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This paper presents evidence of gender peer effects in high schools in India using new administrative data. Identification of gender peer effects is achieved by exploiting variation induced by idiosyncratic changes in gender composition across cohorts within schools, in addition to controlling for past scores. The proportion of female classmates in a student's cohort has a sizeable positive effect on the test scores of both male and female students. We find that peer effects vary non-linearly with the proportion of female students. Finally, we provide suggestive evidence on plausible mechanisms. We show that achievement spillovers are not the main driver of positive gender peer effects. Using a supplemental dataset, we show that a greater proportion of female students leads to an improved classroom environment in the context of Indian schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for farmers in developing countries to combat the effects of climate change, sustainable agricultural practices (SAP) have been promoted, but their adoption rate remains modest. Prior research examining psychological and socio-economic issues has identified farmers' limited knowledge and capital contribute to this problem. However, supply chain systems that require farmers to follow formal and informal rules (governance arrangements) have received little attention in previous studies. From a system thinking standpoint, this article seeks to comprehend farmers decision regarding SAP adoption by examining the influence of governance arrangements on the socioeconomic and psychological aspects of farmers. This paper concentrates specifically on governance arrangements between farmers and midstream actors, to whom farmers sell their products directly. This study utilises a qualitative research methodology, specifically employing multiple case studies. A system thinking approach utilising a Causal Loop Diagram was applied to comprehend farmers decision regarding SAP adoption. The case studies cover supply chain systems that have different governance arrangements. The study focused on examining the rice supply chains in Indramayu District and the fresh vegetable supply chains in West Bandung District, located in West Java, Indonesia. This paper found that different governance arrangements exhibit distinct influences, which in turn have varying impacts on farmers' decisions to adopt SAP. Governance arrangements that foster greater market integration and exert influence on the psychological (e.g., knowledge and information) and socio-economic (e.g., provision of production inputs and price assurance) aspects are regarded as the most effective approach to promoting the adoption of SAP by farmers. Furthermore, this paper revealed that midstream actors play a crucial role in promoting the adoption of SAP among farmers. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge on how governance arrangements within agricultural supply chains influence farmers decision regarding SAP adoption. Specifically, it investigates the influence of midstream actors in facilitating farmers' adoption of SAP by addressing their psychological and socioeconomic requirements. The findings imply that government supports must be extended to midstream actors that have made efforts to persuade their farmers to implement SAP as a means of addressing climate change, as well as implementing midstream actors-to-farmer extension initiatives alongside the government's existing farmer-to-farmer extension programmes. [Display omitted] • Psychological and socio-economic aspects play an important role in deciding whether or not farmers will adopt SAP. • Governance arrangements within supply chains may facilitate the adoption of SAP by farmers. • Governance arrangements exhibit distinct influences, which in turn have varying impacts on farmers' decisions to adopt SAP. • Supply chain governance integrating psychological and socio-economic aspects effectively promotes SAP. • Governments can promote SAP through intermediary trader-to-farmer extension programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the relationship between the digital revolution and the income of rural households in China based on the difference-in-differences (DD) method. Using rich family survey data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2010 to 2018, I show that the digital revolution has a large positive effect on the income of rural households, an effect of approximately ¥1382 ($214) per year, which also applies for less-educated groups. My results can be explained by an increase in the frequency of internet use, especially in relation to work and business activities. The internet promotes China's rural transformation, such as increasing employment, entrepreneurship, and part-time work. In addition, the digital revolution has a direct impact on agricultural production income. This study highlights the importance of the digital revolution in reducing information costs, as it helps broaden channels for farmers to increase income and achieving inclusive regional growth. • This paper finds that digital revolution has a significant effect on rural family income in China. • The digital revolution has a greater effect on low-income families. • The digital revolution can promote regional inclusive growth. • The reallocation effect of the job creation and the increasing efficiency of agricultural production play a role part in it. • My results provide a theoretical basis for developing countries to promote the construction of new infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of shared, autonomous, electric, and on-demand mobility services introduces urban air mobility (UAM) as an emerging intra-city transportation service operated by vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Despite the potential benefits of UAM limited literature exists on the end user's perception and the challenges to its societal acceptance, especially in developing economies. This paper addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the factors influencing UAM usage intention in Tehran, a developing country capital. Within the framework of the extended technology acceptance model, the study collected 828 valid questionnaires through a face-to-face survey. Structural equation modeling is employed to highlight the effects of a wide range of factors associated with individual differences, system characteristics, and social influence. The findings indicate that attitude, subjective norms, trust, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, personal innovativeness, ecological awareness, and price evaluation are positively associated with UAM usage intention, while perceived safety correlates with the attitude toward UAM negatively. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders, fostering a deeper understanding of end-user perspectives in developing countries, and prudently promising the potential for its targeted implementation. The study suggests that although its widespread adoption in developing countries is unlikely to occur in the near future, UAM should be regarded as a viable early and timely solution to persistent issues such as chronic congestion in metropolitan areas of the global south. • Urban Air Mobility (UAM) provides a fast, green and convenient mode of transportation. • Attitude is the primary factor that determines individuals' inclination toward UAM. • Other factors such as Subjective norm, Trust, and Perceived usefulness also contribute to individuals' inclination toward UAM. • Safety concerns is the only factor that has a negative impact on the attitude toward using UAM. • In a developing country context UAM can be implemented for targeted markets, although its widespread use seems infeasible in the current stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, road traffic crashes involving pedestrians have become a foremost concern. At present, road safety assessment plans and selection of interventions are primarily restricted to traditional approaches that depend on the investigations of historical crash data. However, in developing countries such as India, the availability, consistency, and accuracy of crash data are major concerns. In contrast, proactive approaches such as studying road users' risk perception have emerged as a substitute method of examining potential risk factors. An individual's risk perception offers vital information on probable crash risk, which may be beneficial in detecting high-risk locations and major causes of crashes. Since the pedestrian fatality risk is not uniform across the urban road network level, it may be expected that pedestrians' perceived risk measured in terms of "crossing difficulty" would also vary across the sites. In this perspective, the present paper establishes a mathematical association between the pedestrians' perceived "crossing difficulty" and actual crashes. The model outcome confirms that pedestrians' perceived crossing difficulty is a good surrogate of fatal pedestrian crashes at the intersection level in Kolkata City, India. Subsequently, to examine the impact of traffic exposures, road infrastructure, land use, spatial factors, and pedestrian-level attributes on pedestrians' "crossing difficulty"; a set of Ordered Logit models are developed. The model outcomes show that high vehicle and pedestrian volume, vehicular speed, absence of designated bus stop, the presence of inaccessible pedestrian crosswalk, on-street parking, lack of signalized control (for both vehicle and pedestrian), inadequate sight distance, land use pattern, slum population, pedestrian-vehicular post encroachment time, waiting time before crossing, road width, and absence of police enforcement at an intersection significantly and positively increase pedestrian's crossing difficulty at urban intersections. To end, the model findings are advantageously utilized to develop a set of countermeasures across 3E's of road safety. • Establishes mathematical association between pedestrian perceived crossing difficulty and actual crashes. • A one-unit increase in pedestrian perceived crossing difficulty is expected to increase fatality risk by 1.3 times. • Infrastructural deficiency, high speed, and traffic volume are the key factors influencing pedestrian crossing difficulty. • Pedestrian crossing difficulty is significantly high near bus stops, slum areas, and unsignalized crossings. • Formulates a set of suitable countermeasures to reduce pedestrian crossing difficulty and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and climate change are significant factors contributing to the damage and degradation of cultural heritage buildings, diminishing their inherent historical, cultural, and social values in many developing nations. Consequently, cultural heritage conservation requires focused attention to support socio-economic development. This paper proposes a priority quantitative model for identifying barriers to cultural heritage conservation from governmental and educational perspectives in Vietnam using the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Among the 22 identified barriers, the research revealed the top six prioritized barriers: limited human resources, lack of funding, user behavior, difficulty of the approval process, limited community participation, and delays in payment procedures. This study gives practitioners a deeper understanding of the challenges faced during the heritage conservation process. Significantly, this research enriches the body of knowledge about barriers to cultural heritage conservation in developing countries, enabling governments to devise effective strategies and policies for sustainable heritage conservation. • Climate change and urbanization process in cultural heritage conservation. • Identified barriers to cultural heritage conservation projects in a developing country. • Aggregated priority barriers by fuzzy TOPSIS from government and educational perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Paper seeks to explore significant injury severity risk factors in 3-WMR collisions. • Correlated random parameter modeling framework is adopted to address the unobserved heterogeneity. • Importance of considering unobserved heterogeneity is demonstrated. • Study provides useful insights and policy implications to improve the safety of 3-WMR riders. Traffic crashes involving three-wheeler motorized rickshaw (3-WMR) are alarming public health and socioeconomic concerns in developing countries. While most of the earlier studies have dealt with safety analysis of four- and two-wheelers, there is a noticeable gap in understanding the safety dynamics, especially the risk factors affecting the crashes involving 3-WMR. The present study aims to address this gap by exploring potential risk factors influencing 3-WMR crashes, utilizing a correlated random parameters multinomial logit model with heterogeneity in means (CRPMNLMHM). This modeling framework advances the classic random parameters model by capturing associations among random parameters, providing a more comprehensive understanding of crash risks associated with 3-WMR. The empirical analysis draws on three years of traffic crash records (2017–2019) maintained by RESCUE 1122 in Rawalpindi city, Pakistan. A comparative assessment between the modeling frameworks demonstrated that CRPMNLMHM outperformed its counterparts. Model assessment for heterogeneity in the means identifies two significant variables, i.e., young age and nighttime, which yield statistically significant random parameters. In addition, the model's results suggest that fatal and severe injury outcomes in 3-WMR crashes are affected by several attributes related to temporal characteristics (weekend, nighttime, and off-peak indicators), driver profiles (young, older aged, and speeding), posted speed limits (>70 kmph), weather conditions (raining), and crash characteristics (collision with pedestrians, trucks, or 3-WMR overturning). The present study's findings offer invaluable insights, emphasizing the significance of considering for unobserved heterogeneity in variables contributing to the injury severity of 3-WMR crashes. Moreover, in light of the findings, a set of policy implications are suggested, which will guide safety practitioners to develop more effective countermeasures to address safety issues associated with 3-WMRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly urbanizing cities in Southeast Asia experience increasing flood impacts due to the consequences of climate change. In these cities, policy efforts to build flood resilience are gaining momentum. The aim of this paper is to understand and assess flood resilience policy development, particularly in cities in developing countries. Bangkok is one of the cities that participates in the 100 Resilient Cities Programme (100RC) - the international policy platform for building resilient cities. In 2017, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) launched the 'Bangkok Resilience Strategy' to translate the resilience concept to its urban context. A framing perspective is adopted to reconstruct the strategy, process and anticipated outcome of Bangkok's flood resilience policy. We studied data obtained from 'insiders' (involved policy makers, experts and consultants) and 'outsiders' (local communities, civil society organizations and news media). Findings indicate that the economic growth frame is prevailing in the development of Bangkok's flood resilience policy, prioritizing structural flood protection with little attention for flood adaptation measures and related social impacts among vulnerable communities. The role of local communities and civil society in the formulation of Bangkok's flood resilience policy is limited. This paper therefore recommends cities in developing countries and cities in the 100RC Programme to organize a more inclusive resilience building process for addressing social problems regarding urban poor communities along with increasing flood safety and protection. • Strategy, process and outcome are key aspects of flood resilience building. • The formulation of Bangkok's flood resilience policy mainly involved 'insiders'. • The Bangkok Resilience Strategy prioritizes safeguarding economic growth. • Structural flood protection is persistent despite attempts to adopt new strategies. • To achieve flood resilient cities, 'outsiders' need to be involved and empowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacturing of glass packaging is an energy and resource intensive process and the demand for glass packaging is increasing because of rising world population, especially in the developing countries. However, although a significant amount of glass packaging is produced in developing countries, there is limited research focused on the environmental impact assessment and analysis of the glass manufacturing activities. Thus, in order to fill this research gap, this paper reports a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) for the manufacturing of glass packaging in Pakistan. The LCA was conducted for three different types of glass (amber, flint and green) packaging solutions. The study was based on cradle-to-gate perspective, while considering 1-ton of glass produced as the functional unit. The primary data were collected from a well-known glass industry located in one of the dedicated industrial zones in Pakistan. SimaPro V 9.2. was used as the software tool and environmental impacts were quantified at midpoint and endpoint levels using ReCiPe 2016 method. The results indicated that extraction and processing of raw materials, and the plant-based glass production process cause worst impacts on the environment. More specifically, the consumption of natural gas for glass melting and the electricity from the national grid are the most contributing elements at the plant level. At midpoint level, comparatively green glass has the highest impact in various impact categories, such as global warming, fresh water ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, etc. At endpoint level, human health is mainly impacted among various areas of protection. Overall, green glass remains the dreadful option for human health in comparison with other glass types. Alternative scenarios were also generated for all three packaging solutions by changing the energy-mix, especially to see the difference in greenhouse gas emissions. The study also outlines various important implications. As this is the first such study, it may be used as a benchmark for further environmental impact assessment studies for glass packaging industry, especially in developing countries. • This paper focuses on the environmental impacts of manufacturing of various glass packaging solutions. • Raw materials extraction, and plant-based glass melting cause worst impacts on the environment. • The human health is mainly impacted among various areas of protection. • Overall, the green glass remains the dreadful option for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Car ownership is growing very rapidly in China; whilst this is a reflection of sustained economic growth, it presents a major challenge to Chinese transport policymakers. The consequences of China's motorization also extend beyond the national borders, however, via mechanisms such as increased demand for new automobiles produced in North America and Europe and the global atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. Chinese cities are also experimenting with innovative transport policies to manage increasing car ownership, which in a number of cases go beyond the menu of policy options that have traditionally been considered in the West. Despite policy interest for these reasons, China's motorization process is poorly understood, in part due to a scarcity of relevant data. This paper contributes to the body of literature regarding this phenomenon by drawing on a unique data resource: the 2011 wave of the China Household Finance Survey (n = 8438 households). This is a disaggregate national-scale survey dataset developed to monitor economic conditions in China, though to the authors' knowledge the CHFS has not previously been employed to study patterns of car ownership. We report a set of three analyses, to identify factors associated with: 1) whether a household owns at least one car, 2) multiple car ownership, and 3) whether a household owns a new car. Amongst other empirical results, we find that living in a rural area is negatively associated with car ownership, net of confounding effects, and that within towns/cities poor accessibility (i.e. long travel time) to the town/city centre is also negatively associated with car ownership. These findings regarding spatial effects are contrary to typical findings in the West, where car ownership is generally lowest in urban centres. An earlier version of this study was presented at the 2017 Transportation Research Board conference. Highlights • Despite widespread policy interest, China's rapid motorization is poorly understood. • This paper draws on a unique data resource: the China Household Finance Survey. • We report spatial effects (urban v. rural and accessibility to town/city center) contrary to Western countries. • While different from today's patterns in Western countries, we demonstrate similarity to historic observations in the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Many non-communicable diseases account for most deaths in the Philippines. • Health research in developing countries may benefit from biobanks. • Adequate funding is a primary consideration in establishing biobanks. • Government buy-in and funding support are needed to ensure sustainability. • Holistic set of factors should be considered prior to biobank implementation. Biobanking has paved the way for significant biomedical advancements which could be very advantageous for a developing nation like the Philippines. Current challenges faced by the existing biobank in the country suggest the need for satellite biobanks. The main objective of this manuscript was to summarize various important factors to consider in the establishment of a regional biobank in a developing country. The paper also identified the various challenges to the sustainability of the biobank and highlighted potential solutions and opportunities that could address these concerns. Western Visayas, Philippines is a viable site for a regional biobank due to its location, health situation, availability of human resources, and existing research infrastructures. The main obstacles to the establishment of this biobank are the participation of the public, the involvement of physicians and academic scientists, operational issues, and stable financial support. The success and sustainability of the regional biobank depend on multisectoral collaboration. Western Visayas institutions must increase their research collaborations and must form public-private partnerships to advance science, and maximize the benefits of a regional biobank. In general, a successful regional biobank should consider a framework focused on financial, operational, and social dimensions. Public interest summary: Health research in developing countries may benefit from the establishment of human biobanks. Although biobanking studies in these developing nations have grown significantly over the last decade, challenges still exist that impede progress toward edifying it. Important factors like resources, acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality should be considered in the establishment of a regional biobank in a developing country. Although implementation and practicality aspects appear to be viable, serious challenges encompassing human and capital resources, as well as social, legal, and ethical issues must be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motive is an important underlying reason an organization engages in a particular behavior, which includes initiating a particular information systems adoption. Adoption motives, however, are situational, urging motivational studies to be contingent on the context. The purposes of this paper are therefore twofold: (1) reflecting on the case of Indonesian e-voting initiative, to examine the local government’s motives behind e-government adoption; (2) to identify emerging themes that might have influenced the process of e-voting adoption in several Indonesian villages. Qualitative data were collected from five government leaders at both municipal and village levels in a municipality that have previously conducted village e-voting elections. This study found that performance-related rationalities, i.e. cost-savings, reducing service delivery-time, are the main drives for e-voting adoption in this case. Although instances of motives belonging to technological and strategic clusters have also been recorded, none of the leaders responded to operation-related motives. This might be due to the simplistic interpretation of e-voting as merely a replacement for paper-ballots, while its broader implication to democratic values and election best practices have been largely ignored. Moreover, it was evident from the study that the decision to adopt voting technology in this case has been significantly influenced by political interests, where strong cases of leadership further accelerated the adoption process. The strong determination exhibited by higher level leaders has put significant pressures on the lower level authorities to implement e-voting, which might have conflicted with their own organizational strategy, socio-cultural norms, and citizen preparedness. This study is important to identify context-based rationales behind e-voting initiatives in Indonesia and the results are relevant to assist Indonesian government in the development of other e-government strategy in the future. This paper further emphasizes for a broader strategy which takes account of the risks of impairing democratic values and generating conflicts during electoral processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renewable energy industry is one of the fastest growing industries attracting a great amount of foreign direct investment, being one of the top 5 industries in 2015 in terms of the amount of investment allocated. However, the allocation of foreign direct investment in the sector greatly varies between developing countries. Preceding studies have tried to explain the location determinants of foreign direct investment mainly by looking at the effects of institutional and macroeconomic factors. The renewable energy sector has been supported by various economic, regulatory, and political support policies. Considering the importance of these support policies, the paper analyses their effects on foreign direct investment as location determinants in comparison with that of the widely accepted determinants (institutional and macroeconomic determinants), focusing on wind energy in developing countries. The results show that renewable energy support policies have equivalent or greater effect compared to the widely accepted determinants such as corruption level, price stability, access to finance, and GDP growth. The paper demonstrates the importance of analysing determinants of foreign direct investment focusing on a specific sector rather than looking at overall foreign direct investment. The paper also provides important policy implications including the need to improve the regulatory aspect of renewable energy sector such as access to grid infrastructure in order to attract foreign direct investment into the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits three rounds of panel data provided by the Peruvian dataset of the Young Lives study to investigate the relationship between child cognition and obesity status among the poor. Child weight status is measured by a full distribution of child weight, from severely thin to obese, using data from a z-score for body mass index and cognition is measured by the Spanish version of the Picture Peabody Vocabulary Test (PPVT). This relationship is studied at age five and age eight (school age), and disaggregated across socioeconomic factors of gender, urban/rural setting and indigenous/nonindigenous status. The initial results suggests that obese children have higher cognitive scores and that this result is driven by those who are female, non-indigenous and live in an urban region. However, after correcting for possible bias due to unobservable heterogeneity, there is little evidence of this relationship. The one exception is for a weakly significant relationship between obese female children and higher cognition, a relationship which tends to weaken between the ages of five and eight. On the other end of the weight distribution, indigenous children who are severely thin or thin have significantly lower cognitive scores, a relationship that holds after correcting for possible bias and appears to strengthen between ages of five and eight. This paper contributes to a very small set of literature on child cognition and obesity, points to the importance of controlling for unobserved heterogeneity in estimation, and is the first of its kind to study this relationship in a developing country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It is high time we explored the embryonic issue of cyberbullying among youth. • The paper aims to categorize the aspects of cyberbullying encountered by young females in developing countries. • Eight hundred sixty research papers published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2007 and 2021 were explored. • Forty-seven relevant publications were identified and synthesized using the PRISMA flow diagram. • Based on the bibliometric data, term co-occurrence network maps were created using VOSviewer. • Cross-mapping the bibliometric terms with the detailed qualitative interviews piloted in a developing country, the authors developed three themes, i.e., social bullying, psychological bullying, and invasion of privacy. In today's tech-mediated world, cyberspace has spread beyond the Internet and as a result, it is high time we explored the embryonic issue of cyberbullying among youth. This qualitative systematic review aims to categorize the aspects of cyberbullying encountered by young females in developing countries. A total of 860 research items published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2007 and 2021 were explored. Using the PRISMA flow diagram, 47 relevant publications were identified and synthesized. Based on the bibliometric data, term co-occurrence network maps were created using VOSviewer. Subsequently, cross-mapping the bibliometric terms with the detailed qualitative interviews piloted in a developing country, the authors developed three themes, i.e., social bullying, psychological bullying, and invasion of privacy. This research reveals that cyberbullying comprehends social, psychological, and invasion of privacy aspects for young females in developing countries. Finally, this qualitative paper concludes with future research directions in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Station-based one-way carsharing benefits in a developing country. • The results in Shanghai are compared with the relevant research results in different cities in the world. • Operation data and questionnaire survey are combined to evaluate the carsharing's impact on vehicle ownership. • Characteristics of users affected by carsharing are analyzed and the key factors are identified. • Shanghai carsharing mainly suppresses vehicle growth by reducing individual willingness to buy a car. Carsharing is considered an important alternative to the private car. Based on the studies in Europe and North America, it is agreed that carsharing can reduce private car ownership. However, due to the differences in the development stages and characteristics of cities and transportation, it is unknown whether carsharing can also decrease car ownership in China, which results in a gap in the evaluation of carsharing in China. This paper takes the carsharing project EVCARD in Shanghai as an example. Based on survey data on vehicle ownership from users and actual operations data, the impacts of carsharing on selling cars, giving up and delaying purchasing a car in Shanghai are quantitatively analyzed. The results in Shanghai are compared with the relevant research results in different cities around the world. The results show that: (1) the carsharing project in Shanghai also has the benefit of reducing private car ownership. Each carsharing vehicle can replace 4.56 private cars. However, unlike in European and North American cities, Shanghai carsharing mainly suppresses vehicle growth by reducing individual willingness to buy a car, because the proportion of cars sold owing to carsharing is obviously lower than in Europe and North America. (2) For giving up car purchases, carsharing mainly suppresses the first car in the family. (3) Good public transport and carsharing services can substantially improve the substitution benefits of carsharing for private cars. If carsharing can reach the service level of "whenever and wherever carsharing is available", the proportion of users who sell, give up and delay buying cars will increase from 0.78%, 30% and 31% to 12%, 40% and 47% respectively. The findings in the study provide a quantitative basis for assessing the carsharing benefits on the reduction of vehicle ownership in China, and also provide a useful reference for evaluating carsharing benefits in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objective: midwifery educators play a critical role in strengthening the midwifery workforce in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure that women receive quality midwifery care. However, the most effective approach to building midwifery educator capacity is not always clear. This paper will explore approaches used to build midwifery educator capacity in LMIC and identify evidence to inform improved outcomes for midwifery education. Design: a structured search of bibliographic electronic databases (CINAHL, OVID, MEDLINE, PubMed) and the search engine Google Scholar was performed. It was decided to also review peer reviewed research, grey literature and descriptive papers. Papers were included in the review if they were written in English, published between 2000 and 2014 and addressed building knowledge and/or skills in teaching and/or clinical practice in midwifery educators who work in training institutions in LMIC. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) was used to guide the reporting process. The quality of papers was appraised in discussion with all authors. The findings sections of the research papers were analysed to identify successful elements of capacity building approaches. Findings: eighteen (six research and 12 discursive) papers were identified as related to the topic, meeting the inclusion criteria and of sufficient quality. The findings were themed according to the key approaches used to build capacity for midwifery education. These approaches are: skill and knowledge updates associated with curriculum review, involvement in leadership, management and research training and, participation in a community of practice within regions to share resources. Key conclusions: the study provides evidence to support the benefits of building capacity for midwifery educators. Multilevel approaches that engaged individuals and institutions in building capacity alongside an enabling environment for midwifery educators are needed but more research specific to midwifery is required. Implications for practice: these findings provide insight into strategies that can be used by individuals, faculties and institutions providing development assistance to build midwifery educator capacity in LMIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal end-of-life vehicle (ELV) treatment is a significant barrier to sound ELV management. The main issues concerning illegal ELV treatment in heavily motorized countries are random dumping of automobile shredder residue (ASR), and random abandoning of ELVs. Different from heavily motorized countries, a notable problem in China is that a large number of ELVs are flowing into the informal sector every year. This number seems to grow with the constant and tremendous rise of vehicle usage in China. The goal of this paper is to better understand this problem, and provide a document for references in the establishment of a high quality ELV management system in the motorization process. This paper combined desk research and field work in China to explore the underlying factors behind the problem, and the lessons which developing countries in the motorization process could learn from China. We found that the persistent existence of an extensive informal ELV treatment sector in China is due to a combination of economic, social, historical and administrative factors. It is unlikely that any of these factors on their own would prolong the existence of the informal ELV sector. However, it is difficult or nearly impossible to make a qualitative change to the economic, social and historical factors that prolong the existence of the informal ELV sector. On the other hand, administrative factors are comparatively easy to change. We thus provide recommendations about ELV management for developing countries in the motorization process, based on the analysis of administrative factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Human systems and processes may obstruct the realisation of benefits when they coexist with digitalised processes. • Healthcare digitalisation is a more plausible where the telecom and banking sectors are gaining digitalisation maturity. • Standardisation, Convergence and Connectivity, and Storage Systems tend to matter in healthcare digitalisation in Ghana. The emergence of digital technologies within the health sector has presented opportunities for improving medical care while strengthening health systems across the globe. Despite this promise, the extent of digitalisation, especially in developing countries, somewhat remains undetermined. Such knowledge is needed to learn and shape future advances in the sector. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore the generative mechanisms of digitalisation in the Ghanaian health sector, in order to understand and assess the extent of digitalisation, based on the digitalisation outcomes of the respective generative mechanisms. Underpinned by the critical realism philosophy, a single case study approach was adopted to explore the generative mechanisms of digitalisation in the Ghanaian health sector, and how the varying degrees of digitalisation are interpreted and explained in the empirical world. The study found five generative mechanisms of digitalisation in the Ghanaian health sector. These were Standardisation, Convergence and Connectivity, Storage Systems, Financial Transparency, and Data Security. Full activation of these mechanisms revealed that the first three generative mechanisms achieved high levels of digitalisation based on the extent of organisational transformations observed after the digitalisation process, as compared to the last two generative mechanisms which were rated as average. This study concludes that the extent of digitalisation in Ghana's health sector is more of reality than mere perception. The demonstration of how critical realism can be used to unearth insights into the extent of healthcare digitalisation in a developing country context spells the contribution of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over three billion people live in the rural areas of low- and middle-income countries. Often rural households have many unmet energy needs, including cooking, lighting, heating, transportation, and telecommunication. Designing solutions to meet these needs requires an understanding of the human, natural, and engineered systems that drive village energy dynamics. This paper presents the results of a novel study of energy supply and use over a one year period in an isolated rural village of 770 people in Mali. Quantitative data and narrative descriptions from this study portray village energy supply and use. Annual village energy use is 6000 MJ cap−1 yr−1. Domestic energy needs account for 93% of village energy use. Wood is the primary energy source and provides 94% of the village energy supply. Approximately 98% of the wood is used for domestic consumption. The uses of wood in the home are cooking (52.2%), heating water (22.2%), space heating (19.1%), and other activities (6.5%). This paper also reports variations in energy usage over the period of a year for a broad range of domestic, artisan, transport, and public energy uses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In many developing countries, there is a desire to switch from traditional fuel to renewable energy. However, the supply of renewable energy is often characterized by a severe lack of reliability. This paper seeks to answer if, and to what extent, power outages inhibit switching from fuelwood to hydropower based electricity supply, and factors that determine households' willingness to pay to reduce power outages using a unique combination of mixed logit and seemingly unrelated regression models. We find that frequency, duration, timing of power outages and advance notice are important characteristics determining whether households switch to electricity. The less reliable the electricity supply is the less likely households are to switch to it. Therefore, unreliability in electricity supply maintains the current use of fuelwood, resulting in continued environmental and health problems. Hence, policymakers should work to improve reliability to speed up the desired fuel switching process. • We study households' valuation of reliability of electricity in developing country. • We conducted a choice experiment with a sample of urban households in Ethiopia. • We combined mixed logit and seemingly unrelated regression models for the analysis. • Unreliable electricity make households shy away from fully switching to electricity. • Income, age, type and price of fuels are among the determinants of households' MWTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analyze the relation of early-life disease environment and adult height in Chile, between 1960 and 1989. • The decline in Infant Mortality Rate explains almost all of the increase in height. • GDP per capita does not appear to explain gains in adult heights. • This pattern persists after controlling for internal migration and urbanization rates. • Public Health policies are strongly related to this long-term effect on adult height. In this paper, we analyze the relationship between adult height and early-life disease environment, proxied by the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the first year of life, using cohort-region level data for Chile for 1960–1989. IMRs show a remarkable reduction of 100 points per thousand over this thirty-year period, declining from 119.4 to 21.0 per thousand. We also document a 0.96 cm increase in height per decade.We find that the drop in IMRs observed among our cohorts explains almost all of the long-term trend in rising adult heights, and that per capita GDP does not appear to have any predictive power in this context. Results are robust in a variety of specifications, which include area and cohort dummies, an adjustment for internal migration, and urbanization rates. Our results point to the long-term effect of a public health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Agriculture is one of the main assets of Pakistani and Indian economies, employing in both countries about 50% of the total labour force. Thus, improving agricultural sustainability in the Indo-Pak region has important implications for the local population as well as the rest of the world that relies on food imports from these countries. This article investigates the drivers and consequences of changes in crop production sustainability in India and Pakistan from an emergy-based perspective, from 2001 to 2011. However, due to the numerous crops cultivated in these regions, a detailed calculation of unit emergy values (UEVs) for each crop was not possible, therefore the paper presents a balance at country level (based on literature data for the crops' UEVs), rather than a canonical emergy accounting. The emergy perspective was chosen to holistically evaluate and compare the environmental pressures caused by crop production in both countries. Emergy-based indicators were calculated based on the real time series of input renewable and non-renewable sources. The major findings of the work revealed that purchased renewable inputs, such as irrigating water, and purchased non-renewable inputs, such as agricultural labor, are the largest contributors among the total inputs in both countries. Labor accounted for 46.79% and 60.59% of total emergy input for crop production in India and Pakistan respectively. Overall, the production efficiency in India was greater than that in Pakistan. Emergy of crop production in Pakistan witnessed an increase of only 23%, whereas India saw an increase of 42% during the study period. Despite the lack of data on each specific agricultural process, this trend is an evidence of the fact that, if on one side the agricultural activities in the two countries were intensified to supply an increasing population, on the other side, although India performed better than Pakistan, the sustainability of the agricultural practices (from a nature-oriented perspective as assessed with emergy analysis) in both countries did not improve.. Trends of carrying capacity indicated that intensive means of agricultural production are threatening natural resources in both countries. This study empirically demonstrates the need to conserve natural resources, especially water, which have been rapidly declining in these two countries. Since both countries share these resources, this study represents an evidence for the need to cooperate for transboundary natural resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores the process of building technological capability in government-led satellite programs within developing countries. The key message is that these satellite programs can learn useful lessons from literature in the international development community. These lessons are relevant to emerging satellite programs that leverage international partnerships in order to establish local capability to design, build and operate satellites. Countries with such programs include Algeria, Nigeria, Turkey, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. The paper first provides background knowledge about space activity in developing countries, and then explores the nuances of the lessons coming from the international development literature. Developing countries are concerned with satellite technology because satellites provide useful services in the areas of earth observation, communication, navigation and science. Most developing countries access satellite services through indirect means such as sharing data with foreign organizations. More countries, however, are seeking opportunities to develop satellite technology locally. There are objective, technically driven motivations for developing countries to invest in satellite technology, despite rich debate on this topic. The paper provides a framework to understand technical motivations for investment in satellite services, hardware, expertise and infrastructure in both short and long term. If a country decides to pursue such investments they face a common set of strategic decisions at the levels of their satellite program, their national context and their international relationships. Analysis of past projects shows that countries have chosen diverse strategies to address these strategic decisions and grow in technological capability. What is similar about the historical examples is that many countries choose to leverage international partnerships as part of their growth process. There are also historical examples from outside the space arena in which organizations have pursued technological capability. Scholars have analyzed these examples and developed insightful frameworks. The paper draws key concepts from this literature about the nature of development, technology, knowledge and organizational learning. These concepts are relevant to learning in new satellite programs, but the ideas must be applied cautiously because of the nature of satellite technology. The paper draws three major lessons from the international development literature regarding absorptive capacity, tacit knowledge and organizational learning; it synthesizes these lessons into a cohesive, original framework. The closing section proposes future work on a detailed study of technological learning in specific government satellite programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy is indispensible in modern society and is one of the most important components of socio-economic development. Nepal is one of the least developed countries with more than 80% of its population residing in rural communities. Per capita energy usage – often viewed as a key index of the development – in the country is far less than the global average per capita energy usage. The energy sector is dominated by the traditional energy sources such as fuel woods, crop residues and animal dung mainly for domestic usage contributing to about 86% of the national energy consumption. Currently 40% of the population has access to electricity, and the rural electrification accounts for only 29%. The majority of rural populations are meeting their energy needs by burning biomass in traditional stoves which has several environmental and public health issues. Nearly all fossil-derived fuels consumed in the country are imported in a refined form, and the perpetual increase in petroleum imports has adversely impacted the existing fragile economy of the country. Despite a huge potential in harnessing various renewable energy resources such as hydropower, solar power, wind energy and biofuels/bioenergy, these resources have not been sustainably captured due to geographical, technical, political and economical reasons. This paper presents a brief account of Nepal''s renewable energy resources and the current status of various renewable energy technologies (RETs) such as micro-hydro, solar power, wind energy, biofuel/bioenergy, improved cook stoves, and improved water mill. It also highlights the opportunities and barriers for the development of RETs. Finally this paper presents some recommendations for the promotion, development and implementation of RETs in the country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The IEA CCS Roadmap highlighted the significance that CCS will need to play in achieving an atmospheric CO2 concentration stabilization of 450 ppm. In the scenario it is based on, CCS will provide approximately 20% of the total CO2 emissions reductions out to 2050. Achieving this contribution of emissions reductions will require an ambitious CCS growth-path, with 100 projects needed globally by 2020 and over 3000 by 2050. In both 2020 and 2050 the major developing countries, including South Africa will need to contribute to CCS deployment. South Africa has a heavily coal-dependent economy with 94 % of electricity production coming from coal. In addition to this, South Africa also meets approximately 30% of its domestic fuel -oil demand through the conversion o f coal and gas to transportation fuels. The combination of these two factors means that South Africa is as dependant on coal as any country in the world, placing the country as the 13th largest CO2 emitter in the world. Currently South Africa is experiencing electricity shortages where the reserve margin is below desired levels on a daily basis. Consequently, deployment of electricity generation capacity is seen as a priority. With the slow development of renewable energy and the deployment of nuclear energy currently under review, the required short term increase in electricity production is likely to come from new, coal plant that will be expected to be in operation for 50–60 years, thus continuing the country’s dependence on coal for some time to come. At the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, South Africa announced that it would take nationally appropriate mitigation actions to enable a reduction in national GHG emissions equating to a deviation of 34% below the “Business as Usual” emissions growth trajectory by 2020 and a 42% deviation below the below “Business as Usual” emissions growth trajectory by 2025, pended upon the provision of sufficient funding and technology support. Given all these factors, CCS could be a crucial technology for South Africa in the near future. This paper looks to discuss the current status of CCS in South Africa. This includes looking at the key outcomes of the recently released South African CCS Research and Development Roadmap and the milestones it outlines, such as the development of a geological storage atlas by 2010, a CO2 test injection by 2016, and a demonstration project operating by 2020. It also looks at how the South African government is positioned toward CCS, including how CCS fits with the countries priorities of poverty alleviation, economic growth, sustainable development, job creation and ensuring the most efficient use of domestic resources. In addition the paper looks at the manner in which the South African government could go about regulating the operation of CCS projects. The paper will discuss the options available to South Africa to fund CCS demonstration and deployment domestically including via the clean development mechanism (in the event that the question of using this mechanism in the CCS context is dealt with at the international level), development banks and other, appropriate, development finance institutions. Public awareness and engagement on CCS will also be covered, given the crucial role the public play in the smooth progress of projects. Finally the paper will look at international collaboration on CCS including the role South Africa can play internationally and what more the international CCS community can offer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the current status of CCS in Indonesia and includes a review of the recently released Indonesia CCS Study Working Group report on the potential for CCS in Indonesia, collaboration between LEMIGAS, KLH, PT PLN, WEC, Shell and the British Embassy. The report found that there is significant potential for CCS in Indonesia, but also a number of barriers to overcome. This paper also considers regulations and legal aspects for the Indonesian government to consider for operation and long-term stewardship of CCS projects. It also includes a discussion of the options available to Indonesia to fund CCS demonstration and deployment domestically, with consideration towards the clean development mechanism (CDM) or other financing mechanisms, development banks, etc. Other opportunities including EOR and utilization of CO2 are discussed as nearer term opportunities to deploy pilot projects. The paper concludes with a discussion of the overall current status, awareness and support for CCS in Indonesia and international collaboration on CCS including the role for Indonesia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The IEA CCS Roadmap highlighted the significance that CCS will play in achieving an atmospheric CO2 stabilization on 450 ppm. In the scenario it is based on, CCS will provide approximately 20% of the total CO2 emissions reductions out to 2050. To achieve this contribution it will require an ambitious CCS growth path with 100 projects needed globally by 2020 and over 3000 by 2050. In both 2020 and 2050 the major developing countries will need to contribute to this deployment. Brazil has a unique electricity and emissions profile. Over 80% of Brazils electricity is produced from hydropower with the rest being made up by a combination of fossil fuels, biomass, and nuclear. This means the energy emissions in Brazil are relatively low. Many people within Brazil see stopping the deforestation of the Amazon as the key emissions reduction mechanism for Brazil. However, the contribution to CO2 emissions from coal is expected to increase due to 6000 MW of coal power that is planned to be installed in Brazil by 2030, although this still only represents 2.7% of grid compared to 83% from renewables. CCS in Brazil will be more relevant to industry rather than for electricity generation. In particular CCS could be crucial for the development of some of the “Pre-salt” petrol eum fields which bring new challenges. Although there are no conclusive studies on the concentration o f carbon dioxide (CO2) in the region, some wells have shown concentrations of CO2 above those found in the Campos Basin, while others showed concentrations close to zero. Still, Petrobras have proactively committed to not releasing to the atmosphere, the CO2 associated with the natural gas produced in the pre-salt layer. In addition, the pre-salt oil is considered of good quality, light oil and therefore, the refining process consumes less energy and will emit less CO2 when compared to the processing of heavier crude. This paper looks to discuss the current status of CCS in Brazil. This includes looking at the current status of a number of demonstration projects that are already underway in Brazil as well as additional ones that are planned. The paper will also discuss the. Public awareness and engagement about CCS given the crucial role the public play in the smooth progress of projects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The value of contradictions in relation to learning has mostly remained unrecognized and undermined, barring the recent contribution made by the 'Activity Theorists' in relation to organizational learning (OL). The bulk of literature on school improvement, in general, puts huge emphasis, for example, on 'collaboration', 'shared mental models' and 'alignment' – notions that have contributed much to undermining the value of contradictions. In the context of developing countries, 'contradictions' have always been viewed as a threat to power and authority; thus, a broader culture of compliance and submission has prevailed. This is where the paper aims to make a unique contribution by sharing findings from an empirical study on OL in a developing country, Pakistan. The paper brings forward interesting dimensions on how contradictions either remains unrecognized and/or addressed in a limited way in the context of submission and compliance, and therefore has implications for learning of organization. Based on the findings from this case study of OL, the paper also draws significant insights for academicians and practitioners alike to understand the existing capacity of schools for learning and how that can be enhanced further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to identify the most cost-effective areas for Demand Side Management (DSM) in Nepal. On-site interviews were undertaken with power utilities (the Nepal Electricity Authority or NEA and its sub-companies) and various electricity end-users in Nepal to collect data, as well as walk-through auditing at the end-users’ premises. International standard financial and economic analysis methodologies were used to project cost-effectiveness assessments. This paper concludes that the majority of the potential DSM technologies in Nepal are financially viable and that the most cost-effective areas for DSM technologies in Nepal include power factor (cos ϕ) correction; energy-efficient lighting in the residential and commercial sectors; and the installation of intelligent motor controllers for industrial induction motors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The availability of free patent databases on the Internet, offers the opportunity of opening the door of patent information not only to patent specialists, but also to many other groups, such as researchers, decision makers, potential inventors and students. The goal of this paper is to show how the combination of free patent databases (in this paper esp@cenet®) and dedicated software makes it possible to perform easily and rapidly tests on new ideas, the automatic benchmarking of an enterprise''s activity and the stimulation of innovative thinking. The benchmarking of companies alone, or of clusters of enterprises is exemplified with reference to the concept of high temperature lubricating oil technology. How to improve innovative thinking is shown within the context of an analysis of coconut technology in postgraduate courses of competitive intelligence provided in Indonesia. Both applications emphasize that the role of patent information is expanding as a unique source of technical information because free availability combined with easy patent mapping and analysis allow non-specialists to use this information source in all technical aspects of innovation, research and development, and strategic planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cleaner production is essentially aimed at increasing production efficiency, while at the same time eliminating or minimizing wastes and emissions at their source, rather than treating them after they have been generated. The concept is especially important to developing countries, where energy natural resources are scarce, and the pace of environmental degradation is continuously increasing. This paper is the outcome of an activity launched by the Egyptian Pollution Abatement Project (EPAP) presenting an outline of a proposed strategy to encourage the uptake and implementation of cleaner production in Egypt. The paper presents the importance of cleaner production to Egypt, and examines the steps taken in that direction. The paper also addresses the motivation for considering cleaner production in Egypt, and the challenges faced in that regard. The steps the industry has to take to achieving cleaner production goals are proposed, as well as the different policy instruments that the Egyptian government should implement to encourage cleaner production implementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the light of fresh international initiatives to achieve Universal Basic Education and gender equality in education by 2015, this paper examines factors affecting its realisation in the context of Somaliland. In a ‘country’ where over 80% of the school age population are receiving little meaningful education, the paper reflects on more flexible approaches to education to enable sustainable education for children and disadvantaged adults. The paper draws on fieldwork data from a DfID-funded study (DFID ED2000/107) and the authors’ own experiences.The discussion highlights the peculiar circumstances of Somaliland. It charts the provision of Education in Somaliland from the colonial era through post-independence times to the civil conflict which led to the destruction of education in the country. It goes on to look at the progress being made at the present time following ‘stop-gap’ measures for emergency education towards revitalising enhanced education. It completes the picture by describing challenges to the achievement of the UBE target.The authors review aspects of alternative and flexible educational approaches and urge the integration of these non-formal systems with the formal, governmentally controlled school systems being restored in Somaliland. They do so while sounding a note of caution that for all the energy and enthusiasm associated with these approaches, they have yet to be evaluated for their effectiveness in providing quality basic education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the 21st century, China is experiencing rapid economic growth alongside increasing car ownership and its attendant challenges. However, little is known about the determinants of expenditure on car acquisition and household car ownership in China, especially their dynamics as this motorization process has taken place. In this paper, we present household car ownership and expenditure analyses using a unique panel dataset, the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS). We identify three clusters of households with distinct income and expenditure characteristics consistently existing from 2011 to 2017. We also demonstrate distinctive temporal patterns in expenditure in the periods prior to, at-time-of, and following car acquisition for car-purchasing households. We report that most, but not all, determinants we studied have been stable over time. Finally, contrary to contemporary findings in Western countries, being a younger-aged household is positively associated with car ownership, while living in rural areas has a negative association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to better understand the adverse consequences of mandatory dividend rules. Specifically, we identify two main reasons why some firms only pay the mandatory minimum dividend: financial constraints and private benefits. We also argue that the consequences of these rules for firms should depend on the reasons behind their choice to only pay the minimum dividend. Using a sample of publicly traded Brazilian companies and multivariate regressions, we find strong evidence that financially constrained firms are more likely to only pay the minimum dividend, with weak evidence that firms whose managers who use the dividend decision to enjoy private benefits are more likely to only pay the minimum dividend. Moreover, and consistent with our expectations, firms that only pay the mandatory minimum dividend due to financial constraints tend to have a higher value attached to their cash holdings, and they tend to reduce investments more intensely in response to shocks that increase the cost of external financing. Thus, we conclude that mandatory dividend rules can adversely affect some firms and that more flexible rules should be considered. [Display omitted] • In this paper we try to shed light on the dark side of mandatory dividend rules. • We develop a model of firm investment and dividend decisions under such rule. • Our evidence suggests that financial constraints stimulate the minimum payout. • We concluded that mandatory dividend rules adversely affect some firms. • Therefore, more flexible rules should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burns management and mortality rates have improved in even developing countries including some Arab states. This paper describes an experience with burn victims in the Yemen to draw attention to the victims’ plight, the challenge posed to bodies, such as the International Society of Burn Injury (ISBI), and, the basic required corrective measures. Patients and methods: Between 1996 and 1999, sponsored surgical teams paid four visits to four Yemen cities. The patients presented here are a consecutive series of the plastic surgery operations that the teams performed. No literature on burn care in the Yemen could be traced. Results: The cities visited were Mokalla, Sayown, Taiz and Aden. Of 406 plastic procedures, 139 were for post-burn contracture release and are the focus of this paper. The victims were mostly children and the hand (49; 35%) was the most common site. Types of operation performed were release and split skin grafi, excision and full thickness skin grafi, release and local flap, and, multiple Z-plasty. Conclusions: This experience confirms the believe that, given initiative and efficient organization of available resources, developing countries such as the Yemen can also achieve better burn management. Solutions suggested are determining local health needs; onsite conferences, symposia and training programs; local personnel to visit burn centers overseas; burn research and prevention activities; and epidemiologic studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ethanol production chain is a complex system with a considerable number of actors and relationships. While Brazil stands out as a major producer of sugarcane ethanol, the production model in the north-eastern and southern regions is typically formed by small and medium production units, mostly associated to family-farming and associative production. This feature changes the relationships and profiles of the production chain, requiring understanding for the development of appropriate environmental, political, economic, social, ethical, and technological actions. This paper systemically maps variables that act in ethanol production chain in Southern Brazil, seeking to understand the interrelationships among its actors. Data collection was based on a review of the technical and academic literature and semi-structured interviews with different experts and actors of the chain. Systems dynamics diagrams model how the chain is configured and the main cause-effect interrelationships between the actors identified. Scenario analysis supports the analysis and discussion of the modelled context, seeking to contribute to the discussion about the competitiveness and economic sustainability of biofuel chains integrating associative production and family-farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The screening theory of education argues that education does not necessarily enhance worker’s productivity, but serves only as a signal of worker’s pre-existing ability. Empirical studies found that the mere possession of a diploma increases wages disproportionately than without it, or the so-called sheepskin effects. Using a sample of urban non-agricultural wage workers in the Philippines, this paper finds substantial sheepskin effects for holding a tertiary diploma, even after controlling for individual heterogeneity. While returns to tertiary education are lower in the competitive (private) sector, there is evidence of diverging age-earnings profiles between tertiary and secondary graduates, indicating a productive value higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy projects in developing countries should provide clean energy supply as well as support sustainable economic development. To this end, risks arising from uncertainties such as rapidly changing technologies and host government conditions should be carefully addressed. However, traditional methods for economic assessment are not adequate to support decision-making regarding investments in renewable energy. This paper proposes a real options analysis framework as a tool to assess renewable energy investment in developing countries. A case study involving a hydropower project in Indonesia was conducted to validate and verify the proposed framework. This framework is expected to help host countries and investors assess renewable energy projects with high volatility and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Offering nursing students' international clinical placement during the educational program is one response to meet the need of cultural competence among nurses. This paper provides insight into the impact of clinical placement, in a developing country, on third year nursing students. In the study we investigated how short term international clinical placement impacted Norwegian nursing students' development of cultural competency. Design and Methods In this study we utilised a qualitative descriptive design and used individual interviews with eighteen Norwegian nursing students who had all participated in an international clinical placement. The data were analysed using the principles of systematic text condensation. Results In spite the international clinical placement only was four weeks, the findings suggested that real life experience culturally awakened the students and forced an ongoing process developing cultural competence. However, it is important to give students time to reflection. Conclusions Although increased cultural awareness and a growing cultural competence was identified by the students undertaking international clinical placement, further research is required. It is important to investigate the best methods to support the students' reflection such that the experiences lead to learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes Phase I of the World Bank Group's (WBG) technical assistance project for the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in Mexico. Phase I was concluded in early 2016 and saw the completion of three studies: 1. A pre-feasibility study of a proposed post-combustion capture (PCC) pilot plant at a natural gas-fired combined-cycle (NGCC) power plant in Mexico. This study, carried out by NEXANT Inc. under a consultant's assignment from the WBG, included a comparative techno-economic evaluation of six advanced amine-based PCC technologies and a generic amine-based conceptual pilot plant design. 2. A review of state-of-the-art practices related to combining carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR) with geological storage of CO 2 in Mexico. Specifically, this review, conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute under a consultant's assignment from the WBG, assessed the requirements a CO 2 -EOR project must satisfy in order to qualify as a permanent storage project and earn carbon credits. 3. A study of the development of a CCUS regulatory framework for Mexico. This study, prepared by Milieu Ltd. under a consultant's assignment from the WBG, undertook a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the current regulatory framework in Mexico as it pertains to CCUS, identified critical gaps and barriers that are expected to impede the development and implementation of CCUS, and made a series of recommendations for overcoming these and barriers. These three studies, funded by the WBG administered Trust Fund for Carbon Capture and Storage Capacity Building in Developing Countries (WB CCS TF), form the foundation for further work and will benefit the implementation of the planned pilot projects. The subject studies were also important for building capacity, increasing the awareness of CCUS among the various stakeholders in CCUS and building up their capacity, in line with the objectives of the WB CCS TF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pathways for improving Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) performance in garments. • The role of international buyers and leadership for improving OHS performance. • Analysis of small set of fourteen garment suppliers using fuzzy set comparative qualitative analysis (fsQCA) Under pressure from international buyers and local government, garment suppliers in Bangladesh have intensified their efforts to improve work conditions in their factories. Available studies have identified a range of interdependent organizational factors leading to improved OHS outcomes using large-N statistical studies and estimating average effect sizes. Yet, with such interdependence among organizational factors, no study has yet identified and compared combinations of organizational factors or pathways across a set of cases examining OHS outcomes. In this paper, we use small-N fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to identify combinations of organizational factors leading to improved OHS performance in the garment industry of Bangladesh. Fourteen cases were selected through purposeful sampling aiming to maximize the variations in causal conditions and output, which facilitates the identification of pathways among the selected garment suppliers. Based on the available studies, we identified and coded five organizational factors (causal conditions) to examine their influence on OHS performance. Results reveal two distinct pathways leading to improved OHS performance. Common to the two pathways are three causal conditions: Accountability, Auditing, and Training. In addition, to the three common causal conditions, pathway 1 and pathway 2 include respectively Leadership and Buyers, revealing two distinct approaches to improve OHS performance among garment suppliers. Contrary to the expectations in the literature, our study indicates that long-term relationships and partnerships with international buyers is the main driver for improved OHS performance in pathway 2, thus compensating for the absence of active leadership and management commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resource curse haunts countries whose economies have become dangerously specialized in the exploitation of a single resource. This curse threatens countries whose economies are poorly diversified and oriented mainly towards the export of their non-renewable natural resources, such as oil. What about the exploitation of an abundant renewable natural resource such as solar energy? Based on a case study of six solar power plants in six African countries (Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa), this paper analyzes the extent to which the impacts of the exploitation of these energy systems contribute to this curse. The research method is qualitative (296 interviews) and quantitative (use of a sustainability index), making it possible to analyze the impacts of solar power plants on four levels (local, regional, national, and international). Our results reveal four findings symptomatic of the resource curse: (i) the emergence of conflict situations, (ii) fragile local development, (iii) latent financial risk, and (iv) limited economic development leverage. In short, the resource curse linked to the use of renewable energies seems to bring another challenge to the landscape of energy transition. • Resource curse haunts countries specialized in the exploitation of a single resource. • Could this unique resource be a renewable resource such as solar energy? • The exploitation of large-scale solar power plants could contribute to the curse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to provide an overview of achievements and caveats related to ICT strategies for development in Tunisia. We go beyond a conventional approach of digital divide by considering exclusion from or inequalities in access to high-speed wired broadband infrastructure as a significant explanative variable in this area. Accordingly, we link the roles of ICT as enablers of new opportunities for socio-economic growth to the development of the last mile of the wired broadband infrastructure. Our analysis of the Tunisian ICT environment shows a prevalence of mobile technologies for Internet access and telephony as well as regional and social disparities in availability, access to and use of wired broadband technologies and services. Despite the real interest of Tunisian society and economy in using Internet, the range of broadband enabled-services and applications is rather limited. Additionally, the Tunisian case provides a promising perspective as there is a relatively well developed fibre backbone and potentially good opportunity for developing the last mile of wired infrastructure. We therefore suggest that it is necessary to develop a governmental policy in collaboration with the private sector to further develop the last mile section as well as to overcome weaknesses in the current regulatory frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil has had issues in efficiently providing the required amount of electricity to its citizens at a low cost. One of the main causes to the decreasing performance of energy is due to reoccurring droughts that decrease the power generated by hydroelectric facilities. To compensate for the decrease, Brazil brought into use thermal power plants. The power plants being on average 23.7% more expensive than hydroelectric. Wind energy is potentially an alternative source of energy to compensate for the energy decrease during droughts. Brazil has invested in wind farms recently, but, due to issues with the delivery method, only 34% of wind farms are operational. This paper reviews the potential benefit Brazil could receive from investing more resources into developing and operating wind farms. It also proposes that utilization of the best value approach in delivering wind farms could produce operational wind farms quicker and more efficiently than previously experienced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is assumed that the partners in co-management negotiate their arrangements themselves and deal directly with each other. However, in Vietnam, fisheries co-management did not begin this way. This paper analyses the influence of international donor funded projects on the development and sustainability of fisheries co-management systems in the Tam Giang-Cau Hai lagoon system, Vietnam. The findings indicate: (1) the development of co-management systems in these lagoons was led by donor-funded projects; (2) the implementation approaches and exit strategies of the donors have affected the sustainability of the co-management systems; (3) the low participation of government in developing the co-management processes has resulted in poor cooperation between the projects and low integration of the projects' resources; and (4) the government has failed to develop “ownership” of co-management to become a true partner in co-management. Although technical and financial support from donors is essential for starting co-management systems in developing countries, this support does not necessarily ensure the ownership and sustainability of these systems. Policy and “know how” for developing and maintaining co-management systems are important for long term sustainability of co-management. This study also raises questions around the role of government in integrating and coordinating the resources of external agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconsistent use of household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) systems reduces their potential health benefits. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is more convenient than some existing HWTS systems, but it does not provide post-treatment residual disinfectant, which could leave drinking water vulnerable to recontamination. In this paper, using as-treated analyses, we report on the field efficacy of a UV disinfection system at improving household drinking water quality in rural Mexico. We further assess the risk of post-treatment contamination from the UV system, and develop a process-based model to better understand household risk factors for recontamination. This study was part of a larger cluster-randomized stepped wedge trial, and the results complement previously published population-level results of the intervention on diarrheal prevalence and water quality. Based on the presence of Escherichia coli (proportion of households with ≥1 E. coli /100 mL), we estimated a risk difference of −28.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): −33.9%, −22.1%) when comparing intervention to control households; −38.6% (CI: −48.9%, −28.2%) when comparing post- and pre-intervention results; and −37.1% (CI: −45.2%, −28.9%) when comparing UV disinfected water to alternatives within the household. We found substantial increases in post-treatment E. coli contamination when comparing samples from the UV system effluent (5.0%) to samples taken from the storage container (21.1%) and drinking glasses (26.0%). We found that improved household infrastructure, additional extractions from the storage container, additional time from when the storage container was filled, and increased experience of the UV system operator were associated with reductions in post-treatment contamination. Our results suggest that the UV system is efficacious at improving household water quality when used as intended. Promoting safe storage habits is essential for an effective UV system dissemination. The drinking glass appears to represent a small but significant source of recontamination that is likely to impact all HWTS systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition of the value that can be recaptured from unproductive assets resulting from returned merchandise using product returns and recovery management (PRRM). This is important as organizations can no longer ignore or accumulate returns at the back of the warehouse. This paper identifies the barriers that impede PRRM among manufacturing firms in Malaysia, and provide useful summary data and analysis to entice firms to consider adopting PPRM. This study reviewed 38 journal articles, which were subsequently validated through field interviews using multiple case study method. The content analysis reveals that the two major obstacles are financial and resource constraints, which fall within the category of internal barriers. However, the results of the interviews with six manufacturers in Malaysia indicate that external barriers are the main obstacles that hinder the adoption of PRRM, thus suggesting that there may be a subtle difference between the results reported in academic research and managers' perceptions of the barriers of product returns and recovery management. The external barriers, such as customers' operational performance and perception, are perceived by managers to be detrimental to the adoption of PRRM, which is contradictory to the academic findings. In addition, financial and resource constraints impede the adoption of PRRM. This suggests that further study should be conducted by expanding the sample size to continue to empirically explore the barriers of PRRM. This study helps policy makers in emerging countries in general and Malaysia, in particular, in setting appropriate policies and strategies to improve product returns and recovery of manufacturing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, most developing countries have not set up municipal solid waste management systems with a view of recovering energy from waste or reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this article, we have studied the possible effects of introducing three energy recovery processes either as a single or combination approach, refuse derived fuel production, incineration and waste power generation, and methane gas recovery from landfill and power generation in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as a case study. We concluded that incineration process is the most suitable as first introduction of energy recovery. To operate it efficiently, 3Rs strategies need to be promoted. And then, RDF production which is made of waste papers and plastics in high level of sorting may be considered as the second step of energy recovery. However, safety control and marketability of RDF will be required at that moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-tsunami reconstruction in Aceh, Indonesia, resulted in more than 3600km of road section reconstructed. The ownerships of the reconstructed road assets were transferred back to the Local Governments for the operational and maintenance needs. Hence, the responsibility to maintain most of the road sections are now held by the Local Governments. This paper examines the impacts of the local political and socio-economic condition to the capacity of the Local Governments in the maintenance of post-disaster road reconstruction assets in Aceh, Indonesia. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of road infrastructure stakeholders at the local, provincial and national level. The analysis reveals the main political and socio-economic factors affecting the capacity of the Local Governments in road maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]