Search

With growing internationalism, there is a shift in research patterns in developing countries, especially China and India, generating vital and contemporary research areas that are beginning to challenge the existing Western‐dominated research literature in social sciences. Yet, many of the new ideas within conceptual papers by the social sciences are not empirically validated, let alone operationalized. This is where the group concept mapping method can play a role in bridging the gap between phenomenal conceptualization and having an empirically valid model that can then be operationalized. The group concept mapping process involves five steps: create statements, sort statements, run multidimensional scaling (MDS) of sorted units, run cluster analysis, and label the clusters. This approach allows for the collective thoughts of a pre‐defined group to be collected and organized into a tangible output with academic rigor. This paper offers an overview of the group concept mapping methodology, discussing the processes of the method, how the method can be utilized fully within the business and broader social science context, and the strengths, weaknesses, and practical implications of group concept mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanizing villages are erstwhile rural villages that are spatially enveloped and are characterized by their dual relation to the state, which expresses itself as an issue of citizenship; of land ownership; of governance; and building regulations. This paper transcends the current focus on villages in Southern China, by comparing village urbanization between China and India through four narratives of village extensions. Four parallel readings are offered, namely that urban villages are characterized by; shared tenure rooted in their rural past; inherited administrative boundaries that are re-imbued with new legal designations; emulation of traditional practices; and sustained modes of self-governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine Nigeria's dynamic output and output volatility connectedness with USA, China and India using quarterly data from 1981Q1 to 2019Q4. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted the network approach of Diebold and Yilmaz (2014) and used the normalized generalized forecast error variance decomposition from an underlying vector error correction model to build connectedness measures. Findings: The findings show that the global financial crisis (GFC) increased the connectedness index far more than the 2016 Nigeria economic recession. The moderate effect of the 2016 Nigeria economic recession on the connectedness index underscores the fact that Nigeria is a small, open economy with minimal capacity to spread output shock. For both real output and its volatility, the total connectedness index rose smoothly and systematically through time, thereby leaving the economies more connected in the long run. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is among the first to examine Nigeria's dynamic output and output volatility connectedness with the USA, China and India using new empirical insights from the GFC versus 2016 Nigerian recession. The study, therefore, concludes that the Nigerian economy should be diversified immediately as a hedge against future real output shocks, while the USA, China and India should maintain and sustain their current policy frameworks to remain less vulnerable to real output shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) chat programs has opened two distinct paths, one enhancing interaction and another potentially replacing personal understanding. Ethical and legal concerns arise due to the rapid development of these programs. This paper investigates academic discussions on AI in medicine, analyzing the context, frequency, and reasons behind these conversations. Methods: The study collected data from the Web of Science database on articles containing the keyword "ChatGPT" published from January to September 2023, resulting in 786 medically related journal articles. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles in English related to medicine. Results: The United States led in publications (38.1%), followed by India (15.5%) and China (7.0%). Keywords such as "patient" (16.7%), "research" (12%), and "performance" (10.6%) were prevalent. The Cureus Journal of Medical Science (11.8%) had the most publications, followed by the Annals of Biomedical Engineering (8.3%). August 2023 had the highest number of publications (29.3%), with significant growth between February to March and April to May. Medical General Internal (21.0%) was the most common category, followed by Surgery (15.4%) and Radiology (7.9%). Discussion: The prominence of India in ChatGPT research, despite lower research funding, indicates the platform's popularity and highlights the importance of monitoring its use for potential medical misinformation. China's interest in ChatGPT research suggests a focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI applications, despite public bans on the platform. Cureus' success in publishing ChatGPT articles can be attributed to its open-access, rapid publication model. The study identifies research trends in plastic surgery, radiology, and obstetric gynecology, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and reliability assessments in the application of ChatGPT in medical practice. Conclusion: ChatGPT's presence in medical literature is growing rapidly across various specialties, but concerns related to safety, privacy, and accuracy persist. More research is needed to assess its suitability for patient care and implications for non-medical use. Skepticism and thorough review of research are essential, as current studies may face retraction as more information emerges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since Beijing has launched its grand transcontinental Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), President Xi's key foreign economic plan has ignited interest of policymakers and academia alike. This paper explores that under the BRI framework, China has invested billions of dollars in infrastructurebuilding in diverse regions across the globe, including South Asia where Beijing has expanded its footprints by implementing projects in various sectors. India, being wary of Chinese ambitions and intentions, has declined to join the venture as it has reservations over Xi's 'project of the century'. In response, India has come up with various initiatives to counter the growing role of Beijing in South Asia and beyond. Key Indian initiatives are examined aimed at rivalling China. For enhancing regional integration and connectivity, India, in partnership with Japan, has launched Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC). International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is another such venture to dwarf the Chinese BRI. In collaboration with the Group of 20 (G20), New Delhi unveiled another connectivity initiative -- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as an alternative to the BRI. The paper concludes that although India is eager to compete with China, it does not have enough resources to match China's regarding investing and implementing mega infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing insights provided by the theory of monopolistic markets in economics and Great Power behaviour in the discipline of international relations, this paper aims to provide an alternative understanding of India's refusal to join the BRI beyond the immediate bilateral security, domestic politics, and economic considerations in Sino-Indian relations. We argue that BRI is an effort by China to position itself as the leading firm in the market for international development – a space for long dominated by Western development providers. The paper argues that India's efforts to contest the BRI can be seen as a natural outcome of other rising powers resisting China's efforts to monopolize the development market. In doing so, it provides a template of why rising powers compete with each other in providing developmental aid even when cooperation may create mutual benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper precisely estimates the looming demand for hydrogen within the transportation sector, spanning 14 pivotal G20 nations from 2022 to 2050, anchored in the global vehicle hydrogen market penetration rate. Employing a robust techno-economic modeling methodology and leveraging Geographic Information System (GIS) for enriched visualization, it unveils distinct environmental dividends across three thoughtfully devised scenarios: Business- as -Usual, Moderate, and Aggressive. Findings herald India and China as pinnacles of hydrogen demand, with South Korea and Japan tailing closely. The study forecasts the energy consumption for solar hydrogen production in G20 countries to oscillate between 3.02 and 2.89 million GWh in 2022, while production costs are anticipated to range from $8.47/kg to $10.01/kg. In an assertive scenario, the paper illuminates a pathway towards achieving a significant CO 2 reduction, unmasking environmental savings of up to a staggering 48%, equivalent to 1.5 million mtCO 2 , by 2050. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen demand of G20 countries is analyzed using GIS and techno-economic models. • The projected adoption rates of hydrogen vary among the G20 countries. • Solar energy is crucial in determining each region's annual energy demand. • China, US, and India have the highest solar potential throughout the year. • The environmental analysis shows 850–1.5 million mtCO2 total emissions by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and ergonomic risk factors are very common in bakery workers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to (1) assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among bakers because they use automated machines or traditional baking, and (2) to determine the strategies to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in bakers. METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted from the beginning to February 4, 2022, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Mesh keywords and phrases were used to execute the search strategy. Information on MSDs and ergonomic risk factors in bakery workers was collected. Two reviewers worked independently on study selection, data extraction, and paper quality ranking. RESULTS: This study identified 14 papers from seven countries. Although the prevalence of MSDs in bakery workers has been studied, only a handful of them have been studied ergonomic risk factors, and the findings have been very limited. The association between different risk factors and MSDs seemed significant compared to many other occupational diseases. The traditional bread-baking system and lack of mechanization may increase the risk of MSDs in bakery workers. CONCLUSION: WRMSDs for bakery workers have been less studied than other occupational diseases. Our systematic review found several significant relations between the factors influencing the prevalence of MSDs. This study also showed the comparison of traditional and modern cooking systems with diseases of the upper limbs, shoulders, and back pain as possible fields for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Border issues, such as sovereignty, territorial claims, and security, play a significant role in transboundary river management. Borders can act as physical barriers that impede cooperation and coordination, and disputes over ownership and control of river resources can exacerbate tensions and lead to conflicts. Transboundary river management is a complex and critical issue that has gained increasing attention in recent years. The management of rivers that cross international borders raises numerous challenges, including political, economic, social, and environmental concerns. Effective management requires the cooperation of all countries sharing the river basin, and it involves the development of legal and institutional frameworks that promote sustainable use, equitable sharing, and peaceful resolution of conflicts. This paper aims to explore the intricate relationship between India's persistent border disputes with China and their far-reaching implications for the management of transboundary rivers. Their unresolved territorial disputes have profound implications for the shared river basins, such as the Brahmaputra Basin, and pose significant challenges to the implementation of effective transboundary river management strategies. Through an interdisciplinary examination of historical, geopolitical, and hydrological factors, this study sheds light on the multifaceted dimensions of India's border disputes with China and elucidates their detrimental impacts on the use of transboundary river resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofloc technology (BFT) is an aquaculture technology that uses microbial communities to produce a balanced aquatic environment for fish and crustaceans. This study evaluated the global research trends and measured the performance of researchers, organizations or research centers, countries, and funding agencies participating in BFT research in the last decade. Scientific knowledge mapping was also performed to understand the social and conceptual structure of the research publications. The study was conducted based on journal article publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2013 and 2022. The analysis showed that BFT research was increasing steadily, with a total of 911 documents published in the past 10 years. Brazil, China, and India were the three most productive countries in the field. The most productive journals were Aquaculture, Aquaculture Research, and Aquaculture International. Regarding research topics, the largest share of documents was related to bioflocs and their technologies, followed by Litopenaeus vannamei, water quality, growth performance, shrimp, Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, etc. Co-authorship network analysis revealed that the largest cluster comprised researchers from Brazil, China, and India. Moreover, the study of societal attention revealed that the BFT research needs more public attention as the research was discussed and mentioned only a few social media platforms. However, the BFT research had significant readers on Mendeley. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of BFT research and the research performance of scientific actors. It can serve as a valuable reference for researchers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rural areas with higher agricultural energy consumption, ensuring low-carbon transformation and rapid penetration is crucial; therefore, the importance of rural energy system in energy transformation is even more prominent. In order to better understand the research progress of rural integrated energy system, the existing structure of rural energy system and design method are briefly introduced, and the bibliometric method is applied to analyze publications from 2013 to 2023. Based on the Scopus database, 915 publications have been retrieved. These publications are analyzed from the perspective of citation, author, address, and published journal. It is concluded that existing researches mostly use conventional energy technologies to achieve power supply in rural areas, lacking analysis of the potential application of emerging energy technologies and research on multi-energy demand. Furthermore, the review reveals the economy of grid-connected rural energy system is mainly related to geographical location, system configuration, and resource endowment. The bibliometric analysis indicated that these publications are mainly from India and China; the average citation is 24.98, and each article is co-published by 3.66 authors, 2.26 institutes, and 1.46 countries. This work is helpful for scholars to understand the research status on the rural integrated energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Council completed the legislative procedure to establish the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on April 25, 2023, which will be launched in 2027. The iron and steel sector is the main target of the forthcoming CBAM due to the industry's energy-intensive consumption with high carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. However, minimal existing research has been conducted in this regard. This study employs GTAP-e 11.0 and TOPSIS models to estimate the effects of CBAM implementation on the major nations around the world from 2027 to 2030, examining countries' GDP, social welfare, iron and steel production, trade balance, and CO 2 emissions to the global environment. This study concludes: (1) The GDP and social welfare of important iron and steel trade partners throughout the world will be significantly impacted by the application of CBAM. Most nations, including those in the EU, will experience negative GDP effects, with China undergoing the most pronounced social welfare declines followed by India. In contrast, the EU27 will benefit the most in terms of social welfare, followed by the US, Japan, and Russia. (2) Iron and steel production will decrease in all countries outside the EU, but it will have a positive impact on the trade balance of most countries. (3) The CO 2 emissions of all countries except for the EU and Japan will decrease, with a positive impact on preventing carbon leakage in the international iron and steel trade. (4) Comprehensive analysis demonstrates that the EU will benefit the most, and China will suffer the most from CBAM application. Based on the above conclusions, this study proposes corresponding policy recommendations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

• Study analyzes 1374 papers on sensitivity analysis in Scopus. • RStudio, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer are used. • China has most articles published; India leads in international cooperation. • Top three cited journals: J. Clean. Prod., Expert Syst. Appl., and Comput. Ind. Eng. • Most cited authors are Pamučar D, Kahraman C, and Zavadskas EK. In the present era, the implementation of scientifically grounded Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) has emerged as a pivotal solution to diverse decision-making challenges across various domains. Although a substantial body of exploratory, conceptual, and experimental studies exists, only 9.457% studies have incorporated sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of MCDM methods. An exhaustive scientific exploration of sensitivity analysis within the scope of MCDM is thus lacking. This research aims to address this gap through Bibliometric Analysis while examining 1374 articles published between January 2000 and March 2023 from the Scopus database. Using RStudio (Biblioshiny), CiteSpace, and VOSviewer software, the study constructs a visual representation of the most prolific countries, institutions, and authors. Impressively, China takes the lead in article publications, while India excels in international collaboration. "An extended TODIM multi-criteria group decision-making method for green supplier selection in an interval type-2 fuzzy environment," featured in the Journal of Environmental Management, emerges as the most cited paper with a total citation of 455. The study also identifies the top three most cited journals, namely "Journal of Cleaner Production," "Expert Systems With Applications," and "Computers and Industrial Engineering." "North China Electric Power University" is the leading institute with the highest research outputs. "Pamučar D" is the most cited author, with 2594 citations and 39 articles, followed by "Kahraman C" and "Zavadskas EK. This study sheds light on trends in scientific developments and collaborations, providing a model for the application of sensitivity analysis in MCDM research and highlighting global trends. An understanding of the current state of sensitivity analysis research can assist researchers working in the entire domain of MCDM. Additionally, the visualization provides prescriptive data for future work and applications related to sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review article presents an analysis of the literature on environmental literacy in sustainable development. By utilizing techniques to examine multiple documents published between 2013 and 2023, including citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, subject area analysis, and keyword analysis, this study aims to provide valuable information and insights into the research landscape surrounding environmental literacy and its contribution to promoting sustainable development. A systematic search was conducted to gather several scientific articles, conference papers, and publications from the Scopus database from 2013 to 2023. The findings of this analysis shed light on authors, influential institutions, and active research groups that contributed to the study of environmental literacy and sustainable development. This comprehensive review offers an understanding of the state of research in this field while identifying areas for further exploration and research gaps. The insights gained from this study can be highly beneficial for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to advance knowledge and take action toward promoting literacy's role in sustainable development. This analysis is a foundation for advancing our understanding of literacy's significance while emphasizing its vital role in sustainable development efforts.

• To assess the trend of global income inequality, we must address the challenges of scarce and heterogeneous data and the diversity of opinions on what inequality means, which generates much uncertainty about the results. • This paper provides a new transparent and open-access dataset to facilitate a comprehensive analysis of global distributional changes since 1950 and their implications for inequality and overall welfare. • Inequality has unequivocally increased both between and within countries when considered in terms of dollar distances between people (absolute inequality). • When inequality is considered more as relative distances, the results are less robust. However, it can be said with a high degree of consensus that global inequality has declined since 2000, driven by strong growth in China, India, and other emerging countries, and will likely continue to do so for a few more years. • The main exceptions to the consensus on the decline in relative inequality after 2000 come from extreme sensitivity towards either end of the distribution (i.e., stagnation of the very poor or high concentration of income among the very rich). I analyze trends in global income distribution since 1950 using a new companion WIID dataset with standardized country income percentiles. I investigate the robustness of these trends with respect to key data choices, as well as the degree to which the inequality trend depends on specific distributional views (such as the use of absolute versus relative inequality, or relative emphasis at the bottom versus the top). The results show a robust increase in absolute inequality, along with a more nuanced trend in relative inequality, with a very robust decline after 2000 that was interrupted by the COVID crisis but is expected to continue at least until 2028. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reducing modifiable risk factors could prevent the onset of cognitive decline. • Physical multimorbidity–cognitive function association was mediated by depression. • Routine screening for depression in multimorbidity patient may delay dementia onset. This paper explores the role of depressive symptoms (mediator/moderator) in the association between physical multimorbidity (exposure) and cognitive function (outcome) among older adults in the three most populous middle-income countries. This study used cross-sectional data from China (2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study), India (2017/2018 Longitudinal Ageing Study in India), and Indonesia (2014/2015 Indonesian Family Life Survey), with a total sample of 73,199 respondents aged ≥ 45 years. Three domains of cognitive tests were harmonised across surveys, including time orientation, word recall, and numeracy. The four-way decomposition analysis assessed the mediation and interaction effects between exposure, mediator/moderator, and outcome, adjusted for covariates. The mean age of the respondents (in years) was slightly younger in Indonesia (56.0, SD = 8.8) than in China (59.5, SD = 9.3) and India (60.0, SD = 10.5). The proportion of male respondents was 49.3 % in China, 47.3 % in India, and 47.5 % in Indonesia. Respondents in China had the highest mean cognitive function z scores (54.7, SD = 19.9), followed by India (51.1, SD = 20.0) and Indonesia (51.0, SD = 18.4). Physical multimorbidity was associated with lower cognitive function in China and India (p < 0.0001), with 48.4 % and 40.0 % of the association explained by the mediating effect of depressive symptoms ('overall proportion due to mediation'). The association was not found in Indonesia. Cognitive functions were lower among individuals with physical multimorbidity, and depressive symptoms mainly explained the association. Addressing depressive symptoms among persons with physical multimorbidity is likely to have not only an impact on their mental health but could prevent cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrid is a promising way to integrate renewable distributed generation into the electric power sector, which has received widespread attention. In this paper, a uniform capacity-constrained optimization model under different power purchase and sale price contracts is developed to explore the optimal green investment strategy for grid-connected microgrid (GCM) with three configuration types. The impact of renewable energy source endowment and incentive policy is focused when macrogrid's generators emit more pollution than GCM's non-renewable generators, such as in China and India. The results show that: (1) GCM with renewable generation can only be invested in a site with relatively abundant renewable endowment; (2) carbon tax effectively promotes the deployment of GCM with renewable generation and achieves carbon emission abatement, but excessive carbon tax cannot incentive investment in the most desired GCM type; (3) a subsidy trap is found under feed-in tariff (FIT) subsidy, which implies that the fade-out or exit of FIT subsidy is beneficial for microgrid's healthy development; (4) and the comparisons under different price contracts emphasize the importance of macrogrid providing non-discriminatory access to feed-in and feed-out services to microgrid. • Investment strategy is explored for grid-connected microgrid (GCM) with three types. • Renewable source endowment and incentive policy determine the investment for GCM. • Excessive carbon tax cannot incentive investment in the most desired renewable GCM. • The fade-out or exit of FIT subsidy is beneficial for healthy GCM deployment due to the subsidy trap. • Emphasizing the importance of macrogrid providing non-discriminatory services to GCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A government's decision to communicate in a native tongue rather than a commonly used and understood but non-native language can prompt perception through an ethnically-tinted lens. While native-language communication is commonplace and typically benign, we argue that conveying a threat posed by an outgroup in a native tongue can trigger dehumanizing attitudes. We conducted a pre-registered survey experiment focusing on attitudes toward Muslim and Chinese people in India to test our expectations. In our two-stage design, we randomly assigned respondents to a survey language (Hindi or English) and, after that, to threat-provoking or control conditions. While Muslims and China are associated with recent violence against India, the government has routinely portrayed only the former as threatening. Likely due to this divergence, Hindi language assignment alone triggers Muslim dehumanization. Indians' more innocuous views of Chinese are responsive to exogenously-induced threat, particularly when conveyed in Hindi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-efficiency and low-emissions heavy-duty (HD) internal combustion engines (ICEs) offer significant GHG reduction potential. Mild hybridization via regenerative braking and enabling the use of an electric heater component (EHC) for the aftertreatment system (ATS) warm-up extends these benefits, which can mitigate tailpipe GHG and NOx emissions simultaneously. Understanding such integrated hybrid powertrains is essential for the system optimization of real-world driving conditions. In the present work, the potential of a low engine-out NOx (1.5–2.5 g/kWh range) 'Low-NOx' HD diesel engine and EHCs were analyzed in a 48V P1 mild-hybrid system for a class 8 commercial vehicle concept and compared with those in an EPA-2010-certified HD diesel truck as a baseline under real-world driving cycles, including those from the US, Europe, India, China, as well as the world harmonized vehicle cycle (WHVC). For analysis, an integrated 1-D vehicle model was utilized that consisted of models of the 'Low-NOx' HD engine, the stock ATS, and a production EHC. For the real driving cycles, 'GT-RealDrive'-based vehicle speed profiles were generated for busy trucking routes for different markets. For each cycle, the effects of the Low-NOx and EHC performances were quantified in terms of the ATS warm-up time, engine-out NOx emissions, and net fuel consumption. Depending on the driving route, the regenerative braking fully or partly neutralized the EHC power penalty without a significant impact on the ATS thermal performance. For a two-EHC system, the fueling penalty associated with every second reduction in the warm-up time F C E H C (g/s) was several-fold higher for the real driving routes compared with the WHVC. Overall, while a multi-EHC setup accelerated the ATS warm-up, a single EHC integrated at the SCR inlet showed minimized EHC heating power, leading to a minimized fueling penalty. Finally, for the India and China routes, being highly transient, the P1 hybridization proved inadequate for GHG reduction due to the limited energy recuperation. A stronger hybridization was desirable for such driving cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop yield predictions are important for crop monitoring and agronomic management. The traditional methods for yield predictions are complicated and resource consuming. With the availability of affordable handheld imaging and computing devices, the image processing-based yield prediction methods are gaining popularity. In this work, RGB images of rice panicles are captured using DSLR camera with simple background and processed to determine the panicle area in terms of number of pixels. A machine learning-based model is developed to make predictions for rice yield. The model is trained to make predictions on unseen data. Various machine learning-based regression algorithms including decision tree, random forest, support vector machine, and convolution neural network are tested. The experiments are performed on a publically available dataset from China as well as on a self-acquired dataset in India. The results have shown that image processing and machine learning-based methods can make yield predictions satisfactorily as evident from the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) that ranges 0.80–0.97 for different cultivars. The prediction error is determined in terms of root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). RMSE for different methods lies between 0.14 and 0.40, whereas MAE varies from 0.11 to 0.30. Among the tested algorithms, linear regression achieved the best precision with R 2 = 0.97, RMSE = 0.14, and MAE = 0.11. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon mitigation and net-zero targets have an important place on the political agenda for all countries. Countries have been seeking to decouple economic growth and carbon emissions to achieve decarbonization. However, there is a cost of the decarbonization of economies, which can be called as Green Sacrifice Ratio (GSR), and this is critical for developing countries because they have been in the growing stage. By considering the critical role of GSR in achieving net-zero emissions by decarbonizing economies, the study comparatively examines how much environmental quality should be sacrificed for per capita economic growth in China and India. In line with this purpose, the study uses the Fourier-Shin cointegration test and various time series estimators with Fourier approximations for the period from 1989/Q1 to 2022/Q4. Estimation results are as follows: (i) all variables follow the non-stationary process, (ii) the long-run relationship exists between variables, and (iii) Estimation results show that GSR is 0.65% for China and 0.78% for India. Therefore, China and India sacrifice a significant amount of environmental quality for a 1% increase in per capita income level. Also, the ecological cost of increasing economic welfare in India is higher with regard to China. Besides, the results are robust according to the alternative method. Thus, the study recommends that both Chinese and Indian policymakers should revise the economic expansion structure with green growth strategies to prevent irreversible environmental degradation due to higher economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borders and mobilities have played key roles in the transformations of capitalism that have accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. We attempt to distinguish novel developments in the control of movements of bodies, labour, and capital from processes of renationalisation, financialisation, and platformisation that were in train before the outbreak. Focusing on logistical techniques and technologies that govern the global circulation of people and things, this article explores the spatial shifts and ruptures that have marked the capitalist crisis occasioned by the pandemic. We give empirical attention to movements and struggles of migration in China, India, the Americas, and the Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tropical regions, lack of moisture-damage-resistant fillers in flexible pavements poses significant challenges for infrastructure development and maintenance. Hence, this study examined sawdust ash (SDA) for such purposes. SDA is abundant as agricultural waste in rice-producing countries like India and China. Durability assessment of SDA-enriched bituminous concrete (BC) against moisture damage is considered as state-of-art in this investigation. To implement this study, numerous laboratory tests were carried out. First, the Marshall test was carried out to estimate the optimal bitumen content (OBC) and several Marshall properties, including Marshall volumetric properties. After that, a modified Marshall immersion test, energy loss ratio test, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test, indirect tensile strength test (ITS), resilient modulus ratio test, and rutting resistance test were done to execute this investigation. Furthermore, the morphological characteristics of the studied filler were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The experimental result shows that the 8% SDA-enriched BC mix may be applied in low-volume roads in tropical regions like India with 86.94% structural integrity for the presence of ample amounts of calcium oxide (CaO), silicon oxide (SiO2), ferric oxide (Fe2O3), and higher loss on ignition value in that ash. Moreover, the results have shown that the mixes containing 8% SDA perform exceptionally well against moisture damage with the highest energy loss ratio (63.27%) and dynamic modulus (12.1 MPa) after 14 days of immersion. Similarly, this type of mix delivers the highest tensile strength ratio (96.27%) and resilient modulus ratio (89.21%), with minimum rutting depth (9.55 mm), and performs not only in terms of moisture resistance but also in its ability to withstand rutting deformation significantly. These results make it a promising choice for asphalt pavements, to mitigate the detrimental effects of both rutting and moisture on the overall durability and longevity of the road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to utilize hybrid physics-based models that allow for a comprehensive evaluation of how solar–meteorological variables influence the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR). By integrating both physical and statistical approaches, these models provided a novel perspective on understanding the complex relationship between solar radiation and FAPAR dynamics. The integration of URE and CLC in studying ecosystem efficiency in the nations of China and India is crucial, owing to their interdependent nature. To achieve this, the coupled model intercomparison project phase 6 (CMIP6) was utilized, which involved interpolating data from the most recent five GCMs from the six-phase CMIP6. By integrating advanced modeling techniques with observational data, this innovative approach enabled a holistic assessment of the intricate connections between urban development, climate dynamics, and the productivity of surrounding ecosystems in these regions. The reported decline in FAPAR productivity in China and India highlights the growing concern over the impact of climate change on the health and resilience of vegetation. China experienced negative changes of −1.425, −0.414, and −0.018, while India reported negative changes of −2.463, 2.199, and 2.915 under different scenarios. Interestingly, despite these variations, both countries observed similar tidal variations in their seasonal bases, suggesting a consistent pattern in the fluctuations of vegetation productivity throughout the year. The authors of this study collected and analyzed extensive data on CLC and URE in order to investigate their impact on FAPAR fluctuations in China and India. The higher impact of URE compared to CLC in terms of effective contributions suggests that URE plays a crucial role in shaping the atmospheric physics of both China, accounting for 45.26%, and India, registering 33.95%. Conversely, the effects of CLC and PAR residual factor (PRF) were more pronounced in India compared to China, with impacts of 8.21% and 53.03% compared to 4.21% and 46.70%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify the PPD content in hair dyes by measuring the PPD concentration after mixing the ingredients of commercial hair dyes. Methods: A total of 290 permanent hair dyes were tested. RP-HPLC-DAD analysis was performed to determine and quantify the PPD content. Results: The estimated mean of the PPD limit was 0.89 (95% CI [0.81– 0.96]). Of the 290 tested hair dyes, 7.2% (n = 21) exceeded the recommended PPD concentration after mixing. Significantly more hair dyes manufactured in India and China had a PPD content exceeding 2% after mixing compared to dyes from other regions (P = 0.001). Moreover, hair dyes manufactured in India and the UAE were more likely to have incomplete descriptions of the conditions of use and warnings on the label (P = 0.002). Conclusion: The effectiveness of the current regulations relevant to these products should be reevaluated. Moreover, through the use of good manufacturing procedures (GMPs), research, and the reporting of adverse reactions, hair dyes should be subjected to better control and monitoring in terms of their safety and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study compares trade performance between India and China during COVID period (January–December 2020). The merchandise trade and commercial service exports and imports from both countries were obtained from the official World Trade Organization website to compare the output (deviation of actual from projected during COVID-19) of India and China's foreign trade with the rest of the world. The present study employs models of autoregressive integrated moving average using a three-step model creation process. As per the results obtained, we can conclude that India is behind China in achieving the amount of merchandise exports and imports in relation to the output of its previous years, while China's variance between expected and real is relatively lower. When comparing service exports and imports, it can be found that the gap between service exports is not much, but in the case of service imports, China's deviation from India is much greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spring 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns led to a rapid reduction in aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions. These emission reductions provide a unique opportunity for model evaluation and to assess the potential efficacy of future emission control measures. We investigate changes in observed regional aerosol optical depth (AOD) during the COVID-19 lockdowns and use these observed anomalies to evaluate Earth system model simulations forced with COVID-19-like reductions in aerosols and greenhouse gases. Most anthropogenic source regions do not exhibit statistically significant changes in satellite retrievals of total or dust-subtracted AOD, despite the dramatic economic and lifestyle changes associated with the pandemic. Of the regions considered, only India exhibits an AOD anomaly that exceeds internal variability. Earth system models reproduce the observed responses reasonably well over India but initially appear to overestimate the magnitude of response in East China and when averaging over the Northern Hemisphere (0–70 ∘ N) as a whole. We conduct a series of sensitivity tests to systematically assess the contributions of internal variability, model input uncertainty, and observational sampling to the aerosol signal, and we demonstrate that the discrepancies between observed and simulated AOD can be partially resolved through the use of an updated emission inventory. The discrepancies can also be explained in part by characteristics of the observational datasets. Overall our results suggest that current Earth system models have potential to accurately capture the effects of future emission reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit of Piper longum L. (PL) is widely utilized in China for medicinal and dietary purposes, and it is also used in Ayurvedic medicine in India to treat gastric disorders and other ailments. In the present study, a strategy combining serum pharmacochemistry with network pharmacology was proposed to screen the bioactive metabolites derived from PL and explore their potential functional mechanisms. The strategy primarily involved investigating the anti-gastric ulcer activities, network pharmacology analysis, and metabolite identification. The results demonstrated the efficacy of PL in protecting against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers. Through network pharmacology approaches, potential drug-disease common targets were identified. GO enrichment analysis predicted that PL might influence multiple biological processes, such as lipid metabolism and inflammatory response. KEGG enrichment analysis suggested the involvement of the TNF and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways. Molecular docking further indicated that the synergistic effect of sesamin, pipeline, and other ingredients could be the main contributors to PL's anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. Additionally, the serum pharmacochemistry of PL was established, enabling the screening of absorbed components and metabolites for their anti-gastric ulcer activity. A total of 23 prototypes and 17 metabolites were found to significantly contribute to the anti-gastric ulcer activity, suggesting that these bioactive compounds could serve as potential active components of PL. Overall, this investigation provided an experimental foundation to support the clinical application of PL in gastric ulcer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivating effortful behaviour is a problem employers, governments and nonprofits face globally. However, most studies on motivation are done in Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) cultures. We compared how hard people in six countries worked in response to monetary incentives versus psychological motivators, such as competing with or helping others. The advantage money had over psychological interventions was larger in the United States and the United Kingdom than in China, India, Mexico and South Africa (N = 8,133). In our last study, we randomly assigned cultural frames through language in bilingual Facebook users in India (N = 2,065). Money increased effort over a psychological treatment by 27% in Hindi and 52% in English. These findings contradict the standard economic intuition that people from poorer countries should be more driven by money. Instead, they suggest that the market mentality of exchanging time and effort for material benefits is most prominent in WEIRD cultures., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The characteristics of cropland development and the dynamics of food production in China and India, the world's largest agricultural and most populous countries, are of great importance to global food security. However, there is a notable lack of a thorough comparison between China and India in this regard. Here, we systematically compare the differences between China and India using cropping intensity and crop production data, including cropland area, harvested area, total staple crop (i.e., cereal crops, tuber crops and pulse crops) production and yield capacity. The results are mainly as follows: (1) Both China and India experienced an increasing trend in cropland area and harvested area from 2001 to 2021, especially notable in India. In China, the cropland area and harvested area increased by 11.76 % and 14.36 %, respectively, while in India, they witnessed a more substantial increase of 31.10 % and 49.32 %, respectively. (2) The cropping intensity underwent significant transformations, primarily shifting between non-cropland, single-cropping, and double-cropping. Northwestern China exhibited a clear trend of non-cropland converting to single-cropping, whereas northeastern China showed a distinct pattern of single-cropping changing to non-cropland. The interconversion between single-cropping and double-cropping was also frequently observed in the main food-producing regions. In India, the cropland expansion and the adoption of double-cropping are highly pronounced, extending widely across most of the country. (3) From 2001 to 2021, the total staple crop production in China and India increased by 34.12 % and 55.81 %, respectively. Despite the rapid growth in India's total staple crop production, it still amounts to only about half of China's. The major crops production also showed different trends, China's cereal crops production increased significantly, while tuber and pulse crops production declined, and India's production of cereal, tuber, and pulse crops has all increased (4) China's yield capacity has increased by 17.28 %, while India's has only grown by 4.35 %. Despite the rapid increase in India's total staple crop production, the yield gap with China has widened. The boost in China's total staple crop production mainly resulted from improved yield capacity, whereas India relied more on the cropland area expansion, especially the increase in harvested area. Our comprehensive comparison of China and India in cropland development and staple crop production contributes to a deep understanding of the differences in agricultural production between the two countries, and provides lessons for global food security and sustainable agricultural development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a class of emerging and ubiquitous contaminants that are attracting increasing attention, and their large-scale use as flame retardants and plasticizers has led to their pervasive presence in the environment, although their broader impacts remain unknown. In this study, 11 OPEs were measured in the atmosphere of Southeast Asia and Southwest China during 2016. The ∑ 11 OPEs were higher in this region (78.0-1670 pg/m 3 , mean 458 pg/m 3 ) than in many remote areas, lower than in developed regions, and comparable to levels in many developing country cities. Generally, the ∑ 11 OPEs were higher in urban (105-1670 pg/m 3 , mean 538 pg/m 3 ) than in suburban (78.0-1350 pg/m 3 , mean 388 pg/m 3 ). Seasonal variations of OPEs in the air were more pronounced in Cambodia and Laos, especially for Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP). Seasonal variations of ∑ 11 OPEs in most regions correspond to changes in temperature and rainfall. Biomass burning may be also a factor in facilitating OPE emissions from biomass materials or soil into the atmosphere of Southeast Asia. The random forest analysis showed that among these, rainfall had the greatest effect on the seasonal variation of atmospheric OPE concentrations, followed by biomass burning and temperature. The inter-regional variation of ∑ 11 OPEs in Southeast Asia was related to population and economic development in each region. Airflow trajectories indicated that the OPEs in this region were mainly from local sources. The health risk assessment revealed that the inhalation exposure risks of OPEs to the residents in the study areas were very low during the sampling period, but may be increasing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic have widely affected human lives and economy across the globe. There were significant changes in the global environmental conditions in response to the lockdown (LD) restrictions made due to COVID-19. The direct impact of LD on environment is analysed widely across the latitudes, but its secondary effect remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we examine the changes in particulate matter (PM₂.₅) during LD, and its impact on the global croplands. Our analysis finds that there is a substantial decline in the global PM₂.₅ concentrations during LD (2020) compared to pre-lockdown (PreLD: 2017-2019) in India (10-20%), East China (EC, 10%), Western Europe (WE, 10%) and Nigeria (10%), which are also the cropland dominated regions. Partial correlation analysis reveals that the decline in PM₂.₅ positively affects the cropland greening when the influence of temperature, precipitation and soil moisture are limited. Croplands in India, EC, Nigeria and WE became more greener as a result of the improvement in air quality by the reduction in particulates such as PM₂.₅ during LD, with an increase in the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) of about 0.05-0.1, 0.05, 0.05 and 0.05-0.1, respectively. As a result of cropland greening, increase in the total above ground biomass production (TAGP) and crop yield (TWSO) is also found in EC, India and Europe. In addition, the improvement in PM₂.₅ pollution and associated changes in meteorology also influenced the cropland phenology, where the crop development stage has prolonged in India for wet-rice (1-20%) and maize (1-10%). Therefore, this study sheds light on the response of global croplands to LD-induced improvements in PM₂.₅ pollution. These finding have implications for addressing issues of air pollution, global warming, climate change, environmental conservation and food security to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper investigates the intricate interplay between carbon emissions and foreign direct investment within the context of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) for the period spanning 2000 to 2022. In our comprehensive analysis, we incorporate ecological footprint, renewable energy, globalization, and technological innovations as exogenous variables. Employing a system of simultaneous equations across the BRICS panel, we aim to fully elucidate the proposed relationships. Our empirical findings underscore the following key insights: foreign direct investment, technological innovations, and the adoption of renewable energy sources significantly contribute to the mitigation of carbon emissions in these selected nations. However, it is essential to note that ecological footprints exhibit a positive association with carbon emissions, raising concerns on two fronts: escalating environmental degradation and increased land pressure, both of which contribute to rising ecological footprints in BRICS countries. Additionally, our analysis reveals that foreign direct investment is influenced by its capacity to reduce carbon emissions and bolster renewable energy adoption, while globalization amplifies investment trends within the BRICS nations. To address the environmental repercussions of mining activities, it is imperative to implement stringent control and regulation measures, given their potential adverse impacts, including soil pollution, acid mine drainage, erosion, biodiversity loss, excessive water resource consumption, and wastewater disposal challenges. Nevertheless, proactive steps such as recycling mining waste, adopting environmentally friendly mining equipment, combatting illegal mining, and enhancing overall mining sustainability offer promising avenues to mitigate the environmental footprint of mining operations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Roadside soil contamination is mostly caused by human-caused pollutant deposition. PTEs are among the many substances that are harmful for both humans and the environment. PTE concentrations in roadside soil in Chennai, southern India, have been determined in this study. To evaluate the seriousness of the threats, more environmental and geochemical indices have been applied. 83 soil samples have been obtained from the study regions and focusing on important roads. Elemental analysis has been analyzed with ED-XRF and sieve-filtered samples focused on PTEs such as arsenic, barium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, nickel, lead, thorium, titanium, zinc, and uranium. Significant metallic variations have been found in soil samples around roads by the investigation. The elements this study examined section ascending in the following sequence: Fe > Ti > Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Th > As > U > K. In the research area, the CD classification denotes high contamination, whereas the CF indices show mild to significant pollution. PLI indicates moderate to high pollution, whereas EF suggests excessive enrichment. Igeo demonstrates a range from uncontaminated to highly contaminated. PERI showed high levels in the northern study region, whereas GUFI shows several hot spots indicating moderate to severe pollution. The Hazard Index (HI) values for all metals were less than one, demonstrating the absence of non-carcinogenic risks for both adults and children. Multivariate data show natural and anthropogenic PTEs in roadside soil. In addition, a soil quality monitoring system is needed to mitigate continual contamination risks., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Heavy metals contamination in soil is a global concern affecting the environment with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and the health of human beings. Heavy metals contamination of soil entails a significant threat to the environment and human health. This research paper focuses on the quantification of heavy metals contamination in soil in Kanpur district, a highly industrialized and densely populated region in India. The study was aimed to identify the sources of heavy metals, map their spatial distribution, and evaluate the potential implications on the environment and human well-being. The prime intent of the current study was quantification of heavy metals in the soil as well as the comparison of risk on the health of human being using two different methods i.e., US EPA methodology for risk assessment and epidemiological study-based risk assessment. Heavy metals like Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Cr, and Cd were analyzed in agricultural samples of soil with the help of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. On the basis of epidemiological data, the attributable and relative risk came out to be 0.001 and 1.060, respectively. On the basis of the calculation of Cr alone, the values of carcinogenic risk for adults came out to be 3.87 × 10 - 7 . In conclusion, this research paper highlights the alarming levels of heavy metals contamination in the soil of Kanpur district, emphasizing the urgent need for remediation and mitigation efforts, thereby guiding policy makers and stakeholders in developing targeted strategies for soil protection and safeguarding human health.- 6 . In conclusion, this research paper highlights the alarming levels of heavy metals contamination in the soil of Kanpur district, emphasizing the urgent need for remediation and mitigation efforts, thereby guiding policy makers and stakeholders in developing targeted strategies for soil protection and safeguarding human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Multiple estimates exist of global monetary and multidimensional poverty, but populations at risk of social exclusion still lack a worldwide estimate. This paper fills this gap by providing the first estimates of the share and number of populations at risk of social exclusion worldwide. The paper contributes to the literature in three important respects. First, it develops a conceptual framework of social exclusion that emphasizes the relative, multidimensional, and dynamic features of exclusion. Second, it proposes a macro-counting methodology that allows measuring populations at risk of exclusion based on identity, circumstances, and socioeconomic conditions, while advancing a protocol to avoid double counting of individuals at risk of social exclusion. Third, the empirical strategy provides to the best of our knowledge, the first estimates of populations at risk of social exclusion by dimensions of exclusion on a global and regional scale. Overall, we estimate that between 2.33 and 2.43 billion people-roughly 32 per cent of the global population-are at risk of social exclusion. The South Asia and East Asia and Pacific regions contain 1.3 billion such people, with India and China alone home to 840 million of them. Meanwhile, 52 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa's population is vulnerable to exclusion, the greatest share of any region. Our findings have important policy implications. While antipoverty policies can support household consumption and smooth its volatility among the poor, they are unlikely to address social exclusion stemming from ethnic, racial, or gender discrimination. Therefore, addressing exclusion necessitates a suite of multiple interventions tailored to distinct groups and sustained over time., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Cuesta et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Backgrounds: Household polluting cooking fuels, as an important changeable behavior, are related to various detrimental health effects among the elderly. There is limited research on the association between polluting cooking fuel use and intrinsic capacity (IC) as an indicator of healthy aging. This study aimed to evaluate the above-mentioned association in India and China, where polluting cooking fuel use is common., Methods: We enrolled 33,803 participants aged ≥60 years from two nationally representative studies: the Longitudinal Aging Study in India and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Polluting cooking fuel use was defined as a self-report of using wood, coal, kerosene, crop residue, or dung. IC was measured by five aspects, including locomotion, cognition, vitality, sensory, and psychological capacity. The random-effects mixed linear regression and logistic regression with population weighting were performed. Multivariable-adjusted model and propensity score were used to adjust for potential confounders., Results: A total of 47.54 % and 59.32 % of elderly adults reported primary cooking using polluting fuels in India and China, respectively. Using polluting cooking fuels was consistently associated with IC decline; particularly, cognitive capacity was the most susceptible domain. In India, participants using polluting fuels had a 1.062 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.047-1.078) times risk for IC deficits, whereas more prominent results were observed in China (odds ratio [OR]: 2.040, 95 % CI: 1.642-2.533). Such harmful effects might be alleviated by transferring from polluting to clean fuels. Additionally, the duration of polluting fuel use was also positively associated with IC deficits., Conclusion: This study provided substantial public implications on healthy aging for the elderly population at a global scale, strengthening the importance of health education and policy efforts to accelerate the transition from polluting to clean fuels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from the cement industry account for 26% of the total industrial emissions, and the need to develop low-carbon techniques within the cement industry is extremely urgent. Low-carbon projects and technologies for the cement industry in different regions and countries have been thoroughly reviewed in this manuscript, and the low-carbon development concept for each county has been analyzed. For developing countries such as China and India, energy saving and efficiency enhancement are currently the key points, while for developed countries and regions such as Europe, more efforts have been focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Global CCUS projects have been previously conducted, and the majority of CCUS projects are currently performed in Europe where major projects such as the CEMCAP, CLEANKER, and IEILAC projects represent the latest research progress in cement production technologies and low-carbon technologies for the global cement industry. The development of low-carbon cement technologies has changed from focusing on the end point to instead focusing on the source and process through the exploration of hydrogen and solar energies, and more disruptive and original technologies are expected to be developed, particularly in the cement industry in China., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Ground-level ozone (O 3 ) concentration is rising in Asia, which accommodates the world's top-two wheat producers (China and India). Because wheat is among the species of high O 3 sensitivity, yield loss due to rising O 3 in Asia is a major threat to global wheat supply. We estimated the relationships between O 3 dose on AOT40 (accumulated daytime O 3 concentrations above 40 ppb for 90 days) and relative wheat yield for four wheat producing regions: China, India, Europe and North America using results of O 3 elevation experiments conducted therein. When compared on the same AOT40, the estimated yield loss was greatest in China followed by India, Europe, and North America in this order. In China, Europe and North America, the yield loss was primarily due to the reduction of single grain weight, whereas in India reduction of the number of grains contributed more to the yield loss than single grain weight. The greater response of the number of grains to O 3 in India can be explained by the earlier start of O 3 elevation, but the seasonal change in O 3 concentrations cannot explain the lower yield loss in North America than China and India. Referring to the past reports of lower yield sensitivity to O 3 in older cultivars, we compared the year of release of cultivars between the regions. In North America, they used cultivars released in 1980s or earlier, whereas in China they used cultivars released in 2000s. In Europe and India, most cultivars were released between those in North America and China. The difference in cultivars could therefore be a cause the differential yield response among the regions. We argue that the O 3 -induced yield loss should be quantified using the dose-response relationships for each region accounting for the effects of seasonal change in O 3 concentrations, cultivars and climate on the yield response., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, the stochastic frontier gravity model is applied to analyze the trade potential between China and Nepal and the prospects of Lanzhou-Kathmandu South Asian rail-road freight trains (LKSARFT). Based on the statistical data, we test the Exports Efficiency (EE), Bilateral Trade Efficiency (BTE), Exports Trade Potential (ETP), Bilateral Trade Potential (BTP), Extended Exports Trade Potential (EETP), Extended Bilateral Trade Potential (EBTP), Improved Exports Trade Potential (IETP) and Improved Bilateral Trade Potential (IBTP) between China and Nepal, the following analysis results can be found: for the bilateral trade model, the bilateral non-efficiency factor decreasing at a rate of 0.057 with time increasing, bilateral trade increasing at a rate of 0.057 with time increasing. For the exports model, the exports non-efficiency factor increasing at a rate of 0.004 with time increasing, exports trade decreasing at a rate of 0.057 with time increasing. The BTE between China and Nepal increases when time changes, the EE from China to Nepal remains constant changing during the 18 years. The changing range of BTE is 0.002-0.05; the changing range of EE from China to Nepal is over 0.1, larger than the BTE. The BTE and EE ranking among the eight South Asian countries are ranking fifth and fourth during the 18 years. exports trade resistance from China to Nepal is larger than bilateral trade resistance; The import trade potential from Nepal to China is huge, the focus of bilateral trade between China and Nepal may be changed, there are more goods may be exported from Nepal to China, and China may become trade deficit when trading with Nepal. Then, the development bottlenecks of the LKSARFT are analyzed. Finally, we give policy directions to boost bilateral trade efficiency and tap the potential of bilateral trade between China and Nepal., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Fei Tian. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Present study analyzed the seasonal and spatial distribution patterns, sources, and ecological risks of seven heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the sediments of River Ganges, finding that the majority of concentrations were lithologic, except for Cd, which was significantly higher than background standards. Elevated values of geochemical indices viz. I geo , CF, RI, C d , mC d , HQ, mHQ, and P N suggest moderate to high ecological risk in the benthic environment and its organisms due to the synergistic effect of heavy metals. The PEC-Q metals revealed 8-10 % toxicity in the upstream and downstream sites, due to the influence of agricultural activities. Multivariate statistical techniques (PCM and PCA) indicated that Cd and Pb predominantly originated from anthropogenic sources, while other metals primarily derived from geological background. These geochemical findings may help to understand the potential risks and recommend strategies to mitigate the effects of metallic contamination in river sediments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)