Search

The authors analyze self-selection and sorting of emigrants from Finland, using full-population administrative data. Their analysis focuses on employed Finnish citizens aged 25 to 54 years, who had no immigrant background. Findings show that emigrants are more educated, have higher earnings, and are more likely to have worked as managers or professionals when compared to those who did not emigrate (the stayers). These findings hold for short-term and long-term emigrants. Emigrant self-selection in terms of residual earnings is U-shaped, which holds when adding occupational controls, as well as when married and unmarried men and women are studied separately. Results also show strong evidence of sorting: Men who emigrate outside Nordic countries are considerably better educated, have higher earnings, and are more likely to have worked as managers or professionals than men who emigrate to other Nordic countries. Also, language is important: Swedish-speaking Finns are much more likely to emigrate to other Nordic countries than Finnish speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the electoral dimension of democratic backsliding by conceptualizing the “electoral gap”—the vote share differential between the leading and runner-up candidates. Through the analysis of electoral data from 37 countries spanning the period 1990 to 2022, we identify a significant and consistent pattern: the magnitude of electoral victories exerts a profound influence on the integrity of democratic institutions. Specifically, large-margin victories are found to be strongly associated with the erosion of democratic norms, as measured by the V-Dem index, whereas narrower victories appear to serve as a counterforce, limiting the scope of anti-democratic actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses whether the European Union returns more irregular migrants to democratic or autocratic states. It establishes the EU's return rates with the whole world over a period of twelve years (2008–2019) and connects it to non-EU countries' democratic credentials. Democracy mattered to some extent in the sense that the EU had generally fewer return orders and higher return rates with democratic states. Yet, a macro perspective indicates that the EU was driven by an interest to maximise returns to non-EU countries, irrespective of the regime type. Some autocratic regimes – and those that became more autocratic – had high return rates and were actively targeted for achieving more returns. A non-EU country's change towards more or less democratic standards had a comparatively minor likelihood of impacting the EU return rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the extent of social media policing in fact-checking (as opposed to verifying public figures' statements) and the thematic convergence across eight countries in Europe and Latin America. Based on audience reach, we collected links from various organizations (independent outlets, legacy media, or global news agencies). A representative stratified sample of 25% resulted in 3,154 articles. Among the findings, the trend of social media policing prevails across countries and organizations, except for most European legacy media. Independent news-born fact-checking organizations follow a convergent path, sharing more similarities with their global counterparts than their national media peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This inquiry investigates the effectiveness of legislative gender quotas on women's electoral representation and how it evolves over time and across countries. Using 190 countries spanning between 1947 and 2015, the findings suggest that quotas' effectiveness is conditional on types and features, varies with time and imprinted with countries' historical representation status. Reserved seats usher in more women when featuring high legislative thresholds and the effects are stable; Candidate quotas signal countries' historical disadvantage but show an acceleration effect on women's representation over time. Strong placement rules increase women's representation, yet the effects decelerate. Strong sanctions indicate countries' historical disadvantage, nevertheless, accelerate women's representation over time. The interactive dynamics between time and quota types and features prove nuanced, presenting good room for policy learning and future policy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various countries, laws are increasingly being evaluated by examining the effects in practice once a law enters into force. No systematic overview currently exists on the impact of these ex-post legislative evaluations. Therefore, this scoping review systematically examines the various types of impact of ex-post legislative evaluations. The studies we looked at demonstrate different types of impact that can be divided into the following seven categories: knowledge and understanding; confirmation of well-functioning legislation; legislative revision; influence on the legislative process; influence on the policy process; influence in the political sphere; and influence on society. The various types of impact are sometimes interrelated and can exist in various degrees. At the national and European levels, legislative revision and the tactical use of evaluation results in the political sphere, are the two most often mentioned categories. In contrast, the impact on society category is rarely mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental insight of various trade theories is that trade does not have a universally negative effect on different business activities in different countries. Rather, trade's impact varies concomitantly with the specific country and activity considered. This empirical note expands prior work linking trade to redistribution preferences by using sectoral comparative advantage to incorporate the notion that trade may hurt the prospects of a specific group in one country (e.g. workers in a highly tradeable or offshorable industry) but will simultaneously benefit this same group in another country. We expect that individuals in industries with a weaker (stronger) comparative advantage suffer (benefit) more from trade and are therefore more (less) in favour of redistribution. Empirical results confirm this expected effect of comparative advantage on redistribution preferences. We conclude that considering countries' comparative (dis)advantage in certain activities provides a deeper and more general understanding of the political consequences of trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examined how social media content has shaped the representation of countries for publics around the world. Based on world system theory, the study investigated the underlying predictors of country mentions on X (formerly Twitter) in 2018. It confirmed that countries with greater economic power – or higher status in the world system – received more mentions. Furthermore, countries with larger populations were mentioned more frequently as were countries that experienced major conflicts. The findings from structural equation modeling shed new light on the interrelationships that drive the social media representation of individual countries and delineated an integrated Model of Country Mentions on X. These findings have implications for global leaders, policymakers, and social media firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the term vagueness is spread in all aspects of our lives, this manuscript will clarify the meaning of independence (strict meaning of independence, the illusory meaning of independence, Oscillating between the true meaning of independence, and the fallacy of claiming independence and not applying it), this triplet actually refers to the three components that the Neutrosophic theory standing on which is (truthiness, falsity, indeterminacy), the strategy of applying the notion of independency in the local institutions, enlighten on the allegation of applying the independency notion in some governments' institutions without a real impact of this term, and studying the meaning of independence from the perspective of a country legal system, all these issues and some comparisons in applying the term (independency) between some countries such as Iraq, France, Algeria, USA, etc. have been enclosed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the long-run determinants of US outward FDI (OFDI) stock, focusing mainly on the Euro Area (EA) for the period 1985–2019. We consider a sample of 54 developed and emerging host countries representing over 70% of the total US OFDI stock. We aim to capture different determinants by country groups zooming in on the European Union (EU). We implement a Dynamic Common Correlated Effects Pooled Mean Group (DCCEPMG) estimator for this aim. Our econometric approach is especially suited for analyzing integrated economic areas as it allows us to deal with cross-section dependence (CSD), non-stationarity, structural breaks, and slope homogeneity usually present in large panel data. Our main results suggest that horizontal (HFDI) and vertical (VFDI) strategies coexist for all country groups. However, as we move towards more homogeneous groups, the results show the greater importance of VFDI. Additionally, we find that some variables have a common long-run effect on US OFDI, especially for smaller and more homogeneous groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine whether the Rwandan state's choices emulate the East Asian model of developmental state. Our study unveils that Rwanda possesses a central developmental state feature—industrial policy with institutional arrangements—with an Africanization of the developmental state concept. We challenge opinions that oppose the replicability of this model outside East Asia by highlighting the importance of the cross-cutting feature of adaptation. Rwanda followed a flexible approach that allowed adjusting to its own context instead of sticking to a strict economic plan. The unique policy independence case of Rwanda raises questions about the possibility for other African nations to imitate its developmental experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On December 25th, 2021, NASA, in collaboration with the European and Canadian space agencies, achieved a remarkable feat by successfully launching the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), marking it as the largest and most powerful telescope ever constructed.* The JWST, a monumental collaborative project spanning over two decades, involved scientists and engineers from 300 universities and 14 countries, with a total investment of ten billion dollars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a great deal of scholarship has been devoted to peacekeeping operations (PKOs), relatively few works have examined their economic effects. Toward better understanding this area of inquiry, we examine the impact of PKOs on the growth of the shadow economies of host countries. We posit that the conflict cessation brought about by peacekeeping missions, as well as their stimulative economic effects, will reduce the growth of the shadow sector. However, these impacts may not be sustainable after the conclusion of the mission. Testing these linkages across 145 countries for over 40 years, we find significant support for these dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically evaluates the establishment of drone bases and the use of drones in several African countries and territories. Despite the significant financial commitments needed, external forces continue to invest heavily in drone bases and operations across the continent, often promoted for the security of the countries in Africa. Using secondary sources, this paper employs the concept of "necropolitics" to argue that these drone bases, along with the technologies emanating from them – ostensibly for counter-insurgencies or counter-piracy – represent the deployment of "aerial technologies of domination". It posits that such technologies enable external forces to control the airspaces of several African countries and determine who lives and dies, thereby ensuring their acquiescence and subjugation under aerial colonialism. This paper challenges the prevailing discourse that drone operations primarily serve the interests of those under its surveillance and advocates for the establishment of pan-African security partnerships to guide against aerial colonialism across the countries of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria is a major health risk faced by Chinese expatriates working in South Sudan. The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Chinese expatriates in South Sudan towards malaria prevention and control, analyze the influencing factors, and provide a basis for reducing the morbidity and mortality of malaria. Methods: By distributing questionnaires, data on socio-demographic characteristics of Chinese expatriates in South Sudan, and information on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards malaria prevention and control were collected from April 5th to 12th, 2023. Results: The recognition degree of malaria prevention and control was better, and the accuracy of each choice in knowledge, attitude and pracice was 19.4–99.75%, 85.57–99.25% and 82.59–99.00%, respectively. Of the 402 respondents, none had a history of malaria before coming to South Sudan, the malaria infection rate was 41.29% (166/402). The results of multiple linear regression analysis suggest "Knowledge Scores" will have a significant positive impact on "Practices Scores" (B = 0.206, 95% CI: 0.045 ~ 0.367, P = 0.013). However, the remaining five independent variables do not have an impact on "Practices Scores". Conclusions: The KAP of Chinese expatriates in South Sudan towards malaria prevention and control is good, but needs to be further strengthened. Improving knowledge about malaria prevention and control can reduce the incidence of malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension is increasingly prevalent globally. Pre-hypertension is associated with cardiovascular mortality but often overlooked, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where healthcare resources are limited. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) evaluates the inflammatory potential of dietary patterns, which may influence pre-hypertension risk. This study aims to investigate the relationship between DII and pre-hypertension among adults, highlighting the need for effective dietary interventions. Methods: A muti-center cross sectional study involving 284 adult non-hypertensive patients was conducted in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Dietary habits were assessed using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), while pre-hypertension was assessed using auscultatory method with a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope, following recommended guidelines. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results: Of 279 respondents who completed the study, 56.3% had pre-hypertension while 48.4% had high DII (pro-inflammatory). Prevalence varied across age groups, ethnicities, and study sites. Although, DII did not significantly predict pre-hypertension in this study, underweight (aOR = 0.26, CI = 0.07–0.98, p = 0.047), and younger age (aOR = 0.25, CI = 0.08–0.74, p = 0.013), were independently associated with reduced pre-hypertension risk. Conclusion: Pre-hypertension is common among adults in Nigeria and DRC. Dietary inflammatory index did not influence pre-hypertension; however, age and BMI are critical factors that influence the risk of pre-hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Universities Accord Final Report marks a defining moment in how Indigenous issues are framed in the context of Australian Higher education. The Accord adopts the principle that “First Nations should be at the heart of the tertiary education system” arguing that First Nations leadership and self-determination are key elements of progress, offering the best chance for effective measures that support the success of First Nations people. This paper examines opportunities for the Accord to move beyond equity and inclusion, transforming our approach to Indigenous research and knowledge systems. Key opportunities include strengthening and expanding our Indigenous academic pipeline and prioritising and investing in Indigenous-led research. These two issues are fundamental to fostering a thriving Indigenous research ecosystem and promoting innovative policy and practice that addresses socio-economic challenges and strengthens Indigenous self-determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDespite the growing body of research examining the impact of Internet use on the well-being of older adults, few studies have specifically examined the factors that contribute to variations across countries. Using resources and appropriation theory, this meta-analysis explores how and why the impacts of Internet use on older adults’ well-being differ across nations. By synthesizing 207 effect sizes from 49 studies in 26 countries, this research confirms the positive influence of Internet use on older adults’ well-being. The findings indicate that communication use has the most significant effect on well-being and that eudaimonic well-being shows the greatest improvement. Additionally, economic and cultural disparities among nations significantly shape the well-being benefits derived from Internet use among older adults. This study provides valuable insights into global variations in the impact of Internet use on older adults’ well-being and offers crucial implications for improving their overall well-being and addressing prevailing digital divides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relative age effect (RAE) on reading achievement in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and explores the relationships between delayed school start and specific risk factors. Data from Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 and 2021, which include nearly 40,000 students, document that the proportions of late school starters vary. Denmark stands out with the highest level of delayed school starters (8%), whereas Norway at the opposite end has practically zero, making the latter a relevant reference point for RAE comparisons. Regression analyses suggest a systematic pattern: the greater the proportion of delayed students is, the more distorted the age–achievement link, highlighting the need to carefully consider the basis for RAE estimates in comparative research. Importantly, late school starters generally tend to be weaker readers at age 10 and have fewer home resources. This study discusses the methodological and practical implications of the main findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing the challenges brought about by global climate change and biodiversity loss, accurately assessing ecological environmental quality (EEQ), and its driving factors are crucial for formulating effective strategies for ecological protection and restoration. However, there remains limited understanding of the interactions and causal relationships between multiple factors, with existing studies mainly focusing on the impact of individual factors on EEQ and their correlations. This study took Myanmar as the research area, employing a Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) model and spatial autocorrelation analysis to quantitatively evaluate the spatial distribution characteristics of Myanmar's EEQ in 2020 and reveal its spatial dependence. Furthermore, by innovatively integrating the Geodetector and Geographical Convergent Cross Mapping (GCCM) methods, this study systematically analyzed the impacts and causal relationships of various factors on the spatiotemporal differentiation of EEQ. The results indicate that: (1) Myanmar's overall EEQ was relatively good, but there is significant spatial heterogeneity; (2) Local spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed a clear spatial clustering pattern of EEQ in Myanmar; (3) Geodetector analysis identified DEM, slope, Net Primary Productivity (NPP), land use, and human footprint as the dominant factors influencing EEQ, with significant interactions among these factors; (4) GCCM analysis further verified the significant causal effects of DEM, slope, NPP, and human footprint on EEQ, while the causal effects of temperature, precipitation, and land use are relatively weaker. This study established a technical framework for analyzing the spatial differentiation and causes of EEQ, unveiling the mechanisms of ecological evolution driven by natural and human factors. It enriched the understanding of human-environment interactions within coupled systems and delved into the complex mechanisms and causal effects among multiple factors within the ecological system. These insights enhanced our understanding of the intricate relationships between EEQ and its influencing factors, providing valuable references for ecological protection and sustainable development in Myanmar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, with a long history of cultivating chrysanthemums, is one of the largest producers of cut chrysanthemums in the world. The changes in its export volume of cut chrysanthemums directly affect the supply in the international flower market and exert competitive pressure on other exporting countries of cut flowers. This study characterizes the growth, composition and performance of China's cut chrysanthemum in the global market using various measures and analytical tools, and provides an empirical investigation on the influencing factors of China's export competitiveness of cut chrysanthemum. The results show that over the past 16 years, China's export of cut chrysanthemums has maintained a competitive advantage that peaked in 2019, followed by a gradual decline. Market effects and overall competitiveness had the most significant impact on China's cut chrysanthemum export growth. China's export of cut chrysanthemums is associated with the number of new varieties, and China exports more cut chrysanthemums to countries with larger population size, more geographical proximity, and closer diplomatic relations. While we do not find significant effect of the Belt and Road Initiatives, we find that Chinese exporters of cut chrysanthemums tend to choose to export to China's partners of free trade agreement. This study then provides policy suggestions regarding enhancing the international competitiveness of China's cut chrysanthemums including promoting innovation strengthening international cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ticks are important ectoparasites of livestock. Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) cause losses to the animal husbandry industry and also present a major hidden danger to public health and safety. However, the tick species and prevalence of TBDs in border regions of China, Russia, and North Korea remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify the tick species and tick-borne pathogens endemic in these regions. Methods: Morphological and molecular identification of ticks was performed by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the distribution of tick species, pathogen, and risk factors of infection were analyzed. Results: In total, 1,187 ticks were collected from the border areas of 13 localities in eight cities. Five tick species were identified: Haemaphysalis longicornis (39.68%), Ixodes persulcatus (25.36%), Haemaphysalis japonica (15.50%), Dermacentor silvarum (15.42%), and Haemaphysalis concinna (4.04%). There were more female than male ticks, and nymphs were the least frequently collected. I. persulcatus was the main species in the forest environment, while H. longicornis was the main species in grasslands and animal surface. Four pathogens were detected: Rickettsia , Bartonella , Anaplasma , and Babesia. Discussion: Pathogen detection in ticks differed significantly among the environments and between Sexes. There were significant differences in the proportion of ticks infected with Rickettsia , Bartonella , Anaplasma , and Babesia among regions, species, sexes, and environments. The results of this survey of the tick species in border areas of China, Russia, and North Korea provided a scientific basis for the prevention and control of TBDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With intensifying weaponized conflicts and authoritarian tendencies across countries, geopolitical risks related to critical infrastructure (CI) have increased. However, views on what exactly constitutes CI, what risks are associated with it, especially when control of it is ceded to foreign operators, and what strategies are best suited to manage these risks and make CI more resilient, vary widely among experts in the field and among governments and institutions concerned with CI protection and resilience. This paper compares the existing concepts and approaches adopted in the scientific work and across major developed economies to identify and manage risks related to CI, focusing on geopolitical aspects of CI protection and resilience. It eventually postulates that a comprehensive and coherent framework is needed to address the underlying (geopolitical) risks and thus achieve more resilient CI systems. Especially in the European Union, a more active and systematic dialog is required to enhance the common understanding of critical infrastructures, their sectoral and transboundary interdependences and the role of resilience therein. Failing to do so in a context of intensifying geopolitical tensions could turn the new mantra of “de-risking” strategies into an empty phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the recent global events leading to the migration of millions of people to various countries, this study seeks to identify the weaknesses and challenges in refugees' access to healthcare services and propose solutions to reduce the financial burden on the health system and enhance the effectiveness of the Universal Public Health Insurance (UPHI) program. The ultimate goal is to improve the health of Afghan refugees in Iran. Therefore, this study aims to examine the insurance policies of the seven countries with the highest number of refugees worldwide and compare them with Iran. Method: This is a qualitative study that will consist of three phases, encompassing a total of 7 steps. The initial phase involves conducting a comparative study among selected countries to identify UPHI coverage policies or programs for refugees. The second phase, which is the core of the study, involves analyzing health policies using the conceptual framework known as the "policy triangle framework." In the final phase, a panel of experts will present policy proposals based on their experiences and in alignment with the identified cases. These proposals will be prioritized using a prioritization matrix and policy dialogue. Discussion: This research aims to examine the structural and policy challenges of health insurance for refugees in host countries, alongside an in-depth analysis of Iran's insurance policies. It seeks to propose solutions such as sustainable financing methods, facilitating access to health services, and improving coordination between governmental and international organizations to implement health policies for current and future refugee-hosting countries effectively. Furthermore, the findings of this study could effectively guide decision-making and resource management for policymakers in countries with refugee populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically investigates the impact of public debt on women’s fertility. The study employs a dynamic common correlated mean group technique using data from a global sample of 78 countries, among which were 38 African and 40 non-African countries, for the period 1992–2018 to examine this linkage. Public debt is measured by external debt stocks, public and publicly guaranteed, while women’s fertility is captured by the fertility rate. This paper shows that public debt is positively associated with women’s fertility. Moreover, the degree of the impact of public debt on women’s fertility is relatively greater in African countries as compared to non-African countries. Therefore, if African and non-African countries want to reduce women’s fertility, they will have to reduce their level of public debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As activities in the North Sea are steadily increasing in both size and number, spatial conflicts are becoming increasingly inevitable. Marine Spatial Planning is widely adopted as an area-based planning approach to manage competing claims for maritime space, but spatial conflicts are also managed through permitting procedures for maritime activities. To explore how Denmark, England and the Netherlands resolve, minimize or mitigate spatial conflicts, this paper identifies what conflict resolution measures are adopted in marine spatial plans and permitting procedures, and analyzes how national institutional capacities shape their deployment. Collected data includes marine spatial plans and permitting documents as well as interviews with involved policy- and decision-makers. The findings demonstrate a common set of guiding principles for conflict resolution in their marine spatial plans across countries, including spatial reservation, multi- or co-use, ecosystem-based planning, and financial compensation. Within permitting procedures, a wide variety of spatial, physical-technical, logistic, and financial conflict resolution measures are adopted to minimize or mitigate spatial conflicts on project-specific levels. However, large differences exist in the degree to which decision-makers prescribe what conflicts must be addressed in what manner during project development. A lack of ecological and spatial knowledge and fragmented governmental responsibilities hinder decision-makers' freedom to deviate from established types of conflict resolution measures. Overall, this paper presents valuable insights on how conflicts are addressed across the North Sea region as well as how institutional capacities, and institutional space in particular, shape the adoption of conflict resolution measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Qatar's 2022 World Cup through the lens of liminality, presenting the intricate interplay between tradition, modernity, and human rights. By introducing liminality as an analytical tool, the paper explores how Qatar navigates traditional norms amidst global scrutiny, particularly concerning human rights issues such as migrant labour practices and cultural contestations around human rights. Employing liminality as a conceptual framework, this analysis offers a nuanced understanding of Qatar's endeavour to balance cultural authenticity with international expectations. I reveal why Qatar utilised the transient phase to implement reforms to its social and legal systems, aligning with international human rights while ensuring changes were akin with its cultural identity. The paper highlights the transient nature of change during the liminal phase of sport mega-events, emphasising both the opportunities and challenges presented for changes in Qatar. The paper unpacks Qatar continued navigation in the global stage as an extension of the initial liminal phase, demonstrating its engagements with processes of change and adaptation. The World Cup is a prime example that exposes the dual nature of sport mega events, serving as a springboard for social change, while also revealing underlying cultural and structural tensions. I conclude that Qatar utilised this liminal phase as a rite of passage, enabling the nation to traverse the terrain of modernity while testing the permeability of its cultural boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the risk literature provides evidence on the impact of individual risk events on trade from the perspective of North–North (N–N) and North–South (N–S) regional trade blocs. Given the numerous risks facing South–South (S–S) regional trade agreements (RTAs), there is a need for a framework that will identify and quantify the risk in an S–S trade bloc. Such a framework should present a more holistic approach to risk identification, assessment, and management. The analysis has to explore interdependencies and spill-over effects between events that initiate impact flows between otherwise unrelated events. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), with a good mixture of lower- and upper-middle-income countries, was used as a case study in this paper. The more developed countries, i.e. South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, had the least risk and the risk indices of the more developed countries in the bloc also show a downward trend over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low back pain (LBP) substantially affects quality of life and functional capacity, ranking as a major global cause of disability. While the global burden of LBP has been extensively studied, China's unique demographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare contexts warrant focused attention. As the world's most populous nation undergoing rapid urbanization and aging, China presents a distinct landscape for LBP epidemiology. This study aims to chart the temporal shifts in the age- and sex-specific burdens of LBP in China from 1990 to 2021, encompassing incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). By benchmarking these trends against the worldwide disease burden, this research provides critical insights into how China's experience aligns with or diverges from global patterns, offering valuable guidance for targeted public health strategies. Methods: This study leveraged open-access data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) repository, spanning the years 1990 to 2021, to scrutinize the epidemiological profile of LBP in China and across the globe. The analysis encompassed fluctuations in LBP incidence, prevalence, and DALYs. The Joinpoint regression model was employed to determine the average annual percentage change (AAPC) and its associated 95% confidence interval (95% CI), thereby quantifying the trajectory of LBP burden. A multifaceted comparative evaluation was performed to elucidate disparities in LBP burden between China and other regions, examining various aspects such as age, gender, and temporal dynamics. Results: From 1990 to 2021, both China and the world experienced a decline in age-standardized metrics related to LBP. In China, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) decreased from 2,859.383 to 2,342.459 per 100,000, while globally, it fell from 3,534.988 to 3,176.63 per 100,000. Similarly, the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) in China declined from 6,635.488 to 5,342.1 per 100,000, compared to a global reduction from 8,391.582 to 7,463.13 per 100,000. The age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) in China also dropped from 749.026 to 603.033 per 100,000, while globally, it decreased from 937.339 to 832.179 per 100,000. Notably, according to the AAPC results, China showed a more pronounced decrease in these metrics compared to the global averages, especially before 2015. Gender differences were evident, with women consistently exhibiting higher incidence, prevalence, and DALYs for LBP across all age groups and years. Age-related disparities were also significant: in 2021, the crude incidence rate (CIR), crude prevalence rate (CPR), and crude DALY rate (CDR) peaked in the 85–89 age group, reflecting the substantial burden of LBP among older adults. However, the highest number of incidence, prevalence, and DALYs was observed in the 55–59 age group, indicating a shift toward middle-aged individuals as a key affected population. Overall, while China's LBP burden demonstrated a consistent decline, the gender and age patterns suggest a need for tailored public health interventions targeting middle-aged and elderly populations, as well as women who are disproportionately affected. Conclusion: Although China's LBP burden has declined, it remains significant among middle-aged and elderly populations, with women disproportionately affected. Public health efforts should focus on ergonomic improvements, promoting physical activity, and accessible nonpharmacological treatments. Integrating LBP care into primary healthcare is vital to mitigate its impact and support the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, based on a literature review and documentary research, retraces the trajectory outlined by environmental journalism research in the Brazilian context. It does so by discussing the development of the field in other countries, especially those in the Global North, where most of the research and publications are largely concentrated. It also presents epistemological aspects of Latin American communication and the critique of environmental coloniality, present in the constitution of what can be called the ecological literacy of journalists covering the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, a strand of macro-stabilization experts has been expressing great concern about the move towards fiscal federalism being embraced by many countries over the past three decades. They argue that it could endanger fiscal discipline because it is incompatible with prudent fiscal management. However, some other experts disagree and believe the impact on fiscal discipline could be positive. But, despite the lack of unanimity in the theoretical discourse on the fiscal discipline impact of fiscal federalism, empirical studies on the relationship are still scarce and mixed in conclusions. Using a panel quantile regression estimation approach for a sample of twenty countries over the period 1996–2018, this study establishes that the impact of fiscal federalism on fiscal discipline may not be constant on the conditional mean of the fiscal discipline but varies along its conditional distribution. Moreover, it reveals that quality institutional framework and federalism, each improves the fiscal discipline impact of fiscal federalism, and that countries with a history of low fiscal discipline stand to benefit more from this. The policy implication of this is that in the design and operation of the fiscal federalism apparatus, policy decision-makers should take into consideration the fiscal discipline history of the country. The design of fiscal decentralization apparatus should be appropriately tailored towards each country's peculiar characteristics and government fiscal stance. Also, it is essential that a quality institutional framework be put in place to support the fiscal decentralization apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy security, characterized by equitable distribution of sustainable, acceptable and affordable energy sources, carries significant social, economic,\ and environmental consequences. Achieving energy security is influenced by unanticipated shocks, such as oil price volatility, and policy decisions, including diversifying energy sources and developing green technologies. To gauge the efficiency of shocks and policies in altering energy security dynamics of E7 countries, the present study uses the Energy Security Risk Index (ESRI) as a proxy of energy security and employs panel Lagrange multiplier (LM) with smooth breaks and univariate LM unit root test with sharp breaks. In addition, both tests allow for cross-sectional dependence. Our findings reveal distinct dynamics across countries over the period 1980–2018. Specifically, Brazil, India, Indonesia and Turkey exhibit stationary behaviour in their ESRI, while China shows a unit root process. The stochastic properties of Mexico are inconclusive. Our results have important implications, which are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the G7 labour market, analysing unemployment, job vacancies and the spread of both in terms of time series persistence from January 2002 to October 2023. Using fractional integration, we observe the series show long memory and persistence in all G7 countries. These findings differ slightly depending on the specification of the error term. If it is white noise, no evidence of mean reversion is found in any scenario except for US unemployment. With autocorrelated disturbances, mean reversion is found in unemployment rates in Canada, Germany, and the US. In France, this is the case for job vacancies, and in France and Italy, for spread. The UK is the only country that does not display any degree of reversion to the mean in the three series examined. Our results show evidence of a downward trend for unemployment and an upward trend for job vacancies in all G7 countries. Consequently, the reduction of the imbalance unemployment-vacancies seems permanent, which is a positive outcome for advanced economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study analysed 1,506 tuberculosis cases (2018–2020) in Sidi Kacem province, Morocco, to investigate environmental and geographical determinants of disease distribution. Results revealed higher prevalence in rural areas (55%) than in urban settings (45%), with significant seasonal variations. Environmental factors, including housing conditions and geographical location, strongly correlated with disease patterns. Findings emphasise the need for environment-specific interventions in tuberculosis control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islam in the history and modernization of the Maldives demonstrates an intrinsic tension, serving both as the foundational cornerstone of national identity and as the source of social conflict and political division. On the one hand, the narrative of being a "100% Muslim nation" has shaped a highly unified national identity, achieving legalization and institutionalization within the power structure and becoming a critical pillar of state legitimacy and social integration. On the other hand, the politicization and homogenization of religion have weakened social inclusivity, exacerbating religious extremism and social tensions in the face of globalization. The Maldivian experience not only reveals how religion undergoes self-transformation through power negotiation and legal reform but also reflects how the tension between traditional religion and the modern state shapes the dynamic framework of national governance. As a microcosm of global religious renaissance and geopolitical interaction, the Maldives offers a vital theoretical perspective and practical insights for understanding the complex interplay among religion, power, and national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although maintaining social cohesion between refugees and host communities is a major policy goal, due to protracted refugee situations, research on potential barriers is scant, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where a majority of the world's refugees live. This article provides insights into food insecurity as a barrier to refugee–host community social cohesion in the wake of food aid cuts to refugees globally. We conducted 24 focus group discussions, 3 in-depth interviews, and 8 key informant interviews with refugee and host community members, local leaders, and staff of entities overseeing refugee affairs in two settlements in Southwestern Uganda. We found that refugees experiencing food insecurity and limited coping resources resort to negative and socially unacceptable means, such as theft and aggression, to obtain food. This causes social tensions and social fragmentation that directly contribute to the deterioration of social cohesion by undermining trust, inhibiting cooperation, and weakening the sense of shared purpose between refugees and their host communities. Food insecurity is a significant threat to the social integration of refugees, as it weakens their social connections in the host community. Measures to address food insecurity among refugees are imperative to mitigate its potential deleterious effects on the social integration of refugees in protracted situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence against women in Peru is a serious social problem, and prevention and intervention strategies to address it are a priority in social policies. The results of a research project that aims to develop a location map of violence against women in Peru are presented, analyzing its territorial distribution at the level of municipal districts and its link with socio-environmental variables. The spatial analysis of data carried out shows a direct relationship between the violence against women with low population density, the rural environment, poverty, illiteracy and the ratio of women of reproductive age and adolescent mothers. Our spatial analysis of the data can facilitate decision-making and territorial planning of social and healthcare services for women who suffer violence. The classification of the Rate of Violence against Women into quartiles by municipal districts allows us to locate areas of intervention, differentiating those municipal districts with the highest and lowest prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a novel, policy-relevant measure of multidimensional empowerment based on the Alkire-Foster method and using data from partnered women aged 15–49 in 45 low- and middle-income countries: the Multidimensional Women's Empowerment Index (MWEI). Our measure identifies a woman as empowered if she achieves sufficiency in at least six of its eight indicators, corresponding to four basic life domains in which women can exercise power: health, material environment, social relationships, and physical integrity. We find that in only 21 countries of our sample, the percentage of multidimensionally empowered women exceeds 50%, with countries like Mali reaching just 7.5%. Urban regions show higher MWEI values than rural regions in 37 countries. Insufficiency in physical integrity contributes up to 39% to the lack of empowerment in Papua New Guinea but only 15% in Burkina Faso, illustrating how the composition of disempowerment significantly varies across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing affective polarization, or animosity between competing ideological groups, threatens to tear apart democratic societies worldwide. In nations that are facing external conflicts, the threat arising from these conflicts may boost internal cohesion and potentially reduce the internal threat of fragmentation. However, in the current study, we analyze survey datasets from two societies embedded in intractable conflicts, South Korea (N = 897) and Israel (N = 504), and demonstrate that gaps in the perception of the external threat between competing ideological groups are related to higher levels of affective polarization within these societies. We also find support for a mechanism that explains this trend: an internal threat from the ideological outgroup. We discuss the implications of our findings for the study of conflicts' impact on intragroup processes, specifically affective polarization, and for the understanding of how such processes might perpetuate the conflict itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have extensively demonstrated that young people vote less than older ones. However, the magnitude of this age-related gap varies across different contexts: While in some countries, the gap is remarkable and increasing over time, in others, it is quite modest, and it has remained constant. This article investigates some of the factors that might explain this variability. In particular, it examines the impact of different types of representation (descriptive and substantive) on the age-related gap in turnout. It does so by relying on a dataset that combines individual-level data with information concerning the age composition of national parliaments and party system emphasis on specific issues. Overall, the dataset covers 57 elections and 19 West European countries. Results show that when young people are descriptively represented, the age-related gap in turnout is significantly reduced. The same effect occurs when party systems place relatively more emphasis on postmaterialist issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to examine the main changes in spatial planning systems in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries after the end of communism in 1989, and to relate these changes to the main challenges facing spatial planning in these countries. The authors used the following countries as case studies: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. They analysed the framework conditions, such as the main spatial planning instruments and the main planning legislation. They then looked at the rationale behind each country's planning legislation and examined the legal status before implementation. This allowed them to identify the main directions of significant legal changes in each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of various urban planning scenarios using metrics has enhanced consensus-building in participatory planning. Nevertheless, the integration of scenario planning pedagogy remains limited in Latin American nations. To bridge this disparity, scenario planning was integrated into a graduate planning studio in Bogotá over a two-year period. Our investigation focused on enhancements in students' comprehension of uncertainty, urban metrics, and negotiation. Findings indicate that students successfully generated multiple scenarios rapidly. However, challenges emerged concerning the interpretation of communicative concepts in planning, data accessibility and constraints, as well as issues related to the user-friendliness and interoperability of available software tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid growing strategic competition, regional powers have intensified their engagement with Pacific Island Countries. This article examines Australia's 'Pacific Step-up', a signature foreign policy initiative of the Scott Morrison government (2018–2022), from a signalling perspective. Through the Step-up, Australia sought to affirm its resolve to be partner of choice for Pacific Island Countries. This was not cheap talk but led Canberra to invest substantially in its ties with the region. Despite this and significant prior Australian engagement leading to a bilateral security pact, Solomon Islands' government signed an additional security agreement with China in 2022. How can we explain this sender–receiver gap? I argue that close attention to the agency of domestic actors on the receiver side and the context in which such agency occurs – in this case, an extended history of insecurity in the Pacific country – provides us with analytical leverage when examining concrete instances of signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After more than a decade of inaction or, at best, using soft instruments, the EU has become more assertive against democratic backsliding in member states. This special issue adopts a multi-level perspective to tackle the new research avenues that arise from this change in EU policy. Its contributions investigate two broad questions: first, the causes of this policy change, and second, its potential domestic impact in the backsliding countries. Focused on the EU level, a first set of articles revisits and refines existing accounts of EU inaction in order to explain the EU's recent turn towards greater assertiveness. A second set of contributions concentrates mainly on the domestic level to explore the potential impact of the EU's efforts to counter democratic backsliding in the member states that are the targets of EU actions. This introduction identifies the main themes of this new research agenda, provides an overview of the individual contributions to the special issue and their main insights, and sketches avenues for further research on countering democratic backsliding in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and use of explicit models of mathematics are important elements of research in Didactics of Mathematics. In this paper, we present and compare two different European approaches to didactical modelling. The first, centred around the notion of basic idea (Grundvorstellung), arose in German-speaking countries as a development within Subject Matter Didactics (Stoffdidaktik). The second is the notion of praxeology from the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic, which originated in France. After presenting the genesis and interpretation of these notions as theoretical modelling tools, we provide a detailed case study of actual models produced with these tools, concerning the notion of limits and derivatives. Furthermore, we identify similarities and differences of both models in how they can support didactical research and practice, for instance, by identifying important phenomena or problems. We conclude that the two approaches offer important, different and, to some extent, complementary positions and perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National loyalty is viewed as a moral value and a crucial manifestation of national identification. Yet few studies have investigated how people judge (dis)loyalty among members of other (i.e., outgroup) nations. Investigating such judgments helps tease apart two ways of viewing loyalty—through a parochial or universalistic lens. We investigate symbolic expressions of (dis)loyalty within the context of US–China tensions (Study 1, N = 603 and N = 111), and concrete acts of (dis)loyalty within the context of Israel–Iran tensions (Study 2, N = 300; Study 3, N = 217). We expose differential judgments toward members of one's own nation versus other nations, reflecting a parochial view of loyalty, which is strengthened by conservation values. At the same time, we show that loyalty is valued even in members of adversary nations, expressing a universalistic view of loyalty, especially when the interests of the ingroup are not involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following almost 25 years of work, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007. UNDRIP has been widely recognised as an authoritative statement of human rights norms concerning Indigenous peoples around the world. However, meaningful implementation of UNDRIP has been slow. To better understand the pace and challenges facing implementation, we identify and analyze four key recurring themes that emerge from the growing literature on this topic. This includes (1) Indigenous self-determination versus state autonomy as a driver of potential conflict; (2) the meaning of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in the context of UNDRIP; (3) the nexus between land, culture, and self-determination; and (4) Western/Global North influence over non-Western/Global South state implementation of UNDRIP. We examine several specific examples from across the globe to reveal the continuities and discontinuities across these four themes. The article concludes by offering ideas on how the limits of the present study and wider literature on UNDRIP might be rectified. That is, by incorporating a greater number of Indigenous perspectives on UNDRIP and adding more studies of governance and implementation challenges encountered in countries located in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of energy transformation is one of the crucial elements of the process of improvement of the quality of consumed energy. The aim of the research is to assess the European Union countries in terms of the quality of their consumed energy and the speed of adaptation of this aspect of the energy transformation process. We assess the quality of consumed energy by means of the synthetic measure obtained by means of the dynamic version of the COmplex PRoportional ASsessment (COPRAS) method. We compare the countries with the dynamics of the energy transformation process by means of the dynamic time warping method and the hierarchical clustering. Obtained results indicate the best countries with respect to the quality of consumed energy were Malta, Austria, and Germany, and the worst ones—Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. The process of energy transformation was evolving in the right direction—the quality of consumed energy increased. This increase was the fastest in Malta, Luxembourg, and Poland. The direction for future research is extending the set of variables to also consider other aspects of the energy transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]