilst maintaining the desire to stay heavily involved in cooperation with China. This study draws on qualitative surveys and interviews with scholars, policymakers, government officials, and businesspeople. The main findings are: 1) Signing the BRI agreement is seen by Brazilian policymakers as a symbolic act that does not add a new substantial element to the already well-established political relationship between both countries; 2) the Brazilian market and its strong regulatory environment remain attractive to Chinese investors, despite the lack of official participation in the BRI. Thus, our research sheds light on the multifaceted nature of the Brazil-China relationship, and how it extends beyond the boundaries of the Belt and Road Initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transition technologies aimed at increasing energy efficiency are a tool for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit the increase in average annual temperature. To increase the efficiency of implementation of these technologies, it is necessary to forecast innovative activity in the areas of hydrogen energy, CCUS and information technology based on taking into account key influencing factors, the contribution of sectors of the classical fuel and energy complex and the level of mutual influence of countries. Based on the analysis, a forecast was made to increase the share of the sector of international vertically integrated oil companies (VIOCs) in the total number of patents in the field of hydrogen energy by 2.5% points. and an increase in the share of the national vertically integrated oil company sector in the area of CCUS technologies by 10% points. by 2027. It has been determined that the innovative activity of the electricity and coal industry sectors in energy transition technologies is most resistant to the influence of external geopolitical and infrastructural crises. The market for CCUS technologies is currently more susceptible to the effects of international cooperation than the market for hydrogen energy technologies. The authors show that a decrease in the level of international integration by 25% points. over the past 5 years has led to a decrease in innovative activity in energy transition technologies by 15% points. In order to identify international barriers to the introduction of technologies, the authors provide a comparative analysis of the level of mutual influence of countries within the framework of international economic associations using the examples of the SCO, BRICS, and MERCOSUR. The highest level of mutual influence was identified within the framework of SCO interaction. According to the analysis, the entry of new countries into BRICS in 2024 will lead to a decrease in the integral level of innovation activity by 30% points. from the current value and strength of mutual influence of countries by 50% points. Taking into account the identified positive relationship between revenue and innovative activity in the area of information technology, it is recommended to direct investments primarily in favor of Industry 4.0 solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFreezing or the danger of freezing the assets of many countries can make the run away from the US dollar an uncontrolled process. Whereas in the long term this process may be beneficial for the US and the world economy, the short- and medium-term adjustment costs can be extremely high. To ensure a soft landing the New Development Bank of BRICS countries can issue bonds that would be sold to countries, whose assets have been frozen or are afraid that they might be frozen by the West, so that they can store their foreign exchange reserves in these bonds. The Bank will invest the proceeds from the sale of these bonds in the traditional financial instruments for storing foreign exchange reserves—US and EU treasury bills and bonds denominated in the same dollars and euros. These BRICS bonds would be less prone to sanctions and thus considered safe investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impact of energy poverty on the aggregate and disaggregate material footprint components such as biomass, fossil fuel, metal ores and non-metallic minerals while considering the economic growth and tourism development during 2000–2014 for the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). By applying econometric tools, the study confirms a positive and significant impact of energy poverty on aggregate material footprint and its components. The same finding has been reached for tourism development. Moreover, this study finds a U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for all indicators used for material footprints. Based on the findings, this study proposes a set of policies for energy poverty alleviation to attain a sustainable environment and inclusive economic growth in the BRICS region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates the monetary policy reaction function (MPRF) in a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) framework using Bayesian analysis for the emerging economies. DSGE models are suitable for the policy analysis because of their simplicity and prominent role of forward-looking variables. This is a pioneer study investigating the combined effects of credit spreads, fiscal imbalances, and monetary autonomy on interest rates for BRICS member countries. Using real data for the period 1970–2021, the posterior estimates confirm that both credit spread and fiscal imbalance significantly contribute to fluctuations in output, inflation, and interest rates in all the sample economies. The estimates show that fluctuations in the inflation rate are due to supply shocks. The empirical estimates also reveal that fiscal imbalances shock significantly affect output in Brazil, India, and South Africa, whereas, based on real data inflation and interest rate are significantly affected by fiscal imbalance shocks in China and South Africa. Yet, the findings suggest that the effects of various shocks on output and interest rates vary across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most contentious issues discussed in international forums is environmental deterioration, which is seen as a major global problem. Consequently, while a number of carbon emission (CO2) drivers have been covered in the literature so far, little is known about the moderating effect of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on the link between CO2 emissions and mineral rent (MINR). Therefore, for the BRICS nations, this document serves as a representation of the earlier effort to investigate the moderating effect of EPU on the link between mineral rents and environmental deterioration. The aim of this study is to investigate the interaction effect of MINR and EPU on CO2 for BRICS from 1990 to 2022. For this purpose, we use the panel autoregressive distributed lag model to ascertain the long‐ and short‐term effects of EPU and MINR on CO2. The long‐term findings imply that MINR increases 2. In contrast, the moderation effect of EPU aggravates the impact of MINR on emissions. This study makes policy recommendations for accomplishing sustainable development. The governments of these nations may solve the problem of environmental degradation by assuring political stability, adopting dependable macroeconomic policies, and creating policies that are so adaptable that they can be readily controlled or utilized to handle unforeseen environmental concerns in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 1990s and 2000s, many developing nations accepted fixed exchange rate regimes to sustain price stability. By pegging their currencies to an anchor currency (i.e. US dollar), developing countries could bring credibility and confidence into their economies. The study tries to analyse the impact of the pegged exchange rate regime on inflation in BRICS countries for the period spanning from 2003 to 2022. The result points to the loss of monetary policy autonomy due to the ‘impossible trinity’ coming into play with a steady increase in capital inflows. The country’s large trade surpluses and extensive trade relationships may buffer the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on domestic prices, as changes in the exchange rate may be absorbed by changes in trade volumes or pricing strategies. Other factors like demographic trends or government interventions in markets could overshadow the influence of the exchange rate regime on inflation. The impact of changes in the exchange rate regimes on inflation may operate with lags, meaning that any effects may not be immediately observable in the data. The analysis in this study proposes that exchange rate regimes choice and money supply influence the inflation dynamics in the BRICS countries. It merely reflects the success of the central bank in neutralizing its very effort of maintaining the pegged rate, which gives rise to inflationary growth of the money supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1950s, the remarkable amount of global environmental degradation has heightened environmental concerns at both national and international levels. This shift has spurred intensive research into the causes of environmental degradation and potential remedies, including environmental taxes, fines, education, and regulations. The drivers of CO2 emissions have been widely explored in the literature, but the nexus between business climate, human capital, and CO2 emissions has not been examined sufficiently. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to delve into the interplay between renewable energy, business climate, human capital, and CO2 emissions in BRICS countries from 2000 to 2020 using panel causality and cointegration tests. Our research hypotheses suggest that there are significant mutual interactions among renewable energy, business climate, human capital, and CO2 emissions based on the associated literature. The results of the causality test verify the research hypotheses by uncovering a bidirectional causality between business climate, renewable energy use, human capital, and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the cointegration analysis reveals that increases in renewable energy use and human capital decrease CO2 emissions at the panel level, but a positive business climate increases CO2 emissions at the panel level. However, the impact of business climate on CO2 emissions at the country level varies among BRICS economies based on environmental policies. In conclusion, investing in green energy technologies and education is a useful tool to decrease CO2 emissions. In addition to this, the positive effect of business climate on CO2 emissions should be balanced by regulations to increase environmental, social, and governance awareness of firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the intricate relationship between energy policy uncertainty (EGU) and foreign direct investment (FDI) within the BRIC economies over a comprehensive 27‐year period, spanning from 1996 to 2022. Employing advanced econometric techniques such as FMOLS and DOLS for regression analysis, the study unravels the nuanced impacts of EGU on both FDI inflows (IFD) and outflows (OFD). Drawing upon a comprehensive data set, the analysis reveals a significant negative correlation between EGU and IFD, indicating that heightened energy policy uncertainties deter foreign capital from entering BRICS nations. Contrarily, the study unveils a paradoxical positive relationship between EGU and OFD, suggesting that energy policy uncertainties stimulate the outflow of FDI, reflecting the adaptive strategies of multinational corporations navigating uncertainties. The study further explores the role of government effectiveness, labour force and financial sector development, shedding light on their positive influences on IFD and negative impacts on OFD. These findings underscore the importance of effective governance, a skilled labour force, and financial sector development in attracting and retaining foreign investments. This research contributes to the literature on energy policy, governance and FDI, offering policymakers and businesses nuanced insights into crafting strategies that enhance the attractiveness of BRIC nations for foreign investments. The study's findings have implications for shaping stable energy policies, improving governance effectiveness and fostering conditions conducive to sustained economic growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study aims to investigate how Foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade openness influenced economic growth in BRICS countries from 1990 to 2022, using the Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) and System Generalized Method of Moments (System-GMM) methods. Our findings show that these two variables boost economic growth by 0.172, 0.021, 0.291, and 0.072%, respectively. Additionally, the results indicate that BRICS countries have demonstrated greater resilience in terms of FDI and trade before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, underscoring the effectiveness of their investment and trade policies in maintaining economic growth amidst global disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egypt is interested in foreign trade as it leads to an increase in trade flow between it and many countries in the world in general and the BRICS countries in particular, through the trade agreements concluded by Egypt with the BRICS bloc, and in light of Egypt's abundance and diversity of natural resources and competitive advantages in agricultural production, as economic motives are available for economic integration between Egypt and many Arab and international blocs. The study indicates that there is a disparity in the distribution of labor, capital, and the rest of the productive resources between the various economic blocs, as well as the fluctuation of Egyptian exports of agricultural commodities to the BRICS countries from year to year at high rates in recent years, which led to the necessity of studying the demand for these commodities in the BRICS markets. The research aims to try to improve the position of Egyptian agricultural exports with the BRICS countries, as it was found that there is a direct relationship between the gross domestic product of the importing countries and the import price in dollars per ton, and an inverse relationship between the exchange rate and the quantity of Egyptian exports, which is consistent with economic logic. It was also shown that by increasing the gross domestic product of importing countries by about 1 million dollars, the quantity of Egyptian exports increases by about 300 tons, and by increasing the import price by about 1 dollar/ton, the quantity of exports increases by about 100 tons. It was also shown that increasing the population leads to an increase in Egyptian exports to importing countries, as increasing the population by about 1 million people leads to an increase in the quantity of exports by about 400 tons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although the Americas and Europe have historically dominated the global research landscape, emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) have significantly increased their contributions in recent years. This article studies clinical trial trends in the BRICS nations between 2018 and 2022 and compares it with trends in the G7 nations (comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the USA, and the European Union). This will help stakeholders in planning drug development strategies. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) and the World Bank database. An electronic search was done for the total number of trials registered between January 1, 2018, and March 15, 2023. Information was analyzed based on the year of registration, therapeutic area, type of intervention, sponsorship, and type of special population. The trial density indices (TDIs) were calculated based on population (Xi) and gross domestic product (GDP) (Yi) using author-derived formulae. Results: Altogether 2, 77, 536 trials from the BRICS and G7 were registered. China and the US had the most trials among the BRICS and G7, respectively. Between 2018 and 2022, the gap between the BRICS and G7 steadily reduced. The most common indication for clinical trials among the BRICS was cancer. Based on population, the TDI was the highest in China and the lowest in Russia. In proportion to the GDP, the TDI was maximum in Russia and minimum in India. Conclusion: There is a remarkable reduction in the gap in clinical trial trends between the BRICS and G7 nations. Among the BRICS, India and China are at the forefront in drug development. There is scope for improvement in trial density based on India’s population and GDP. Stakeholders are likely to utilize the strengths of the BRICS as an attractive destination for investment in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic performance can be measured using different macroeconomic indicators and different analysis methods. In this context, it is aimed to compare the economic performances of BRICS countries and Turkey for the 2000-2022 period by using macroeconomic variables and to analyze the performances of the countries discussed separately during his period. In the study, GDP per capita, growth rate, exports, current account balance (percent of GDP), inflation, unemployment, exchange rate and import were determined as performance evaluation criteria. Within the scope of the study, an integrated model was used, which deals with the economic performances of BRICS-T countries, ENTROPY and WEDBA (Weighted Euclidean Distance Based Approximation) methods. In the ENTROPY method, the weight coefficients obtained separately for each year and for each country were calculated, and in the WEDBA method, the performance ranking was made by using the obtained weights. According to the results of the study, the country with the best economic performance in the ranking of economic performance among the countries was China in all years, while India had the poorest overall performance compared to other countries on average. In addition, while Turkey was in the second place in 2011, it took the third place when the average of all years was taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the evolving global economic landscape, the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have emerged as proponents of economic multilateralism, challenging traditional paradigms of economic governance and integration. This article explores the prospects and challenges of economic integration among the BRICS nations, with specific reference to calls for an optimum currency area (OCA). With diverse economic capacities and global aspirations, these countries face significant challenges in policy coordination and structural alignment. This comprehensive literature analysis reveals the potential for and the complexity of achieving economic integration among the BRICS, underscoring the necessity for enhanced cooperation and policy harmonisation. Achieving economic integration, including the establishment of a common currency, requires an understanding of the national and collective economic goals, disparities and challenges. Offering insights into the BRICS' role in reshaping the global economic system, this analysis contributes to the discourse on economic integration among developing and emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy agricultural ecosystems underpin both environmental and societal sustainability. In January 2024, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates officially joined BRICS, expanding their crucial role in shaping global economies and sustainable development. To fully assess the current state of agroecosystem research in BRICS+ nations and gain an in-depth understanding of their contributions to the environmental domain, this study systematically examined the contributions of BRICS+ nations to agroecosystems using bibliometric methods. A total of 392 papers from the 2023 Web of Science database were comprehensively analyzed using tools of VOSviewer and Scimago Graphica. The criteria for data collection were the selection of English-language articles on agroecosystems from BRICS+ nations published in 2023. The key findings included enriching research by Chinese scholars, the highly cited article by Liu et al., the notable role of the China Agricultural University, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, and the impact of Science of the Total Environment and Elsevier. The main research topics covered economic growth, agroecosystem management, healthy soil element cycling, and plant studies. Hot keywords included soil, rhizosphere, rice, fertilization, and use efficiency. This study provided a comprehensive and detailed framework for future research and contributed to the global sustainable development agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern era, environmental degradation emerges as a critical global issue. Extensive studies have examined numerous socio and macro-economic determinants of environmental deterioration, yet the contributions of institutional quality and energy productivity justify further investigation. To bridge this gap, the current study addresses the impacts of geopolitical risk and economic policy uncertainty, with a keen emphasis on institutional quality and energy productivity within the BRICS countries from 1992 to 2021. By utilizing advanced econometric techniques such as CS-ARDL, FMOLS, DOLS, and Augmented Mean Group, the research reveals that institutional quality and energy productivity, along with foreign direct investment, exert a mitigating effect on CO2 emissions. However, geopolitical risk and economic uncertainty correlate with an increase in environmental degradation. In conclusion, this study offers valuable policy recommendations derived from its findings, aiming to contribute to pursuing environmental sustainability in the BRICS nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several developing markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), are facing challenges in attaining the targets set with regard to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While previous studies have extensively examined the Environmental Kuznets Curve in BRICS nations, focusing on other proxy of environmental degradation like CO2 emissions and ecological footprint, little attention has been given to the Load Capacity Curve (LCC) hypothesis specifically in relation to emerging economies. Consequently, there exists a gap in the literature regarding the validation of the LCC hypothesis for these economies. To bridge this gap, our research intends to assess the validity of the LCC hypothesis in the context of the BRICS countries. Specifically, we investigate the impact of biomass energy and social globalization on the load capacity factor (a proxy for ecological quality) in the BRICS countries from 1990 to 2018, while considering the roles of economic growth and natural resources. Additionally, we explore the development of an SDG framework tailored for the BRICS nations, which can serve as a blueprint for other emerging economies. To analyze the data, we employ the Method of Moments‐Quantile‐Regression (MMQR) approach along with long‐run estimators. The findings of the MMQR analysis reveal that natural resources, social globalization, and gross domestic product have adverse effects on ecological quality, while biomass energy exhibits a positive influence on ecological quality. Furthermore, our research validates the LCC hypothesis for the BRICS economies. We also observe evidence of causality between the load capacity factor and its determinants. Based on our investigation, we recommend a transition in energy policies from hydrocarbon energy to sustainable energy options by implementing innovative approaches to biomass technology that can enhance conversion efficiency. Implementing these policy changes will not only enhance ecological quality but also align the SDG targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concepts like Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) and South – South Cooperation (SSC) have a significant impact on national strategies for international aid. This paper examines India's policy ideas and local practices to explore the contexts of the national implementation of the SDGs for global public well-being. The study approaches these issues through three avenues: the SDG-oriented idealistic view of international aid, the pragmatic lines of the SSC model and the TOSSD framework that bridges those two aspects. In the case of India, we observe a traditional orientation of international aid focused on the SSC model, combined with a tendency of transformation toward the SDGs. The research discusses Indian practice and analyzes the existing barriers to development and their associated policy solutions. This background reflects on the general transition of development strategies in international aid among the BRICS countries and the potential of these countries' future contributions toward global development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the reconfiguration of the global geopolitical landscape in the 21st century, highlighting the fall of the Soviet Union, the economic growth of China, and the emergence of India as important powers. It also mentions the critical situation of Latin America after the debt crisis and the failure of the Washington Consensus. The objective of the article is to analyze Latin America's relations with global actors such as the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union, and how these relations affect the region. Mélany Barragán Manjón, a professor at the University of Valencia, and Ariel Sribman Mittelman, a researcher at the Institute of Latin American Studies and the Caribbean at the University of Buenos Aires and a professor of Political Science at the European University of Madrid, are presented. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: To estimate the volatility of exchange and stock markets and examine its spillover within and across the member countries of BRICS during COVID-19 and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Design/methodology/approach: The study utilizes the "dynamic conditional correlation-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (DCC-GARCH)" approach of Gabauer (2020). The volatility of the markets is calculated following the approach of Parkinson (1980). The sample dataset comprises the daily volatility of the stock and exchange markets for 35 months, from November 2019 to September 2022. Findings: The study confirms the existence of contagion effects among member countries. Volatility spillover between exchange and stock markets is low within the country but substantial across borders. Russian contribution increased significantly during the conflict with Ukraine, and other countries also witnessed a surge in the spillover index during the pandemic and war. Research limitations/implications: It adds to the body of literature by emphasizing the necessity of comprehending the economies' behavior and interdependence. Offers insightful information to decision-makers who must be more watchful regarding the financial crisis and its regional spillover. Originality/value: The study is the first to explore the contagion of volatility among the BRICS countries during the two biggest crisis periods of the decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary energy consumption structure of BRICS countries is dominated by fossil energy, particularly coal. Coal consumption in BRICS countries is a major driver underlying increased carbon emissions. Therefore, this study developed a spatiotemporal decoupling mode and incorporated factors related to coal consumption-induced carbon emissions into a spatiotemporal decoupling analysis method to provide differentiated and targeted policies for energy restructuring and emission reduction targets in BRICS countries. Moreover, a temporal-spatial decomposition logarithmic mean Divisia index model was developed using the spatiotemporal decoupling index method. The model is based on CO2 emissions generated by coal consumption in BRICS countries, with a primary focus on data from Brazil, Russia, South Africa, India, and China. The findings reveal distinct spatiotemporal distributions and driving effects of coal consumption and carbon dioxide emissions across various countries. Factors such as CO2 emission intensity, coal consumption intensity, economic output per capita, and population structure exerted either positive or negative effects on the distributional effect of the carbon emission-economic output per capita association in BRICS countries. Additionally, country-level heterogeneity in the influence of the distributional effects of CO2 emissions was observed within each BRICS country. Thus, different policies are needed to achieve carbon emission reduction targets in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the claims for "de-Westernizing" Communication and Media studies, we examine the publication trends of BRICS-based researchers between 2012 and 2021. The article compares SciVal and SJR data concerning 7,938 articles to understand the circulation of such academic communities in top-ranked outlets. The results reveal a remarkable productivity growth in all BRICS countries, striking differences within the group in the number of research articles, the emergence of China as the bloc's leading hub, and the lack of cooperation among such five countries. We also discuss and criticize how the "de-Westernization" agenda may eventually become another category domesticated by the Global North. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method, including tool support, for bibliometric mining of trends in large and dynamic research areas. The method is applied to the machine learning research area for the years 2013 to 2022. A total number of 398,782 documents from Scopus were analyzed. A taxonomy containing 26 research directions within machine learning was defined by four experts with the help of a Python program and existing taxonomies. The trends in terms of productivity, growth rate, and citations were analyzed for the research directions in the taxonomy. Our results show that the two directions, Applications and Algorithms, are the largest, and that the direction Convolutional Neural Networks is the one that grows the fastest and has the highest average number of citations per document. It also turns out that there is a clear correlation between the growth rate and the average number of citations per document, i.e., documents in fast-growing research directions have more citations. The trends for machine learning research in four geographic regions (North America, Europe, the BRICS countries, and The Rest of the World) were also analyzed. The number of documents during the time period considered is approximately the same for all regions. BRICS has the highest growth rate, and, on average, North America has the highest number of citations per document. Using our tool and method, we expect that one could perform a similar study in some other large and dynamic research area in a relatively short time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the clinical trial landscape in BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and the need for further action. Despite improvements in healthcare infrastructure, these countries still face challenges such as a shift in disease burden and regulatory approval delays. The study found that China and the US had the most trials among the BRICS and G7 countries, respectively, with cancer being the most common indication for trials in BRICS countries. The article emphasizes the importance of addressing these challenges to promote clinical research in BRICS countries. [Extracted from the article]

"Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict between Russia and the West" by Maximilian Hess is a comprehensive analysis of Russia's economic strategies and foreign policy in the context of the conflict with Ukraine. The book explores the economic turmoil between Russia and the West, including Western sanctions and Russia's countermeasures. It also examines the interplay between Russia's economic maneuvers and the dominance of the US dollar as the global reserve currency. The author highlights Russia's efforts to regain economic influence in the post-Soviet region and extend its influence in other regions such as Africa and Latin America. The book also discusses the vulnerabilities of Russia's commodity-reliant economy and the impact of Western sanctions. Overall, "Economic War" provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of the Russia-West conflict and the global geopolitical landscape. [Extracted from the article]

This paper aimed to evaluate the research trends in the discipline of library and information science (LIS) originating from the group of nations known as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). The Web of Science core collection database (WoSCC) has been used to extract the published data during the period 1989–2020. Furthermore, VoSviewer and Bibliometrix R package software have been employed for bibliometric analysis of data and data visualization. Results from data analysis indicate that China has the highest number of publications. There is a positive upward trend in scientific publications and citation patterns. Scientometrics is the most influential journal with the highest number of publications. Wuhan University is the most productive institution. Fourie I (n = 233) attains the first rank as the most prolific author based on the highest number of research publications. The overall collaboration rate of LIS publications among BRICS countries is moderate. Deep learning, machine learning, sentiment analysis, altmetrics, and artificial intelligence are the leading topics in LIS research among BRICS nations. The study will be of interest or helpful for researchers and professionals in the LIS research field who are interested in learning more about research trends in LIS in the BRICS nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aims at analyzing the determinants of trade in forest products across BRICS and EU nations by using forest cover as one of the determining factors. For this purpose, a gravity model has been utilized for the country panel of BRICS and EU from 1996 to 2020. Five product categories corresponding to the forest trade (at HS-2 level) have been considered for the analysis. Further, Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood method has been used to estimate the gravity model. The study found that the forest cover of the trading nations from BRICS and EU has affected bilateral exports of primary wood products, wood pulp products, and related items significantly. The control variables included in the gravity model have resonated the results of existing literature. The study provides good policy insights on promoting trade in forest products by adopting appropriate forest conservation policies and other interventions that can help countries in increasing their respective forest covers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the media coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in the major news outlets of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). The BRICS countries, which represent diverse nations with different political and media systems, offer an opportunity for non-Western powers to influence the global media debate. The article explores the differences in the framing of the conflict between the Western media and the BRICS countries, highlighting the BRICS nations' demand for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The article also includes studies on how the war was portrayed in the media of South Africa, Russia, Brazil, India, and China. [Extracted from the article]

Bringing a new healthcare product to market can be challenging, especially when navigating the complex regulatory requirements of different countries. The approval process can be a maze of differing regulations, but this study provides a roadmap to success. This study aims to provide a clear and concise comparison of the regulatory dossier requirements of MIST and BRICS with ICH countries. The results of this study highlight key similarities and differences in their standards for quality, safety, efficacy, preclinical and clinical trials, and more. Whether you're looking to meet stringent requirements or find areas of alignment, this study offers valuable insights to help you bring your product to market with confidence. This comprehensive comparative analysis helps in succeeding in today's rapidly evolving pharmaceutical market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to investigate the behavior of exchange rate in the BRICS countries, with an emphasis on exchange rate passthrough and exchange rate determination empirical models. By applying the ARDL Bounds Testing Approach Methodology, from January 2005 to December 2019. Our main results show that: i) there is a long run cointegration among the variables analyzed for all estimated models; ii) there is a very slow speed of adjustment towards the long run equilibrium; iii) there is evidence of exchange rate passthrough to inflation mainly in the long run, but not as strong as before; iv) there is no evidence of exchange rate overshooting; v) international reserve accumulation can be considered a partial explanation for the evidence of no exchange rate overshooting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to contribute to the improvement of a more comprehensive approach to international competitiveness, from the attempt to construct a revealed comparative advantages index that considers not only the participation of economies in the world market from the perspective of exports, but also the importance of value-added of exports and, in a broader sense, decentralization of world production, for the construction and maintenance of oligopolistic positions of industries and countries. For this, we used data from the TiVA database, in the period between 1995 and 2018, focusing on two groups of developing countries: BRICS and ASEAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study tries to determine the research trends of BRICS countries on cardiomyopathy disease research during 2011–2020. The study analyses 8,013 cardiomyopathy research documents retrieved from the Web of Science database for ten years. Findings of the study revealed that the maximum documents 1,189 were published in 2020, 23.07% maximum annual growth rate was recorded in 2013, and the highest 93.11% CAGR was recorded in the year 2012. The highest RGR 1.84 and doubling time 1.17 recorded in the year 2020 and 2013, respectively. The most prolific journal was the International Journal of Cardiology, with 209 articles. Zhang Y contributed the most number of documents (236, 2.94%). The University of Sao Paulo had the top most relevant affiliation with 787 documents. China led the list of most cited countries with 53,306 total citations, but the USA had the highest average article citations, i.e., 29.24. The majority of documents were in the form of articles. China contributed the most number of documents among all the BRICS countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viren Murthy's book, "Pan-Asianism & The Legacy of the Chinese Revolution," examines the concept of pan-Asianism and its influence on Japan and China from the late 19th century to the present day. Murthy argues that pan-Asianism is not only a movement to empower weaker nations against the powerful, but also an exercise in imagining a future beyond imperialism and capitalism. The book covers influential pan-Asianist thinkers such as Okakura Kakuzō, Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kang Youwei, Zhang Taiyan, Li Dazhao, Sun Yat-sen, Ōkawa Shūmei, and Takeuchi Yoshimi. It explores the deployment of pan-Asianism in support of Japan's imperialist desires and its convergence with sympathy for the Non-Aligned Movement and Third Worldism. The book concludes by discussing the prospects for anti-capitalist imaginaries in contemporary Chinese thought. While the book raises important issues about Asian unity and alternative visions to the imperialist status quo, it also acknowledges the ambiguity and complexity of pan-Asianism as an instrument. [Extracted from the article]

Sustainable development goals, particularly number 7, clearly urges economies over the globe to multiple their efforts in order to improve efficiency. Although witnesses stressed out the importance of energy efficiency and claimed that when it is improved drastically, it triggers economic growth, however, the reported evidences to support the claim are mixed. In BRICS scenario, economies are experiencing the change from high-speed growth to high quality growth, due to which it is equally important to look into green investment as it is an essential tool to build high quality economic growth. Although green investment targets energy conservation as well as ecological deficit as it main goal. However, limited literature claims that it affects economic growth as well. Thus, the present study aims to assess green investment, energy efficiency, and economic growth (EG) and their impact on economic freedom index of the BRICS countries. Methods of Moments-Quantile-Regression (MMQR) approach is applied to explore the association between the understudy constructs in the time span of 2001-2020. Interestingly, it is revealed that green investment, energy efficiency and renewable energy are positively related with economic freedom index of the BRICS countries. With the evidences, the study proposes a conclusive remark to spur development across the countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's global landscape, a well-managed nation brand stands as a crucial intangible asset, significantly enhancing a country's ability to attract investment, talent, and tourism while distinguishing itself in international competition. This study systematically reviews nation branding research from the past decade, spanning from 2014 to April 2024, by analyzing 578 peer-reviewed articles from prominent databases like Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). Utilizing bibliometric analysis techniques, including performance analysis, citation analysis, co-citation analysis, and author analysis, the study identifies key contributions, influential publications, and leading authors within the field. The findings reveal a predominant influence of Western countries in nation branding research, with emerging contributions from BRICS nations. This comprehensive review highlights significant research trends, such as the growing importance of digital media in shaping nation brands and the increasing focus on sustainability and cultural diplomacy. The study also uncovers existing knowledge gaps, particularly in the areas of measurement methodologies and the impact of geopolitical changes on nation branding. By employing VOSviewer software, the research visualizes co-citation and cooccurrence networks, providing deeper insights into the collaborative and thematic landscape of nation branding research. These visualizations reveal key clusters of research activity and thematic concentrations, offering a roadmap for future investigations. The study aims to serve as a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners, fostering a more nuanced understanding of nation branding and guiding future research directions in this vital area. By identifying the most influential works and authors, this review not only acknowledges the contributions made to date but also sets the stage for advancing the field through targeted research addressing identified gaps and leveraging emerging trends in global nation branding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The theoretical debate of corruption’s impact on economic growth remains unsettled, making it an empirical question. This study aims to investigate corruption’s effect on BRICS countries’ economic growth. Design/methodology/approach – A panel dataset on BRICS countries spanning 1996 to 2020 was used. Bias-corrected estimators in small dynamic panels were employed to estimate a growth model as a linear-quadratic function of corruption that accounts for cross-sectional dependence, endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity due to country and time-specific characteristics. Findings – The results indicate that corruption is detrimental to economic growth in BRICS countries; the quadratic relationship implies corruption is less prevalent in some countries than others. Thus, governments of BRICS countries are encouraged to embark on anti-corruption policies to boost their economic performance. Originality/value – An important limitation of corruption studies is the difficulty in measuring real corruption experiences due to the secretive nature of corruption and the fact that corruption is known not to leave a paper trail. For the uncertainty of the index estimates, the analysis used a continuous corruption composite score measuring the standard deviation of the extent to which public power is exercised for public gain. Furthermore, estimation and inference are robust to small dynamic panels with a general form of cross-sectional dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several nations across the world place a high focus on achieving carbon reduction objectives. Climate change is the most catastrophic result of human activity. Eco-innovation, export diversification, and fiscal decentralization are all viable approaches for resolving environmental concerns and achieving environmental sustainability goals. These tactics could help countries and levels of government pursue what they consider to be sustainable development. This research assesses the combined impact of export diversification, green technical innovation, and fiscal decentralization in order to accomplish the environmental sustainability goals of the BRICS countries from 1970 to 2020. The long-run dynamic equilibrium between the chosen variables is explored using the augmented mean group (AMG) approach. The results show that while the use of green technology and renewable energy improves the environment, ecological harm is aggravated by export diversification, fiscal decentralization, and economic growth. The BRICS nations should exercise caution while implementing export diversification and fiscal decentralization programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the research growth, collaboration trends, and performance of the author, organization, and countries and to identify the trending research topics on gender equality and women empowerment research in BRICS countries. This study employed Scientometric tools to evaluate the research publications for ten years (2012- 2021). A total of 1,558 bibliographic records were downloaded from the Scopus and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Tableau statistical tools. Moreover, the network visualization and scientific mapping analysis was done using the open-source data visualization tools VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny. It was found that BRICS countries were actively involved in research on gender equality and women's empowerment in the last decade as the publication was growing by 20.45% Annual Growth Rate (AGR) and research outputs shared 16.18% of global publications. India contributed the most publications (n=683) and received the highest citations (TC=2,798), while South Africa was the most significant collaborator with different countries across the globe. The study also identified the most prolific authors, organizations, and journals based on the number of scientific publications and citations. It is indispensable to highlight that most prolific authors and organizations were affiliated with South Africa. In recent years research has been trending in topics related to women's education, women empowerment, entrepreneurship, gender equality, and sustainability. Furthermore, the study identified the most influential articles based on the citation burst. The findings of this study will benefit contemporary society, the scholarly community and other key stakeholders in the field by providing an understanding of the development and trends of research in the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the G20 and BRICS forums were established roughly at around the same time. This article examines India's engagement with both these forums in the context of its complex position as a leader representing the Global South and a newly emerged power seeking an elevated status in international diplomacy. The study begins by highlighting India's initial scepticism towards the G20 and its preference for the transformative potential of BRICS. However, under Modi, India's approach gradually shifted towards embracing the G20, driven by multiple factors. The article also explores the relevance of BRICS for India amidst its growing inclination towards the G20. It argues that India cannot afford to undermine BRICS, as it would strengthen China's claims as the sole representative of the Global South. However, its aim to balance China within the BRICS has proven to be challenging owing to recent developments that have complicated matters for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An education system is a framework that meets the educational needs of a particular target group. Education systems consist of different components and elements to provide effective education to the target group with specific educational needs. These components include the education system policy, education system administration, education structure and support services. For the effective functioning of an education system, it is necessary that all components collaborate. New challenges are constantly being posed to education systems, and changes in technology, the community, the target group and the curriculum are constantly occurring. To ensure effective teaching in the education situation, education depends on additional help from service providers which do not form part of the education system. These support services (additional assistance) are essential for the effective functioning of education and contribute to the effectiveness of teaching. The need for specific types of educational support services differs with respect to different education systems, as the needs of particular target groups may differ from one another. This study investigates educational support services for learners as an element of the education system in the BRICS member countries and identifies the best practices in the educational support services of these countries. The aim of the study derives from the fact that there have been concerns among various education authorities regarding support services that do not function optimally and do not meet the educational needs of teachers and learners, as well as teaching activities and structures. There is a lack of research on specifically the nature of the component "support services to learners in the BRICS countries". Therefore, the problem was addressed by using a comparative view of the education component of support services to learners in the BRICS countries in order to identify challenges and best practices and make recommendations to improve these support services to learners. The research was conducted using a qualitative research approach within the framework of the interpretivist research paradigm by using a document analysis as the method of data generation. Various types of documents were used, which had mainly been found through the use of the search engines Google Scholar and SAePublications, as well as books and academic journals. After careful study of the documents, all data relevant to the study were screened and categorised so that themes could be identified. The following themes were identified: inclusive education; assistance to learners employing the aid of medical and dental services; social services; and nutrition services. The BRICS member countries were selected as participating countries for the study, as all five member countries are involved in identifying their needs and establishing action plans to ultimately meet the educational needs of the target group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of the Anthropocene, a term used to describe the period in which human activities have significantly impacted the Earth's environment. It discusses the "Great Acceleration," which encompasses processes like climate change, urbanization, and species extinction. The recognition of the Anthropocene as a geological unit is a topic of ongoing debate, and geographers play a crucial role in understanding and defining this concept. The article also highlights the challenges in determining the beginning of the Anthropocene and the importance of using various datasets to study the Great Acceleration. Geographers are encouraged to contribute papers that offer conceptual frameworks and solutions for addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene, with the Covid-19 pandemic serving as a template for studying this phenomenon. [Extracted from the article]

One of our era's greatest menaces is pollution, particularly air pollution, on account of its negative impact on climate change which has greatly influenced morbidity, mortality, and has a devastating effect on health. Pollution and its impact on health is a major substratum of economic growth because it tends to have a crippling effect on the economy of countries that have overindulged in pollution-causing activities. Pollution-prone countries are countries that are known to dominate the manufacture and supply of goods, services, and raw materials and countries whose growth models are based on the availability of natural resources and their products. A perfect example of these types of countries is the group called the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). In this study, the mixed-method methodology was utilized in acquiring and analyzing secondary data on the economic growth and pollution in the BRICS countries, and case studies on the impact of pollution in certain parts of these countries were explored. The result of all the investigations showed that the creation of the NDB helped to preclude the "state of dependency" described by Andre Gunder Frank. We discovered that the high growth rate of the BRICS countries has had a negative impact on environmental quality over the years, industrialization and urbanization being the major factors influencing the growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative rattled the South Asian security environment vigorously as it involved strong territorial sensitivities of India, which found itself engaged on two fronts with Pakistan and China. The BRI has been the geoeconomic drive projecting China's peaceful rise. It has been welcomed with hope and suspicion as Western powers are equally interested in containing China in the Asian order. This paper examines BRI as a source of external transformation to the regional security complex model devised by Buzan. South Asia's inadequacies in bringing internal transformation, as envisioned by Buzan, allow the BRI to be a source of cold peace in the region. The BRI looks at decentered region-building with an appeal of great power overlay. This tier is relevant in diluting the South Asia geopolitical polarities. The paper claims that BRI influences South Asian geopolitics, where India and Pakistan are no longer locked into bipolarities. The smaller states are bandwagoning with China, and that calibrates the South Asian regional security complex. The cold peace laced with geoeconomic transformation can render a regional transformation to the security complex such that the South Asian regional security complex might dissipate into two or more mini-complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are a major force in energy markets in BRICS countries, including in national energy innovation systems. In this research, we investigate whether some of the largest oil and gas SOEs in BRICS countries - Brazil's Petrobras, Russia's Gazprom, India's ONGC, China's PetroChina, and South Africa's PetroSA - are greening their innovation to foster low-carbon solutions in line with shifting government Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on climate change. We compare the innovation priorities of oil and gas SOE firms in these countries, and specifically their efforts in clean energy from 2005 to 2020. Using an original data set, we set forth case studies on five SOEs and highlight differences in their approaches across a number of different features: the level of government ownership; firms' revenues and financial health; national government policy; and global oil prices. We assess factors influencing performance in clean energy innovation and study each firm's success in registering patents for specifically targeted energy technologies. Our findings show that all five SOEs demonstrate only modest efforts in greening of their energy innovation outcomes. We observe their heavy reliance on oil revenues to finance innovation and note how ongoing responsibility to avoid oil and gas shortages is stifling green innovation. We recommend policy avenues for governments to realign SOE practices with climate action and specifically NDCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are contradicting views regarding the casual nexus between a country's military spending and its nation's income inequality. Military spending is a critical component of government budget and can simply crowd out transfer payments, needed to improve income inequality. However, these payments can also stimulate a demand that can enhance the income prospects of the low-income earners. So, the association between military spending and income inequality is a vital question. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between military spending and income inequality for BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). We used panel data extracted from different sources such as World Bank's World Development Indicators and Penn World Tables. This is the first study that disaggregate the data and compute the results for the full sample (all BRICS countries taken together) and for sub-samples for countries with military expenditure of about 2% of GDP (India, china and Russia) and countries with military expenditure of less than 1% of GDP (that is, South Africa and Brazil). Thus, to unravel the influence of military spending on income inequality, pool mean group (PMG) or panel autoregressive distributed lag (PARDL) approach was applied for the period from 1990-2017 for BRICS nations. Overall, the empirical result for the pooled sample established an inverse relationship between military expenditure and income inequality. A percentage change in military expenditure result in income inequality reduction within the BRICS community. The estimated coefficient of GDP per capita, show that a percentage increase in GDP per capita in the long run will lead to about -0.209756 reduction in the level of income inequality and statistically significant at 1% level. When data was disaggregated to reflect the BRICS countries whose military expenditure was about 2% of the national budget (i.e. Russia, China and India), the study found that military expenditure had a negative influence on income inequality in the long run equation. Based on the outcome of this empirical work, we recommend for policy makers should focus more on the policies which can improve economic activities within the BRICS nations and ultimately reduce income inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since green patents have been rising rapidly over the past few years, countries are recognizing the need to foster green innovation to address the most serious issue of the 21st century i.e. climate change. This paper examines green innovation, focusing on institutional theory and venture capital in BRICS countries. Using fixed effect method of panel regression analysis, it is discovered that Institutional framework of countries with the integration of stringent environmental regulation and venture capital considerably drive green innovation. This study is unique since it combines Institutional and financial perspectives to examine the factors that drive environment sustainability through green innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological changes and deformations put nations around the world under socioeconomic pressure and are thus an important topic of discourse. In this framework, this study explores the effect of economic progress, natural resources, renewable energy and financial development on load capacity factor (proxy of ecological quality) utilizing the second‐generation approach for the case of the BRICS economies. Moreover, the paper explores the validity of the load capacity curve (LCC) hypothesis that has been recently introduced in the energy economics literature for the period between 1990 and 2018. The research results disprove the validity of the LCC hypothesis for the BRICS nations. Moreover, economic progress, financial development and natural resources cause ecological quality to decline, while renewable energy improves ecological quality. The panel causality results also support these results. Among several recommendations, the research advises that governments and policymakers advocate for reforms to promote renewable energy sources. The BRICS countries can go green and maintain ecological sustainability through this transition towards renewable energies, which is also a top priority of the UN's SDG 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]