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• A few countries play dominant role in producing and receiving news mentions to academic papers. • The overall distribution of news mentions sees no country's preference over domestic papers. • The statistical test suggests that news articles from all investigated countries have positively mentioned more domestic papers. • Countries have shown preference over academic papers from some specific countries. • Country's preference in the micro perspective presents disciplinary difference. News mentions to academic papers has provided an important channel for research to yield impact on broad audience in the society, and is particularly useful in scholarly communication, scientific outreach and altmetrics. Unlike academic paper, news articles are often influenced by social factors such as culture, ideology and geography. It is therefore uncertain whether news mentions to academic paper is valid for evaluative purpose as expected by altmetrics studies. In response, this study has conducted large scale statistical analysis to explore country's preference over news mentions, based on the assumption that if news mentions to academic paper is not (or weakly) influenced by social factors, no obvious country's preference would be observed, and the vice versa. The major findings are: (1) From the macro perspective, overall distribution of news mentions is highly imbalanced, with several developed countries taking the dominant position. However, no obvious preference towards domestic papers was observed. (2) From the micro perspective, based on the ZINB test results, news from all countries have more positively mentioned domestic papers and simultaneously shown preference over papers from certain countries. (3) In terms of disciplinary comparison, disciplinary differences were observed in the impact strength and specific preference. These results suggest that in micro level country's preference exist for news mentions to academic papers, but in macro level, country's preference is insignificant. Therefore, it is suggested that news mentions can be used for assessing purpose in the macro level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based analysis has captivated scientists' attention in the field of analytical chemistry and related areas for the last two decades. Arguably no other area of modern chemical analysis is so broad and diverse in its approaches spanning from simple 'low-tech' low-cost paper-based analytical devices (PADs) requiring no or simple instrumentation, to sophisticated PADs and microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) featuring elements of modern material science and nanomaterials affording high selectivity and sensitivity. Correspondingly diverse is the applicability, covering resource-limited scenarios on the one hand and most advanced approaches on the other. Herein we offer a view reflecting this diversity in the approaches and types of devices. The core idea of this article rests in dividing μPADs according to their type into two groups: A) instrumentation-free μPADs for resource-limited scenarios or developing countries and B) instrumentation-based μPADs as futuristic POC devices for e-diagnostics mainly aimed at developed countries. Each of those two groups is presented and discussed with the view of the main requirements in the given area, the most common targets, sample types and suitable detection approaches either implementing high-tech elements or low-tech low-cost approaches. Finally, a socioeconomic perspective is offered in discussing the fabrication and operational costs of μPADs, and, future perspectives are offered. [Display omitted] • Microfluidic paper-based devices (μPADs) constitute a very broad and diverse area. • Varied approaches for contrasting needs and capabilities of developed and developing countries. • Low-tech low-cost approaches requiring no or simple instrumentation. • Sophisticated μPADs feature elements of modern material science and nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developed countries have paved the way for the implementation of intelligent transport systems to improve the safety, efficiency, and environmental impact of transport. With developing countries entering the fray, the question is: Is ITS as implemented in developed countries relevant to developing countries? This research question is discussed in this paper for the case of sub-Saharan countries that are among the poorest countries worldwide. To this end, the paper outlines the main differences in transportation scenarios between developed and sub-Saharan countries, and then considering the main constraints of sub-Saharan countries, a guide towards an affordable intelligent transportation system in these countries is discussed. Finally, the paper proposes two main novel ideas for the deployment of intelligent transport systems on dirt roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobility as a service (MaaS) is an emerging framework that integrates multiple transport services into a single and intuitive platform. This paper contrasts the urban passenger transport markets in developed versus developing economies to understand the challenges of integrating mobility services using the MaaS framework, with a focus on decarbonization and sustainability as societal goals. In addition, we conducted a Life Cycle Assessment of carbon emissions and energy requirements of travel alternatives in the city of Santiago, Chile, to shed light on the effects of multimodality as an environmental tool. A summary of findings follows. Data sharing and open data are new in developing countries, and thus more investment in data infrastructure is required so that MaaS can leverage digital technology and network optimization. If the scalability of MaaS is an open question in developed countries, it is more so in developing countries, owning to institutional and financial constraints that are present in the latter. The lack of public subsidies to support formal public transport is a key limitation for the implementation of MaaS schemes and multimodal frameworks in the developing world. Regarding formality, in countries with an informal public transport sector, a potential implementation of MaaS will be spatially constrained to those locations where public transport operates formally and frequently (BRT and rail lines), limiting its spatial coverage and posing social equity issues. In countries with scarce or no public funds available for the transport sector, MaaS could be used as a catalyst for a broad environmental and equity-seeking transport pricing reform which requires a direct involvement of public sector in both regulation and financial backing. We conclude that the formalization and general improvement of the public transport sector, the regulation of shared-mobility platforms including the formalization of the work of drivers, and the setting of proper pricing and subsidization instruments in the direction of internalizing the social costs of motorized traffic, are all prerequisites for any MaaS system that aims to improve economic efficiency, social equity, and sustainability. • Assess MaaS as a framework for decarbonization in developing world. • Discuss governance and equity issues in implementing MaaS. • Identify carbon policy for different cities to achieve sustainability. • Conduct a life cycle assessment to inform carbon strategies. • Scalability is a key challenge in both developing and developed worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a secular decline in internal migration across more developed nations, this paper examines the degree of counterurbanisation in New South Wales – Australia's most populous state – for 2016-21, a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a nuanced demarcation of 'metropolitan' and 'non-metropolitan', the paper investigates how genuinely counter-urban and pro-rural these movements are. The paper also explores the role of rural amenity as a 'pull' factor on city populations, using the most influential elements of the rural environment that best predict in-, out-migration and net-migration flows as separate measures rather than combine them into an index of composite variables. The results suggest that counterurbanisation exists as a particular migration current in NSW, though the spatial patterning of in- and net migration rates suggests that exurbanisation and displaced urbanisation more accurately describe and explain the vast majority of moves. Relatively high in- and net migration rates recorded in the most remote local government areas also suggest an element of anti-urbanisation, perhaps in response to the COVID-19 public health measures. Spatial regression modelling of selected amenity indicators against in-, out- and net migration produced high coefficients (Spearman's rho) for the in- and out-migration models, while the net migration model registered coefficients about half the size of the other two models. Two indicators – median slope and tourism employment – were strong and statistically significant influences over the in- and net migration models, and in the direction hypothesised. These results suggest that counterurbanisation is substantially influenced by the presence of landscapes of varied relief and with some tourism attraction potential. • The spatial patterning of in- and net migration rates between the New South Wales metro region and non-metro regions suggest that exurbanisation and displaced urbanisation more accurately explain the vast majority of moves. • Relatively high in- and net migration rates recorded in the most remote local government areas of NSW also suggest an element of anti-urbanisation, perhaps in response to the COVID-19 public health measures. • Two indicators – median slope and tourism employment – had statistically significant influences over the in- and net migration models in spatial regression modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While unemployment benefits constitute a significant share of welfare transfers in developed countries, the computable general equilibrium (CGE) literature ignores the impact of unemployment rate changes on these transfers. This paper investigates the impacts of alternative welfare transfer determination rules by using a dynamic CGE model for Ireland. We find that indexing the nominal welfare transfer budget to the consumer price index (CPI) and the aggregate unemployment rate is superior to the CPI alone. Although both specifications generate similar macroeconomic outcomes, our novel specification improves household welfare as well as income distribution across households. We argue that it is more in line with the behaviour of governments and that the literature ignores the progressivity elements embedded in the welfare system, which will reduce the welfare cost of carbon taxation. The results can be generalised in analysing the impacts of tax reform in countries where unemployment benefits are essential elements of welfare transfers. • We developed a multi-sectoral, multi-household intertemporal CGE model. • We analysed the Irish carbon tax with different welfare transfer budget (WTB) rules. • CGE literature updates the fixed WTB in real terms by the consumer price index (CPI). • We argue that the WTB should be responsive both to the CPI and the unemployment rate. • Considering unemployment benefits in the WTB lowers the carbon tax's regressivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical research assessing the effects of International Investment Agreements (IIAs) on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows proliferated since the late 1990s, largely coinciding with an acceleration in the signing of such investment treaties between the developed countries and emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). This paper offers a comprehensive survey of the literature on the impact of IIAs on FDI flows, with a specific focus on EMDEs. The main goal of the review is to highlight the important themes that emerge from the literature and how each of those themes have been addressed by the existing studies. Despite the proliferation of studies on this topic, the literature remains highly inconclusive as to whether IIAs matter when it comes to attracting FDI flows. A substantive part of the empirical ambiguity arises for two broad reasons. First, there have been methodological constraints in disentangling co-movements from causal effects when it comes to estimating the impact of IIAs on FDI flows. Second, studies have suffered from the general paucity of granular data on IIAs which allow for a systematic unpacking of various IIA provisions on FDI inflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of global value chains (GVCs) participation on economic complexity for a sample of underdeveloped, moderately developed, and developed countries which includes 42 economies from 2000 to 2018. Our empirical analysis finds that the influence of GVC participation on economic complexity varies across quantiles as it has adverse and significant effects on economic complexity in the first five lower quantiles (5th - 25th). It indicates that GVC participation has adverse impacts on economic complexity except for the economy with higher economic complexity. Moreover, forward participation is negatively associated with economic complexity in all the quantiles except for the 90th quantile. In countries with lower and moderate economic complexity, forward participation has a negative impact on how complex the economy is. Alongside, backward participation has positive and significant impacts on economic complexity in the 85th, 90th, and 95th quantiles implying that in a more complex economy, backward participation is positively correlated with economic complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence suggests that a large share of international trade transactions are made through intermediaries and that whether firms use them or not depends on different factors. The aim of this paper is to empirically investigate if credit constraints introduce a degree of difference among firms in their mode of importing. Building on the intuition provided by a simple theoretical framework, we use firm-level data from 66 developing and developed countries to test the possible links between credit constraints and reliance on import intermediaries. Our results show that indeed credit-constrained firms exhibit a higher probability of importing their inputs using an intermediary, while unconstrained firms are more likely to import directly. Our results also provide some evidence that the impact of credit constraints on the probability of indirect importing is amplified for firms with a higher distance from their international sourcing network. Moreover, if firms face other types of frictions to import, then the probability that credit-constrained firms rely on intermediaries is estimated to be higher. Remarkably, credit rationing affects the probability of indirect importing no matter what the mode of exporting is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the social implications of servitization and unveils the connections between servitization and social innovation. To substantiate these claims, the research elucidates three core concepts of social innovation, namely processes, instruments, and outcomes. The processual view of social innovation examines how societal changes unfold; the instrumental view focuses on tools and mechanisms driving these changes; and last the outcomes view analyses the resultant benefits. The paper reviews systematically the literature on the social impacts of servitization and, based on the mentioned views uses the literature findings to inductively develop three propositions and demonstrate that servitization can represent a form of social innovation, thus capable of profoundly reshaping industrial societies and contributing to progress and people's well-being. In sum, the paper shows the social implications and benefits related to servitization of manufacturing firms and suggests the research priorities in this domain for servitization scholars. • The paper systematically reviews the literature to identify the social implications of servitization. • The paper uses three views to unveil the connections between servitization and social innovation. • The paper theorizes that servitization is a form of social innovation that contributes to progress and people's well-being. • The paper suggests research priorities in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper maps the contribution of the G77/China Group of developing countries to the negotiations and the final text of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty. Key achievements such as the manner of inclusion of DSI, the use of the 'BBNJ Standardised Batch Identifier, a proposal to account for aggregate use of marine genetic resources and DSI, the tracking of monetary and non-monetary benefits through the use of the batch identifier all stem from proposals put forward by this block of 134 developing countries, and are key to the perception of legitimacy achieved by this progressive agreement. This paper written in the form of a testimonial by the Chair of the Group during these negotiations, shows above all, the continued relevance of the Group as a formidable negotiating entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial development and demographic changes have an important impact on the non-hydro renewable energy industry, and this impact is significantly different in countries at different stages of development. This paper studies 10 developed countries and 10 developing countries using annual data from 1990 to 2018. Through the panel cointegration estimation method, the paper evaluates the impact of financial development and demographic changes on the non-hydro renewable energy industry. The empirical results show that the stock market and bank intermediary have a significant role in promoting the growth of the non-hydro renewable energy industry in developing and developed countries. The bond market has a significant positive impact on the growth of the non-hydro renewable energy industry in developed countries only. Foreign direct investment in developing countries significantly promotes the growth of the non-hydro renewable energy industry, while in developed countries it has a negative impact. Population aging has a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of the non-hydro renewable energy industry in developing and developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identification of important indicators for process safety. • A comparative study of process safety indicators in developing and developed countries. • Measuring the relative importance of the indicators using the Fuzzy Best Worst Method. Introduction: The importance of safety in high-risk industries such as oil and gas facilities has been reported previously. Process safety performance indicators can provide insight into improving the safety of process industries. This paper aims to rank the process safety indicators (metrics) by Fuzzy Best-Worst Method (FBWM) using the data gathered through a survey. Method: The study uses a structured approach considering the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), and the IOGP (International Association of Oil and Gas Producers) recommendations and guidelines to generate an aggregate set of indicators. It calculates the level of importance of each indicator based on the opinions of experts from Iran and some Western countries. Results: The findings of the study demonstrate that some lagging indicators such as the number of times processes do not proceed as planned due to insufficient staff competence and the number of unexpected disruptions of the process due to failure in instrumentation and alarms are important in process industries in both Iran and Western countries. Western experts identified process safety incident severity rate as an important lagging indicator, whereas Iranian experts considered this as relatively unimportant. In addition, leading indicators such as sufficient process safety training and competency, the desired function of instrumentation and alarms, and proper management of fatigue risk play an important role in enhancing the safety performance of process industries. Experts in Iran viewed permit to work as an important leading indicator, while experts in the West focused on fatigue risk management. Practical Applications: The methodology used in the current study gives a good view to managers and safety professionals in regard to the most important indicators of process safety and allows them to focus more on important process safety indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine whether there was a real improvement in patent quality or productivity with the patent surge in China. • We focus on large and medium-size enterprises (LMEs) and construct a unique data set that links firm-level production data (from the ASIEC database) with data on patent quality. The matched firm-level data spans from 1998 to 2013. • Using fixed effects regressions, we find that the initiation and intensity of patenting activities (quality-adjusted or not) are positively associated with an LME's productivity. These results are robust to productivity measured in either output productivity, sales productivity, or TFP. • We find that firms' conscious R&D efforts had positive influences on the overall quality of patents in China. However, we also discover that China's utilization of R&D investments was not that efficient, the association between R&D and patent quality had become weaker in more recent years, and the growth of patenting was still relatively unbalanced. This paper examines whether there was a real improvement in patent quality or productivity with the patent surge in China. Based on the novel database we compiled, we demonstrate that accumulated patent stock measured using quality metrics was positively associated with the productivity of large and medium-size enterprises (LMEs). We also find that R&D investments by LMEs led to increases in patent quality. However, the estimated R&D-patenting elasticities in China are found to be lower than those estimated in developed countries. We offer some explanations and discuss their implications for policy considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A systematic review is done on the effects of safety climate on safety performance. • Safety climate is predominantly used as a predictor. • Safety-related behavior is the most common definition of safety performance. • Methods used to link safety climate and safety performance is methodologically biased. • Literature on safety climate is dominated by studies in developed countries. Introduction: Since its inception more than four decades ago, research on safety climate has been conducted in many industries. Subsequently, a plethora of systematic literature reviews on safety climate in various work environments has focused on research trends and measurement scales. Yet, despite these reviews, the overall picture of how safety climate influences performance is still not well understood. The current study reviews existing literature on safety climate, specifically how it affects safety performance. Method: Literature searches were conducted using EBSCOhost and Web of Science databases in March 2021. We included English-language, peer-reviewed studies that reported the results of research done on safety climate and safety performance. We extracted data (contextual, theoretical, methodological and definition of safety performance) from these studies and were deductively analyzed and categorized into common themes. Results: One hundred and sixty-two safety climate studies were identified. We found that studies on safety climate–performance were conducted in 16 types of industries while 23 different theories explained the safety climate–performance relationship. The quantity and quality of variables and methods used varied considerably across the surveys. Safety climate is predominantly used as a predictor while safety-related behavior is the most common definition of safety performance among the articles we reviewed. Few papers from the current review were methodologically strong, suggesting that current evidence on the link between safety climate and safety performance still suffers from common method bias. Conclusions: Although literature has provided evidence for the positive effect on safety performance via a strong safety climate, strong and convincing methods are still lacking and the causality of an improved safety climate still needs to be demonstrated. Practical applications: The findings of the current review offer a better understanding of how employers can improve safety climate in the workplace in various settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megatrends such as urbanization, digitalization, and decarbonization have created the necessity for new and creative approaches to the urban transportation system. As a solution to the problems of the increasingly digitalized urban transportation environment, "Mobility-as-a-Service" (MaaS) was proposed as a new sustainable transportation concept in Helsinki in 2014. With the use of the MaaS concept, residents of a large emerging metropolis, such as Istanbul, Turkey, can be offered a fast, efficient, environment-friendly, and inexpensive way of travel. However, despite the significant benefits of MaaS, there are several factors that can hinder the adoption of MaaS. This paper aims to analyze these barriers and their contextual relationships with each other using Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) and Matrix-based-Multiplication-Applied-to-a-Classification (MICMAC) methods. The case study has been conducted on an expert group to explore which significant barriers might be encountered during the adoption of a MaaS system in Istanbul. This study also addresses how these barriers should be overcome, and the MaaS concept should be adopted in Istanbul. The results showed that the most significant barrier to adopting the MaaS concept in Istanbul are Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines that primarily include the legal nature of this mobility service. The least important barriers are found to be Customer Acceptance and Labor Shortage. Therefore, the case study results provided a unique perspective for emerging countries in terms of barriers to successful MaaS implementations and revealed significant differences from the developed countries. • This study is the first study to investigate the significant barriers to the successful adoption of MaaS for developing country context. • Istanbul is selected as a large emerging metropolis case. Eight possible barriers are identified with an extensive systematic literature review. • Total Interpretive Structural Modeling is used to identify and interpret these barriers, and MICMAC is used to classify the m by an expert group. • Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines is found as the most significant barrier in adopting the MaaS concept in Istanbul. • The least important barriers are found to be Customer Acceptance and Labor Shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's globalized economy and highly interconnected media landscape, the impact of country-of-origin (COO) effects on crisis spillovers has attracted growing interest. However, the majority of the relevant studies are limited to case studies. A clear understanding of the relationship between COO effects and crisis spillovers has yet to be established. To address this gap, a meta-analysis of 24 causal pairs from 9 papers (n = 5746, combined n = 10942) was performed. The results indicate that COO effects can somewhat limit crisis spillovers. Specifically, the COO effect has a medium degree of mitigating effect on morality (r = 0.403) and competence crises (r = 0.240). When the COO is a developed country (r = 0.345), the COO effect can effectively mitigate crisis spillovers to a medium extent, while when the COO is a developing country (r = 0.180), the COO effect is small. Using organizational impressions (r = 0.357) rather than purchase intentions (r = 0.157) as a measurement instrument makes it easier to observe the dampening effect of COO on crisis spillovers. These findings enrich the theoretical framework of public relations and crisis management and provide strategies for business organizations to cope with spillovers. • Morality and competence crises moderately modulate the relationship between country-of-origin effects and crisis spillovers. • Developed countries' country-of-origin effects more significantly dampen crisis spillovers than in developing countries. • Differences in crisis measurement tools affect the results of crisis assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multi-criteria analysis is developed to assess barriers to electric bus adoption. • 28 barriers are identified and a survey is applied to 48 experts from 31 countries. • The weight of each barrier is determined based on a fuzzy best-worst method. • A comparison of barrier weights is made between developed and developing countries. • Economic barriers are the most challenging aspects worldwide. Public transportation agencies have prioritized transitioning to battery electric buses to enhance sustainable urban mobility. However, this transition faces barriers of various dimensions, including technological, economic, social, management, and environmental aspects. This paper develops a multi-criteria decision-making approach to identify and rank barriers to battery electric bus adoption. First, an evidence-based list of 28 barriers is introduced through an extensive literature review and expert interviews. Then, by designing a fuzzy best-worst method, a structured approach is developed to quantify the weights of these barriers and delineate their relative challenging levels. Besides, a cross-country comparison of barrier weights is conducted between developed and developing countries, utilizing data collected from a diverse panel of experts across 31 countries worldwide. The results highlight the economic aspect (weight: 0.291) as the most challenging barrier worldwide, followed by the technological aspect in developed countries (weight: 0.277) and the management aspect in developing countries (weight: 0.252). The most significant difference in barrier weights between developed and developing countries is observed in management. Range limitation (weight: 0.051), high electricity tariffs (weight: 0.050), and challenges in selecting suitable charging technology (weight: 0.037) are specific barriers exhibiting larger weights in developed countries, while lack of financing options (weight: 0.051), lack of plans to remove diesel bus stock (weight: 0.038), lack of expertise (weight: 0.034), and existence of an informal transit sector (weight: 0.024) are specific barriers receiving larger weights in developing countries. The findings are discussed to offer strategic recommendations for tackling high-priority barriers and accelerating battery electric bus adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of resource requirements in developed countries after the 2008 crisis seemed to indicate that there is a process of dematerialization. This paper analyses dematerialization in a group of developed countries and the effects of the economic cycle on resource use. The aim is to determine whether dematerialization can be linked to the effects of the economic crisis or, on the contrary, is independent of the economic context. To do this, a descriptive part is proposed in which the existence of dematerialization over the last 50 years is analysed. Subsequently, a model is estimated in which the effect of recessionary, low-growth and normal growth periods on the consumption of material resources is contrasted. The raw material input is used as an indicator of the use of material resources, which makes it possible to link each country to all the resources it requires for the normal functioning of its economy, regardless of where they are consumed. Among the main results, it can be noted that reductions in resource consumption occur in periods of recession and low growth, while for growth above 2% there is no dematerialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement has gained global attention since it is anticipated to be implemented in the near future. This analysis demonstrates that almost all nations have made significant efforts to complete the BBNJ Agreement. This manuscript intends to highlight the ongoing efforts of developing nations in the BBNJ discussions by utilizing a descriptive approach and concentrating specifically on Pakistan as a case study. Furthermore, the elements brought by the Asian and African groups supporting Pakistan's role are also discussed, since these groups are ambitious in obtaining an internationally legally binding instrument (ILBI). This study goes further into the views of developing country groups in all the Intergovernmental Conference sessions (IGCs) on BBNJ. The differences between developing and developed nations, such as the concept of the Common Heritage of Humankind principle (CHH), Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs), and omitting fish from the scope of the BBNJ Agreement, are examined in this paper. Pakistan's advantageous geographical position and extensive coastline have been emphasized, underscoring the significance of BBNJ for Pakistan and its proactive engagement in the discussions, particularly its representation of the Group of 77 developing nations at the United Nations (G-77). Although Pakistan initially was not actively engaging in the debates, it voiced its ambitious attitude when representing the G-77 in 2022, which was refreshing. This study reveals that while Pakistan has played a vital role in BBNJ discussions, it still requires updating its data and policy development to embrace the BBNJ Agreement effectively. Nevertheless, this disparity may be remedied via a diligent mindset and conscientious conduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We test for Granger causality in mean and quantiles between wage share and capacity utilization in developed countries. • We employ confidence intervals generated by bootstrap and the Wald test for joint significance. • Capacity utilization positively Granger causes the wage share in eight countries at the center, lower and upper tails. • The positive Granger causal effect of capacity utilization is strong, heterogeneous, and larger for extreme quantiles. • The wage share negatively Granger causes capacity utilization in all quantiles in Spain and above the median in Italy. This paper tests for Granger causality in quantiles between the wage share and capacity utilization in twelve developed countries using annual data ranging from 1960 to 2019. Instead of focusing only on the conditional mean, we test for Granger causality in the entire conditional distribution of the variables of interest. This method detects Granger causal dynamic relations in both the mean and the whole conditional distribution using bootstrap confidence intervals and the Wald test. Our results indicate that capacity utilization positively affects the wage share in eight out of the twelve sample countries. This Granger causal effect is strong and heterogeneous across quantiles, being larger for more extreme quantiles. Capacity utilization positively Granger causes the wage share in all conditional quantiles in the U.S., Sweden, and Italy. Meanwhile, the wage share negatively Granger causes capacity utilization in all conditional quantiles in Spain and in some quantiles above the median in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Formulates 9 propositions on the spatial dynamics of multi-system co-evolution • Great surges of development are characterized by a gravitation-dispersion pattern • Key mechanisms: imitation, selective adoption, creative modification, rejection • Regionally uneven landscapes of industrial modernity form during successive surges • Proposes an agenda for studying the spatial aspects of the Second Deep Transition Industrial societies are currently evolving along a fundamentally unsustainable trajectory, contributing to climate change, resource depletion and loss of biodiversity. A recent Deep Transitions framework (Schot and Kanger, 2018; Kanger and Schot, 2019) argues that this trajectory has been built up through the First Deep Transition: a 250-year co-evolution of multiple socio-technical systems. However, to date the Deep Transitions framework has completely neglected the spatial dimension of this process. This makes it unable to explain (1) how socio-technical systems emerge in, gravitate towards, become linked in and disperse from certain locations; (2) how global constraints condition actors' responses in specific locations and how these responses, in turn, reproduce or transform socio-technical systems; (3) how these processes accumulate into socio-material landscapes, posing locationally varying constraints to major transformative change. As a response this paper aims to develop a middle-range theory of the spatial dynamics of Deep Transitions. Synthesizing insights from a broad range of fields nine propositions are developed on the spatial patterns and mechanisms of long-term multi-system co-evolution. The resulting framework enables to explain the spatial genesis of the First Deep Transition and opens up a research agenda for studying the possibly emerging Second Deep Transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African refugee youth and young adults live at the intersections of many structural barriers, including xenophobia, racism, and misogyny. In this conceptual paper, we present considerations for education scholars who seek to conduct research with and about African refugee postsecondary students. We start with a discussion of the discourse of Othering and racial stigma against Black-African people in high income countries. Next, we discuss the need for intersectional analysis in research by focusing on how gendered racism positions African women refugees as particularly vulnerable in higher education institutions. Then, we proceed to a discussion of how cultural heritage presents us with a counternarrative to xenophobic discourse. At each point, we present a set of critical questions that serve as a conceptual springboard for researchers that are exploring more deeply the issues that affect refugee youth and their education. Through this work, we implore researchers to engage with/in these communities in ways that are resistant to Othering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the home bias in the international equity market using 1) the country-level behavioral factor and 2) the home-foreign return correlation. Specifically, we use responses to the question regarding the level of trust toward strangers as a measure for the behavioral factor that we call country-specific unfamiliarity. The empirical results based on the data from eleven developed countries suggest that country-specific unfamiliarity has a significant and positive correlation with the equity home bias. On the other hand, we find that the home-foreign return correlation is negatively correlated with the equity home bias, which goes against our hypothesis. We check for the robustness of our empirical analysis by fitting alternative specifications and using a log-transformed measure of the equity home bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between managerial qualities and risk management is unclear, particularly for small and medium-sized organizations (SMEs) in developing market economies such as South Africa, because much research has focused on big enterprises in industrialized nations. To address this knowledge gap, this paper investigates the relationship between SME owner-manager characteristics and risk management, using upper echelons theory in a novel approach to provide a better understanding of how owner-manager characteristics may be linked to risk management strategies. This was achieved by the distribution of questionnaires to 320 purposely selected SMEs in Cape Town as well as personal interviews with two risk experts. The results show that risk avoidance is SMEs' most prevalent risk management strategy. The findings also show that SME owner-manager characteristics and risk management strategies are firmly and significantly linked, revealing the key determinants of effective risk management in SMEs. This paper is unique because it focuses on the often-overlooked topic of applying echelons theory to SMEs. Aside from bridging this knowledge gap, it has significant implications, such as informing SME owner-managers and policymakers on key variables that influence SME risk management strategies and making recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By utilizing listed firms in mainland China during 2008 to 2017, this paper investigates how air pollution affects corporate tax avoidance. The results show that higher levels of air pollution promote tax avoidance by firms subject to the pollution. To investigate this linkage, we conduct a series cross-section analyses which confirm the incentivizing effect of air pollution on corporate tax avoidance behavior. The results indicate that the association between air pollution and corporate tax avoidance is more pronounced for firms in high-polluting and monopolistic industries, state-owned enterprises and in districts where the government exerts less tax and economic influence. We apply robust checks, including the random discontinuity design regression, instrumental variable regression in order to confirm the casual effect of air pollution on corporate tax avoidance behaviors. Our results show that air pollution shapes corporate tax avoidance through employees' mood and operating efficiency. This study not only enriches the studies about how the external natural environment can reshape firm's corporate tax avoidance behaviors, but also provides strong evidence that the government needs to improve environmental law enforcement. More generally, there are policy implications for developing and developed countries alike: they need to attach much greater importance to environmental regulation and financial governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global concern shifts from developed countries—many of which have made significant strides towards carbon neutrality—to developing nations, an urgent need arises: how can the latter effectively borrow and adapt strategies that have proven successful in the former? This review thoroughly explores the successes and challenges encountered by developed countries in terms of emission accounting, mitigation strategies, and transitioning to renewable energy sources. We then explore how these strategies can be feasibly integrated into the economic, social, and political contexts of developing countries. Furthermore, this paper highlights the importance of customizing these strategies to the unique challenges and opportunities of developing nations, rather than simply replicating efforts. Through a comparative analysis, we present a roadmap to carbon neutrality that acknowledges the distinct contexts of these developing countries while drawing inspiration from global successes. This approach underscores the necessity of a collaborative, global effort in addressing climate change, recognizing the interconnectedness of all nations in this endeavor. It also sets the stage for future research and policy development that are both locally informed and globally conscious. [Display omitted] • Comprehensive analysis of emission accounting successes in developed countries. • Exploration of the unique challenges and opportunities in developing nations. • Emphasis on tailoring, not duplicating, carbon neutrality strategies. • Proposing a cohesive, global approach grounded in local context and solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a wide range of interventions that are designed to influence employer behaviour with respect to the employment of people with disabilities. This study presents the results of a systematic review looking at employer-focused interventions to improve disability employment, focusing on interventions or policies taking placing in high-income countries as per the OECD. This systematic review focuses on a broad range of potential employment-related outcomes, including the employment rate, time to return to work and length of sickness absence. The results of 71 papers that evaluate the effectiveness of a range of interventions were synthesised into a narrative review. Interventions are grouped into six broad categories: anti-discrimination legislation, quota systems, part-time sick leave, graded return to work and wage subsidy schemes. Anti-discrimination legislation is not effective at improving the employment prospects of people with disabilities. There is mixed evidence with respect to quota systems and wage subsidy schemes. However, the availability of part time sick leave or graded return to work are both consistently associated with improved work participation for people with disabilities. • A range of policies aim to influence employers to employ people with disabilities. • Anti-discrimination legislation has no effect on disability employment. • There is mixed evidence regarding quota systems and wage subsidy schemes. • Part-time sick leave and graded return to work associated with improved outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance, clean technology innovation (CTI), and environmental tax are all eco-friendly measures for diminishing environmental degradation. Few studies have examined how these variables work together to realize the object of green growth (GG). Therefore, this research aims to examine the role of the above factors in achieving GG by using 28 developed countries from 1995 to 2019. These countries have passed over a time of fast progress at the expense of heavy pollution and hence have moved their emphasis to GG. This paper starts with the construction of the GG index based on entropy-weighted TOPSIS, followed by pooled OLS, fixed effect, random effect, the two-step least-square estimator (2SLS), and the System GMM models for hypothesis testing. From the findings, it is obsense of that: (1) Green finance positively affects GG; the higher the levels of GG, the greater the enhancement of green finance on GG. (2) CTI favorably mediates the impact of green finance on GG, and the mediating effect accounts for 14.06% of the overall effect. (3) Environmental tax has a significant threshold effect on the link between green finance and CTI; when high levels of environmental taxes are maintained, the influence of green finance on enterprises' CTI is greatly strengthened, with an increase of 53%. GG will be further promoted by the advancement of enterprises' CTI. Finally, emerging counties would benefit from this study in designing frameworks of green finance, environmental tax, and CTI policies to achieve GG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploitation of fossil fuel sources in the power generation and transportation sector has been a major source of carbon dioxide emissions that contributes to global warming. Replacement of hydrocarbon-based fuel sources with cleaner fuels is imperative for environmental preservation at the global level. In this regard, hydrogen can be used as an effective non-carbonaceous fuel option as well as an energy carrier. Canada is currently one of the economically advanced countries in the world and aims at achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. However, fossil fuels are still largely utilized for both transportation and power generation purposes. Slightly less than a quarter of the total grid power in Canada is supplied through fossil fuel combustion including natural gas, coal, and petroleum. As a matter of fact, Canada, as one of the top ten global producers of hydrogen, exhibits a great potential of achieving the goal of sustainable development. Thus, this paper discusses the current status, challenges, and opportunities offered by the hydrogen sector and its development in the near- and long-term future in Canada. The potential methods of hydrogen production in Canada are described by categorizing them according to the energy and feedstock sources required for their realization. In addition, the status of hydrogen storage and distribution in Canada is also discussed. Various sectors consuming hydrogen as the end-users in Canada are categorized based on hydrogen use as a fuel, a heating source, and an industrial feedstock and are comprehensively discussed. Several challenges and the necessary line-of-actions to establish a hydrogen economy in Canada in the long-term future are also discussed, and a road map for accomplishing the net-zero economy by 2050 is further explained based on achieving certain near-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. Moreover, the job creation opportunities in Canada are discussed by considering numerous critical sectors. [Display omitted] • Overview of Canada's global position with regards to hydrogen production. • Overview of Canada's natural resources and infrastructural potential. • Comprehensive discussion on hydrogen production pathways and end-use in Canada. • Identification of several key challenges to achieve net-zero economy by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to social disorganization theory, a well-developed family and community structure is a pre-condition for low crime rates. Using annual data for 16 advanced countries constructed for two centuries, this paper examines the extent to which the changing family and community structures over the past two centuries have influenced the evolution of crime. Furthermore, we test whether a weakened family structure has a stronger effect on crime in communities with weak social networks by allowing for the interaction between urbanization (community network) and divorce rates (family network). Broadly, we find that changes in family and community structures and their interaction have been influential for the evolution of crime rates since 1810. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In common with other developed nations, the UK population is ageing. This has impacts on all areas of economic and social activity, including transport and air travel. This paper aims to provide an initial assessment of the ground access journeys to UK airports made by ageing (65+ years) air travellers, a topic hitherto unexplored by the academic research community. Using data from two online surveys (each with 600 respondents) undertaken in 2020 of 1200 different ageing UK residents, this exploratory research reveals that the ease of undertaking the journey and comfort are key factors in determining ground access choice whilst environmental issues play a minimal role. Whilst this paper offers new insights into the ground access journeys of ageing air passengers, it also makes recommendations for future research that needs to be undertaken to further academic understandings of the needs and attitudes of this important, and growing, passenger segment. • The ground access journey is viewed more favourably than other air journey stages. • Ease of undertaking the journey and comfort are key factors in ground access choice. • Environmental issues play a minimal role in determining ground access choice. • COVID-19 may encourage ageing passengers to use more cars and taxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developed countries have already implemented a vehicle scrap policy that prevents the on-road usage of old vehicles beyond a certain age to curtail pollution. Recently Indian government also announced its plans and policies for vehicle scraping. There is a multitude of barriers to the implementation of such a policy in India. This paper identifies and models all implementation barriers. Literature review and interactions with various stakeholders helped to identify the barriers. The identified barriers are processed with a hybrid methodology, which is a combination of the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy process and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory. The data is modeled in a fuzzy context to account for issues of ambiguity and subjectivity. This study helps policymakers and other stakeholders by identifying the barriers to vehicle scrap policy implementation in India. Furthermore, this paper offers insights for future research in developing policies and practices for India's emerging vehicle scrap business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with most other developed nations, Australian local government policymakers have traditionally relied heavily on structural reform based on compulsory council consolidation as their chief instrument of municipal reform. Western Australia (WA) launched its most recent attempt at local government reform in November 2017 with the appointment of a Local Government Review Panel to make recommendations on improving its Local Government Act 1995. The WA Government released the Final Report: Recommendations for a New Local Government Act for Western Australia prepared by the Panel in August 2020. The Final Report offers a host of recommendations for improving the Local Government Act 1995, the great majority of which represent uncontroversial improvements to the Act. However, Recommendation 8 calls for the establishment of a Local Government Commission empowered to make recommendations on municipal mergers and Recommendation 10 proposes the formation of community boards to facilitate municipal representation in large councils. This practice insight paper critically examines these two contentious recommendations in the light of extant empirical evidence. This serves to highlight the contrast between the weight of empirical evidence in the literature with the 'evidence-free' nature of Recommendations 8 and 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving climate justice is an important goal and basic principle of global climate governance. This paper evaluates the progress of achieving global climate justice by quantitatively depicting the evolution characteristics, group differences and driving factors of global embodied carbon emissions. The results indicate that the phenomenon of embodied carbon inequality is more obvious. Furthermore, a data-driven clustering algorithm is adopted to divide the world's major economies into four convergence clubs based on the embodied carbon emissions levels. We find that the embodied carbon emissions gap between different clubs has widened since 2008, which may be related to the re-industrialization of developed countries. The results of SDA analysis indicate that the embodied carbon emissions of developed countries, such as the United States, are more driven by per capita end-use. On the contrary, unclean consumption and investment structure is the main driving force for the increase of embodied carbon emissions in developing countries such as China. Therefore, efforts should be made in developing countries on the clean adjustment of consumption and investment structure to promote the convergence of embodied carbon emissions with developed countries. • Phenomenon of global embodied carbon inequality is more obvious. • Driving factors of global embodied carbon inequality is examined. • Embodied carbon emissions gap between different clubs has widened since 2008. • Clean adjustment of consumption and investment structure should be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cities continue to expand and climate change exacerbates flooding, development within flood risk zones becomes an increasingly pressing concern. Engineered solutions alone cannot fully address the risks to individuals and communities, especially when local officials and residents have conflicting understanding of the risk. Participatory GIS (PGIS) offers a unique opportunity to bridge this gap by engaging with communities to better understand their perceptions of flood risk. While PGIS has traditionally been used in developing nations as an alternative to numerical flood models, its potential for use in developed nations is largely unexplored. This paper presents a case study of survey-based PGIS conducted in Reading, a large town in Berkshire, UK. Findings suggest that local residents possess a surprisingly accurate understanding of flood risk zones, but discrepancies with modelled flood risk were also identified. These discrepancies may be due to issues with cartographic representation, but also raise concerns about the accuracy of numerical flood models. By examining local perceptions of flood risk, this study highlights the importance of considering community perspectives in flood risk management and offers valuable insights for practitioners seeking to bridge the gap between modelled and perceived flood risk zones. • Participants show remarkably robust local knowledge of flood risk in a UK city. • Findings highlight the value of stakeholder engagement in FRM. • Participatory GIS can help bridge the gap between modelled and perceived flood risk. • Approach could help address conflicts between flood managers and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer remains the primary cause of mortality in developed nations. Although localized tumors can be effectively addressed through surgery, radiotherapy, and other targeted methods, drug efficacy often wanes in the context of metastatic diseases. As a result, significant efforts are being made to develop drugs capable of not only inhibiting tumor growth but also impeding the metastasis of malignant tumors, with a focus on hindering their migration to adjacent organs. Cancer stem cells metastasize via blood and lymphatic vessels, exhibiting a high mutation rate, significant variability, and a predisposition to drug resistance. In contrast, endothelial cells, being less prone to mutation, are less likely to give rise to drug-resistant clones. Furthermore, the direct contact of circulating anti-angiogenic drugs with vascular endothelial cells expedites their therapeutic impact. Hence, anti-angiogenesis targeted therapy assumes a pivotal role in cancer treatment. This paper provides a succinct overview of the molecular mechanisms governing the interaction between cancer stem cells and angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has long suffered from failures in urban governance, arable land conservation, and environmental conservation because of the lack of accurate and reliable land use data. To fill these gaps, China has been conducting a once-a-decade census of national land use status. On August 26, 2021, China released the third national land survey data, which revealed several challenges that require further attention. In this paper, we first review the land resource surveys that have been and are being conducted in the world's major economically developed countries, and then we compare China's three national land surveys in terms of the data used, core survey technologies, the land use classification system, and main outcomes. Second, according to the major data results of the second national land survey and the third national land survey and other auxiliary data, using such methods as the data envelopment analysis and the land cover conversion matrix to highlight the existing land use issues such as shrinking arable land, inefficient construction land use, and low targeting efficiency of ecological restoration programs, as well as the drivers of these issues. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing the next steps necessary to achieve the goal of sustainable land use in China, and the potential of satellite remote sensing technology and its derived land cover products to better support future national land surveys. • We review the land resource surveys that have been conducted in the world's major economically developed countries. • We compare China's three national land surveys since the 1980 s. • The land use issues were quantitatively highlighted using released land survey data, combined with other ancillary data. • The next steps necessary to achieve the goal of sustainable land use in China was discussed. • The potential of satellite remote sensing technology to better support future national land surveys was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous driving is the future of the automotive industry across the globe. Many challenges must be resolved in designing and developing successful Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS), especially in developing countries with poor road infrastructure. Detecting obstacles in lanes is essential for robust ADS to decide whether to change lanes, slow down, or even stop. Developing countries like India present challenges, including poor or no lane line demarcation, poor traffic management, and diverse driving behaviors. That brings many challenges to developing robust lane-keeping or lane-changing decision systems in an ADS. Publicly available driving datasets have an inherent bias towards the road infrastructure of developed countries and hence cannot cater to the needs of the Indian requirements. That makes the existing obstacle-lane segment detection models unsuitable for road infrastructures in developing countries. Due to these factors, the rate of advancement of ADS and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in developing countries is meager compared to other developed countries. This makes it even more critical for future research to focus on these developing countries. This paper proposes a deep-learning-based novel decision-making network named LaneScanNET to assist the ADS in lane-changing or lane-keeping decision-making. The proposed system assists ADS in detecting obstacles, localization of the Ego Vehicle (EGV) on roads, and estimating lane status in its Field of View (FOV). The proposed LaneScanNET uses a parallel pipeline with an Obstacle Detection Network (ODN) and a Lane Detection Network (LDN) to simultaneously process the incoming image frames for detecting obstacles and segmenting lane lines, respectively. Further, the Obstacle-Lane Fusion Network (OLFN) fuses these results to predict the status of the obstacle lane in the FOV of autonomous vehicles. Vellore Institute of Technology's (VIT's) real-time driving dataset on indigenous roads has been collected to train the proposed LaneScanNET with 2464 obstacle-lane images obtained by driving over 60 km. The dataset generated for obstacle detection and its corresponding lane detection has also been made publicly available to promote research work for these developing countries. The proposed system outperforms all existing networks on Indian roads with an accuracy of 75.28% in obstacle detection and 91.36% in lane detection. Additionally, the proposed system can analyze the lane status with an accuracy of 92.54%. The proposed network performs exceptionally well in unforeseen circumstances like shadows, fog, dust, and occlusions making LaneScanNET a robust network that can be an add-on for ADS to make lane-keeping or lane-changing decisions. The LaneScanNET can be integrated into real-time vehicles to assist drivers or ADS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialized nations face the imminent need to transform their food systems in service to climate, biodiversity, and humanity, and inroads to such transformation are arguably already being made in pockets of innovation and activism around the world. However, debates rage over the various technologies and values that ought to drive those transformations. In this essay I argue that we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in how we think about and design our food systems, away from the industrial paradigm and toward an approach informed by the nature and function of living systems. As a part of that ongoing change, I argue we need to develop a new set of language to replace the familiar industrial values and concepts that underpin how we think about solutions—including scalability, standardization, efficiency, and control. I offer suggestions for alternative concepts drawn from emerging work in the areas of regenerative design, Indigenous stewardship, and complex systems, concepts that can reframe how proponents of food system transformation design and evaluate new ideas and approaches that are more healthful, sustainable, and just. • Food systems transformations are critical and nascent. • Industrial design concepts like scalability are ill-fit to radical solutions. • Alternative concepts must embody the nature of living systems. • The paper discusses examples including diversity, resilience, generativity and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that emphasizes sustainable and affordable energy presents a practical pathway to achieve sustainable growth. Moreover, this goal aligns with SDG 13, which focuses on climate action. Nonetheless, it is important to consider factors such as political and financial risk, as they can influence climate action efforts and the renewable energy sources adoption. Hence, this study broadens the conversation surrounding CO 2 emission reduction and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It accomplishes this by investigating the interplay between renewable energy, political risk, financial risk, and CO 2 emissions in Finland spanning from 1990/Q1 to 2021/Q4. Notably, this research distinguishes itself through its exploration of these complex connections, employing a wavelet-based quantile methodology. Unlike traditional quantile regression, which can only reveal connections between variables within each quantile, the wavelet-based quantile approach enables the simultaneous capture of correlations across quantiles and periods. The results show that in the long-term and across all quantiles (0.01–0.99), energy efficiency, specifically gas and oil efficiency, lessens CO 2. In addition, low financial and political risks improve ecological quality by lessening CO 2 across all periods and quantiles (0.01–0.99). The paper outcomes serve as a basis for formulating a policy framework aimed at achieving SDG 7 and SDG 13 in Finland. • We explore the impact of energy efficiency and country risk on CO 2 emissions. • The role of renewable energy and economic growth are also analyzed. • The Time series data of the Finland is used from 1990/Q1 to 2020/Q4. • Various wavelet-based quantile correlation is applied. • Renewable energy, oil and gas efficiency decrease CO 2 emissions in each quantile and across periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on overwork has predominantly been conducted in developed countries. This study examines the role of affordable housing in Chinese cities and provides evidence from a developing country. Using data from China's National Health and Family Planning Commission's "China Migrants' Dynamic Survey," this study explores the relationship between affordable housing and overwork among migrant workers in Chinese cities, as well as the mechanism underlying this association. The results imply that migrant workers in China can work fewer hours if they reside in affordable housing. The impact of affordable housing on the overwork of migrant workers is partially mediated by their housing cost burden and their sense of local self-identity. Women, the younger generation, and later-arriving migrant workers are more negatively affected than men, the older generation, and earlier-arriving migrants. This study gives insight into the evaluation of the efficiency of affordable housing in China and evidence for future research on the issue of overwork in developing nations. • This study evaluates the effect of affordable housing on migrant workers' overwork in China. • The impact of affordable housing reduces migrant workers' overwork occurs partly through their housing cost burden and self-identity. • CMP, PSM and IV are applied to control endogeneity problems and perform robustness checks. • Conventional labor economic theory and identity economic theory are introduced to this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrialization has been the primary cause of the economic boom in almost all countries. However, this happened at the cost of the environment, as industrialization also caused carbon emissions to increase exponentially. According to the established literature, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is related to carbon emissions (CO 2) which could be optimally employed to precisely estimate a country's GDP. However, the scarcity of data is a significant bottleneck that could be handled using transfer learning (TL) which uses previously learned information to resolve new tasks, more specifically, related tasks. Notably, TL is highly vulnerable to performance degradation due to the deficiency of suitable information and hesitancy in decision-making. Therefore, this paper proposes 'Intuitionistic Fuzzy Transfer Learning (IFTL)', which is trained to use CO 2 emission data of developed nations and is tested for its prediction of GDP in a developing nation. IFTL exploits the concepts of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and a newly introduced function called the modified Hausdorff distance function. The proposed IFTL is investigated to demonstrate its actual capabilities for TL in modeling hesitancy. To further emphasize the role of hesitancy modelled with IFSs, we propose an ordinary fuzzy set (FS) based transfer learning. The prediction accuracy of the IFTL is further compared with widely used machine learning approaches, extreme learning machines, support vector regression, and generalized regression neural networks. It is observed that IFTL capably ensured significant improvements in the prediction accuracy over other existing approaches whenever training and testing data have huge data distribution differences. Moreover, the proposed IFTL is deterministic in nature and presents a novel way for mathematically computing the intuitionistic hesitation degree. • Intuitionistic fuzzy transfer learning (IFTL) is proposed to enhance TL. • Modified Hausdorff distance function is introduced to compute similarity. • A 'fuzzy transfer learning (FTL)' is also proposed and compared with IFTL. • Developing country's GDP is predicted using only CO2 emission data. • IFTL ensured significant improvements over other machine learning approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development requires more investment in sustainable companies and less in unsustainable firms. However, the factors driving sustainable investing are not well understood. To address this gap, this paper uses institutional theory to examine three determinants of sustainable investing: (1) investor commitment to sustainable investing initiatives; (2) normative pressure; and (3) home-country influences. The findings indicate that sustainable investing initiatives do not guarantee more sustainable asset allocation among members. Normative pressure correlates with reduced investment in unsustainable companies. Investors from home-countries with legal systems prioritizing diverse stakeholders, and with governments committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), tend to invest less in unsustainable companies. Conversely, investors from countries with limited SDG progress show higher investment in unsustainable firms, while those from more developed nations invest more in sustainable companies. These results highlight the need for a critical examination of institutional efficacy in promoting sustainable investing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, there has been a debate on the effects of recessions on population health, and especially on mortality and its distribution across different social groups. This paper contributes to this discussion by means of a critical review of the research on the impact of economic recessions on mortality inequalities in the period 1980–2020. We analyzed 19 studies according to their mortality outcomes, socioeconomic indicators, design, analysis, and main findings. Twelve studies focused on European countries or urban areas, two on Asian countries, two on Russia, one on Asia and Europe, one on the USA, and one in Somalia. Five articles included cross-country comparisons (four between European countries or cities and one between Asian and European countries). The Great Recession of 2008 was the most researched economic crisis, followed by country-specific crises in the 90s, the fall of the Soviet Union, and some crises during the 80s. Most studies (n = 15) showed an overall or partial increase in mortality inequalities after an economic recession. However, two papers found a decrease in mortality inequalities due to the worsening of the health of the upper and middle classes, one article found a decrease in inequalities due to a general improvement in population health, and a study found a "slow-down" effect of pre-existent mortality inequalities. • Most articles study recessions and inequalities in the Great Recession in Europe. • Recessions in high-income countries generally increase mortality inequalities. • Few studies analyze recessions and inequalities in low-middle-income countries. • Studies on long-term effects, inequality axes and other health outcomes are lacking. • Recessions and inequalities must be analyzed from an intersectional perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure plays a vital role in the development and growth of a nation. Nevertheless, in modern times some infrastructure have become so significant that the future sustainability of the country is dependent on them. Such infrastructure is termed Critical Infrastructure (CI), a term coined in 1995 by the United States of America (USA). Thus, the USA and other developed countries have taken measures to protect and improve the resilience of their CI. However, CI is a new concept, therefore the developing countries are lacking a policy framework that could enhance the robustness of their CI. This paper aims to fill the gap by constructing a framework for the augmentation of resilience in the CI of developing countries like Pakistan. The formulation of the framework is achieved using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) based Fuzzy VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (FVIKOR) technique. FAHP results in the identification of the energy sector as the most important CI whereas FVIKOR identifies data acquisition and monitoring systems as the best resilience strategy. The study recommends to the policymakers of the developing countries to follow the proposed framework of the study to devise relative guidelines for their implementation and ensure the future sustainability of their countries. The devising of a framework for the improvement of CI resilience for developing countries and the practicality of the research based on the case study of Pakistan are the principal novelties of the paper. • Infrastructures play a vital role in the development and progress of a country. • In 1995, the term Critical Infrastructure (CI) was coined in the United States of America (USA) in which sixteen CI were identified. • CI are vital for the security and future sustainability of a nation; therefore, their protection is of paramount importance. • This paper aims to overcome the literature gap by devising a CI resilience framework for developing countries like Pakistan. • Based on the results it is advised to the policymakers of the developing countries that the proposed frameworks should be closely followed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly research has not yet discussed the totality of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of a broader picture of sustainable development. This paper provides a unique analysis of the linkages between institutions, SDGs and digital technologies to establish their exact interdependencies. Factor analysis of the grand challenges of sustainable development has shown only SDG3 and SDG17 might progress through institutions' development in developed countries, while only SDG16 in developing countries. In developed countries, the institutions of human development, globalisation and innovations influence SDG3, and SDG17, which depend on digitised knowledge and the application of digital technologies. Human development and economic freedom, which rely on digital infrastructure and technologies, impacted SDG16 in developing countries. The digital knowledge index and the digital technologies index in developed countries enhance management efficiency, having a maximum impact on SDG3 and SDG17. The findings of this paper contribute to social and economic policy implications on digital technology development for addressing grand challenges. • Digital advancements can adequately address the grand challenges of sustainable development. • We weigh results separately for each SDG to create a theory of digital technology advancement. • This paper showcases the differences in sustainable development goals. • We supply reliable strategic milestones for managing digital technology development. A thorough analysis to figure out the differences in meeting the gran challenges of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Pb exposure on full-scale IQ score in pediatric subjects. Following PRISMA guidelines, the data from January 2010 to April 2020 were systematically searched and collected on electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase). The eligibility criteria included cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies that were published in English, from 2010 to 2020, that analyzed the blood Pb levels of pediatric subjects (0–19 years) and possible changes in the full-scale IQ score. In this study, 2174 scientific papers were collected from three electronic databases. From those, 726 were duplicates and 1421 were excluded because they did not meet the eligibility criteria, resulting in a total of 27 papers, from which, seven were used to perform the meta-analysis. The 27 scientific papers systematically selected for this study were separated by the country where the study was realized in developed and underdeveloped/developing countries. In the underdeveloped/developing countries the blood Pb levels are higher and showed a greater variation (1.30–11.66 μgPb/dL of blood) than in countries with higher development index (0.57–4.80 μgPb/dL of blood). The full-scale IQ score are inversely proportional to the blood Pb values, and it is possible to see that in the underdeveloped/developing countries the full-scale IQ score showed lower values and greater variation (59.2–111) compared to the individuals from developed countries (91.9–114.5). In conclusion, it was observed that blood Pb levels alter the full-scale IQ score. Thus, policies for the prevention of environmental contamination and the reduction of Pb exposure must be taken, mainly, in underdeveloped/developing countries. [Display omitted] • Individuals with high blood Pb levels have low full-scale IQ score. • Blood Pb levels lower than 5 μg Pb/dL cause full-scale IQ score alterations. • Pb exposure sources differ according to the countries index of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper analyzes China's challenges toward carbon neutrality (CN) by 2060. • Currently, up to 85% of China's energy consumption relies on fossil fuels. • China's zero-carbon technologies and economy are not yet sufficient for CN. • Thus, we propose a three-stage/four-step strategy for China to achieve CN. • This paper also presents seven suggestions to foster China's green transition. In response to climate change, the Chinese government has set a clear goal to reach its carbon peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, endeavoring to gradually realize net-zero carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. This paper explores the concept of carbon neutrality and makes a comparative analysis of the gap between China, the European Union, and the United States vis-à-vis carbon neutrality based on international data. The main challenges China faces in its progress toward carbon neutrality are the following: first, China's energy consumption and CO 2 emissions continue to increase, while its carbon peak has not yet been reached; second, carbon emission reduction in China is an arduous process, as the transition period allowed for the country to transition from its carbon peak to carbon neutrality is shorter than that of developed countries; third, China remains reliant on high-carbon fossil energy, with high energy consumption and low energy utilization efficiency; fourth, China's low level of economic development, compared with those of the EU, the US, or other developed countries, makes it relatively weak to withstand economic risks; and fifth, China's low-carbon and zero-carbon technologies are not mature. Therefore, this paper posits a three-stage/four-step strategy as well as seven specific suggestions that could benefit China's progress toward carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Provides a multi-dimensional and multi-domain measurement of industrial modernity. • Combines text mining of newspapers with data from various databases. • Finds evidence of major continuities in 3 countries (AU, GER, RUS) between 1900 and 2020. • Detects rupture in environmental discourse and institutions but less so in practices. • Changes in optimism about technological innovation are less visible in comparison. The world is confronted by a socio-ecological emergency, requiring rapid and deep decarbonization of a broad range of socio-technical systems. A recent Deep Transitions framework argues that this fundamentally unsustainable trajectory has been generated by the co-evolutionary dynamics of multiple systems during the last 250 years. Altering this direction requires transformation in industrial modernity – a set of most fundamental ideas, institutions, and practices characterizing every industrial society to date. Although the proponents of the framework suggest that this shift has been unfolding since the 1960s, no attempts have been made to operationalize the concept of industrial modernity and to assess this claim. This paper develops a comprehensive multi-dimensional and multi-domain approach for the measurement of industrial modernity. As such it seeks to provide empirical evidence of long-term continuities and emerging ruptures in the dominant ideas, institutions, and practices of industrial societies along the domains of environment and technology. Using a methodologically novel approach where the text mining of newspapers is combined with data from various databases the paper provides results from three countries – Australia, Germany, Soviet Union/Russia – between 1900 and 2020. Despite considerable country-level differences the results show shifts in public environmental discourse from the 1960s, followed by institutional changes from the 1980s but with only a modest change in practices. We also observe some change in the direction of innovative activities and their regulation coupled with a resurgent optimism in technology-environment discourse. The findings tentatively suggest that industrial modernity might be in the process of hollowing out along ideational and institutional dimensions in the environmental domain but less so in the domain of technology and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]