Search Results (3,539)

China recently became the 155th country to provide free vaccination to all 13-year-old girls with two doses of a domestic bivalent HPV vaccine in October 2025. Such a policy change aligns with the Immunization Agenda 2030, which expects more investment of domestic resources into immunization rather than heavily depending on external donor funding support. This review examines the policy-making evolution process and analyzes how the final decision was made at the national level, using the Multiple Streams Framework. Unlike traditional NIP expansion, which adopts a top-down decision-making strategy, China’s free HPV vaccination policy evolved with a distinct bottom-up strategy originating from local pilots, which is demonstrated to be instrumental for national policy-making. The extensive local pilots of free HPV vaccination have served as a powerful engine that drives a rapid and substantial increase in HPV vaccination rate, played a pivotal role in shaping the market of HPV vaccines, and contributed to achieving the economies of scale, which triggered a substantial price reduction. It also fostered a national consensus on the critical role of HPV vaccination in cervical cancer prevention and control, a principle now enshrined in the core public health knowledge repository across the country. A potential strategy to introduce new vaccines into the NIP could be piloting first and expanding incrementally with the bottom-up strategy, leveraging a comprehensive platform under the framework of the national policy, and then making use of the effect of scale and peer pressure, high level engagement, cross-departmental collaboration, and multiple financing mechanisms. Full article

The objective of this study was to determine the diversity and genetic structure of M. oleifera populations cultivated in Mexico through SilicoDArT markers. Seeds were collected from 14 populations in various states of the country. The seeds were germinated in greenhouse conditions. DNA was extracted from young leaves using a CTAB-based protocol. The extracted DNA was used to genotype each population with DArtseqTM technology. A total of 11,156 SilicoDArT markers were obtained, all of which were polymorphic. On average, the expected heterozygosity of the populations was 0.46, the number of effective alleles was 1.84 and the rareness was 280.53. Principal coordinate analysis and cluster analysis identified three clusters, with no clear association according to cultivation site. Genetic structure analysis determined three original populations (K = 3). Seven populations were assigned to the same ancestral group, six populations exhibited shared ancestries and one population displayed a distinct genetic background, suggesting anthropogenic management and exchange plant material among leaf producers. The identified genetic diversity and population structure constitute a basis for the conservation and management of Mexican moringa germplasm. Full article

This study investigates the cross-border consequences of large-scale military attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure and their implications for European energy resilience. Unlike prior research focused primarily on national-level disruption, this paper conceptualizes wartime infrastructure destruction as a source of systemic spillover risk within interconnected electricity systems. We develop an analytical framework integrating three dimensions: shock probability, structural vulnerability, and recovery capacity. Using evidence from 2022–2026 and comparative assessment of selected European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) countries, we identify substantial asymmetries in exposure and resilience. Moldova appears highly vulnerable due to structural dependence and limited flexibility, whereas Poland demonstrates stronger resilience supported by diversification and institutional capacity. The findings show that shocks originating in Ukraine propagate through electricity trade flows, balancing constraints, and price volatility. The results highlight that large-scale attacks on the energy system threaten not only immediate regional security but also the long-term energy sustainability of the interconnected European network. The paper contributes to the literature by linking war-induced infrastructure damage with sustainable energy governance and by proposing resilience tools such as digital twins and blockchain coordination. The results are relevant for policymakers, transmission operators, and crisis management institutions across Europe. Full article

The assessment of humanity’s ecological footprint has become increasingly critical in contemporary discourse due to growing environmental challenges. This study examines the economic evaluation of the ecological footprint with a particular focus on forest ecosystem services and food productivity. Using harmonized secondary data from FAOSTAT, EUROSTAT, the World Bank, and IPBES, the analysis covers selected developed and emerging economies, including the European Union, the United States, China, Brazil, and other representative countries. This study investigates the macroeconomic implications of natural capital degradation by applying a panel data econometric model to European Union countries over the period 2010–2023. Moving beyond descriptive approaches, the research formulates and tests three hypotheses linking biodiversity, environmental pressure, and green transition variables to economic performance. Using harmonized data from Eurostat and Statista, the study employs a fixed-effects regression framework to estimate the impact of biodiversity indicators, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy share, and environmental protection expenditures on GDP per capita. The results demonstrate that biodiversity preservation and resource efficiency are positively associated with economic performance, while environmental degradation—proxied by greenhouse gas emissions—exerts a statistically significant negative effect. Additionally, the findings confirm that investments in renewable energy and environmental protection contribute to long-term economic stability. By providing a transparent data structure, explicit variable operationalization, and reproducible econometric specification, the study offers an original empirical contribution to ecological economics and addresses the limitations of prior literature that relied primarily on descriptive synthesis. Full article

Although the European Union positions the bioeconomy at the core of its sustainability transition and the European Green Deal, the cross-country distribution of bioeconomy value-added associated with mission-oriented public R&D support remains highly uneven. This paper investigates how national researcher capacity (as a proxy of absorptive capacity) shapes the macroeconomic effectiveness of bioeconomy-oriented public R&D support, and how societal climate-oriented environmental concern acts as a direct structural driver of bioeconomy value-added. Using a panel dataset of 27 EU Member States from 2008 to 2020, the study constructs an original bioeconomy-specific measure of government budget appropriations for R&D (GBARD) and estimates two-way fixed-effects models with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors to account for cross-sectional dependence. The findings reveal a clear capacity-dependent conditional moderation effect: public R&D support is significantly associated with higher bioeconomy value-added only when a critical mass of researcher capacity is present. Sectoral disaggregation demonstrates that business enterprise researcher capacity acts as the primary transmission channel linking public funds to the market, whereas higher-education capacity shows no statistically significant short-to-medium-term moderating effect, consistent with the academic research commercialisation time lags documented in the literature. Additionally, societal climate-oriented environmental concern is positively associated with bioeconomy value-added in the baseline models, consistent with its role as a demand-side factor fostering receptive conditions for bio-based transitions. The study concludes that increasing mission-oriented R&D funding alone is likely insufficient; to successfully cross the “valley of death,” public R&D should be accompanied by complementary policies that build private-sector absorptive capacity and cultivate green market demand. Full article

Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as an important managerial approach in response to the growing environmental, social, and economic challenges faced by contemporary organizations. While prior studies generally confirm a positive relationship between GHRM practices and environmental performance (EP), the existing body of literature remains fragmented. In particular, it tends to focus on selected levels of analysis—most often individual or organizational—and provides a limited explanation of the underlying mechanisms through which GHRM influences environmental outcomes. This paper presents a conceptualization of a research study and a structured research design aimed at addressing these limitations. Based on a review of the literature, key theoretical, empirical, and methodological gaps are identified, particularly regarding the lack of integrated, multilevel perspectives and insufficient attention to mediating mechanisms. In response, the paper develops an original, multilevel conceptual framework that explains how GHRM practices may affect environmental performance through mediators operating at individual, team, organizational, and interorganizational levels. Building on this framework, the study formulates a set of research hypotheses and proposes a two-stage mixed-method research design. The first stage involves qualitative multiple case studies to explore GHRM practices and identify context-specific mechanisms, while the second stage consists of a large-scale international survey aimed at testing the proposed relationships across organizations in selected European Union countries. The main contribution of the paper lies in designing a coherent and empirically testable research framework, rather than testing it directly. By integrating insights from prior literature and structuring a multilevel analytical approach, the study provides a foundation for future empirical research on the mechanisms linking GHRM and environmental performance and contributes to the further development of sustainable human resource management theory. Full article

This paper examines whether legal origins influence the anti-inflationary effectiveness of central banks. While prior literature emphasizes the role of institutional frameworks in shaping financial systems, less attention has been paid to how legal traditions affect the relationship between central bank independence and inflation stability. Using a distance-to-frontier approach, we construct a gap measure between central bank independence and inflation performance. The results indicate that countries with a common law origin exhibit a significantly larger negative gap, suggesting higher anti-inflationary effectiveness despite lower formal central bank independence. In contrast, civil law countries tend to rely more heavily on formal institutional strengthening to achieve comparable inflation outcomes. Regression analysis confirms that the common law proxy remains statistically significant across most model specifications and demonstrates stronger explanatory power than traditional governance indicators such as the rule of law. Full article

Prefabricated reinforced concrete (RC) buildings comprise the majority of industrial buildings in Türkiye. Over the past thirty years, many of these buildings have suffered severe damage or partial/total collapse during the devastating earthquakes due to inadequate design. Similar problems were highlighted again during the Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence (Mw 7.8 and 7.7) on 6 February 2023. This study examines the seismic performance and retrofitting of four single-story prefabricated RC industrial buildings located in Tekirdag/Türkiye (designed and implemented) through nonlinear static (pushover) analyses. The case study buildings were selected from structures with Atcost and Lambda frame systems and parallel roof girder systems, originally designed for low-seismicity regions and adopted from Northern European countries without seismic detailing or modification. The buildings were investigated in detail through on-site surveys and material testing, which revealed critical deficiencies. In addition, a hybrid retrofitting strategy was adopted. This strategy combined the use of CFRP wrapping to enhance ductility at column–beam joints, with vertical and roof-level steel braces and frames to improve lateral stiffness. The findings show that the hybrid retrofitting approach offers an effective solution for prefabricated RC industrial buildings by simultaneously enhancing ductility and stiffness while meeting required performance targets without disrupting operations. Full article

Transmission of malaria by blood transfusion is rare in non-endemic countries but can lead to serious complications in blood recipients. Increasing travel to and immigration from regions at risk for tropical diseases poses a challenge to blood donation services, which are striving to reduce the number of blood donor deferrals while ensuring a high level of blood safety. National guidelines of the Blood Transfusion Service of the Swiss Red Cross demand that donors at risk are serologically tested for malaria antibodies. Here, we summarize the numbers of malaria tests performed and the results obtained since the introduction of mandatory testing in Switzerland in 2007. From malaria-positive donors, information on travels to endemic areas and place of origin, or if malaria symptoms were experienced and if prophylaxis was taken, was requested in a post-donation questionnaire. Full article

Pesticides play a crucial role in modern agriculture by protecting crops from pests, diseases, and weeds, thereby contributing to increased agricultural productivity and food security. However, their extensive use may lead to the presence of residues in food products, particularly vegetables, which can pose potential risks to human health. Therefore, continuous monitoring of pesticide residues in vegetables is essential to ensure food safety, assess dietary exposure, and protect consumers from possible acute and chronic health effects associated with pesticide intake. In this study, the concentrations of pesticide residues were determined in 1236 samples of 44 vegetable species collected over a four-year period. Vegetables originated from 39 countries, including Serbia (n = 213). Pesticide residues were determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) after extraction using a modified QuEChERS protocol. A total of 148 pesticide residues were detected. Of the vegetable samples, 40.13% had pesticide residues at or above 0.01 mg/kg, and 1.78% exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the Serbian regulation. MRL values were most often exceeded in ginger, cucumber, and spinach. The most frequently found pesticide was imidacloprid (detected in 74 samples, 5.99%). Multiple pesticides were detected in 22.01% of the vegetable samples, and one tomato sample contained up to 10 pesticide residues. Based on the available data and further development of a representative dataset, together with appropriate statistical analyses, dietary exposure assessments for pesticides can be conducted. Full article

Migrant mothers experience high levels of acculturative stress while raising children in a new cultural environment. Such stress can negatively impact parenting behaviors and child development. This study draws on the Family Stress Model and ecocultural theory to examine the mediating role of mindful parenting and the moderating effects of multicultural sensitivity and social support in the relationship between acculturative stress and the social skills of young children (aged 1–7 years) of migrant mothers. Validated self-report measures were used to collect data from 338 migrant mothers residing in South Korea. The PROCESS Macro was used to analyze the data and examine the moderated mediation model. Maternal education, household income, spouse’s country of origin, and reason for migration were controlled. The results indicated that acculturative stress was associated with reduced social skills in young children due to diminished mindful parenting, which exhibited a significant mediating effect. Furthermore, multicultural sensitivity and social support each showed significant moderating effects on the respective pathways. These findings suggest that providing mindful parenting support and fostering culturally and socially supportive environments for migrant mothers can enhance the social competencies of their young children. Full article

Background/Objectives: To identify and evaluate contemporary clinical practice guidelines for the care of adult patients in their last days of life, their families and caregivers. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement (PROSPERO: CRD42021258311). PubMed, TRIP Database, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and CINAHL were searched for CPGs published between January 2016 and December 2025 in English or Spanish, supplemented by searches of seven palliative care organisation websites. Two independent reviewers screened records; the AGREE II instrument was applied by four evaluators to assess methodological quality. Recommendations from included guidelines were categorised into 12 inductively derived decision areas encompassing recognition of the dying phase, communication and decision-making, multidisciplinary care, symptom management, and grief and bereavement. A narrative synthesis was adopted due to heterogeneity in guideline structure and recommendation grading systems. Results: Of 1118 records identified, 20 were retrieved for full-text assessment. Sixteen met CPG criteria and were appraised with AGREE II, of which eight were finally included. Included guidelines originated from five countries (UK, Spain, USA, Canada, and Europe) and were published between 2018 and 2021. Overall AGREE II scores ranged from 71% to 100%, with the lowest domain scores consistently found in Applicability. Strong recommendations were identified across most guidelines for recognition of the LDS, communication, and interdisciplinary coordination; recommendations on symptom management were mixed. Conclusions: Findings may inform professionals and health system managers in identifying key LDS care recommendations. Gaps in social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions should guide future guideline development. Key limitations include heterogeneity in guideline methods and restriction to English and Spanish publications. No external funding was received. Full article

Coriandrum sativum L. is a widely cultivated aromatic herb exhibiting substantial variation in essential oil quality and yield among different accessions. This study assessed germination performance, essential oil composition, yield, chemotype distribution, and fragrance characteristics in 48 C. sativum accessions collected from 19 countries spanning four Köppen–Geiger climate zones: Tropical/Subtropical, Arid/Semi-arid, Temperate, and Continental/Cold. All accessions were grown under standardized field conditions, and essential oils were extracted from aerial parts using steam distillation followed by direct-GC/MS analysis. Seed germination rates were consistently high (mean: 92.25 ± 5.85%; range: 71–100%) and did not differ significantly by climate zone (Kruskal–Wallis H = 5.500, p = 0.139) or country of origin (H = 21.833, p = 0.240), indicating that post-harvest management, rather than climatic provenance, primarily determines seed viability. Essential oil profiles were dominated by (E)-2-decenal (mean: 44.56%), decanal (11.75%), and 2-dodecenal (13.47%). Principal component analysis (PCA) of 18 compounds detected in at least 19 accessions accounted for 70.16% of total variance across five components, with PC1 reflecting a gradient from long-chain saturated aldehyde accumulation to linalool enrichment. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) demonstrated significant compositional differentiation among climate zones (Pseudo-F = 1.662, p = 0.028), whereas country-level grouping was not significant (p = 0.256). Tropical/subtropical accessions exhibited the highest linalool content (mean: 15.39 ± 8.71%) and essential oil yield (mean: 0.269 ± 0.120% v/w), significantly surpassing arid/semi-arid and temperate zones (p < 0.05). Two chemotypes were identified, (E)-2-decenal (91.7%) and linalool (8.3%), each associated with distinct fragrance profiles (earthy/aldehydic/woody versus herbal/sweet, respectively). These findings demonstrate that climate zone of origin is significantly associated with C. sativum essential oil composition and productivity, with tropical/subtropical accessions providing superior yield and linalool content. Chemotype characterization offers an additional criterion for germplasm selection in targeted industrial applications. Full article

Whilst all asylum seekers find themselves in a difficult position while trying to be recognised as refugees, some are in more perilous situations than others. Those asylum seekers that are unaccompanied (UAS) children are manifestly in greater need of care and protection than most adult asylum seekers, given their minority (under 18) and being without the protection of a primary carer. Any child who is in the care of the state should always be placed in age-appropriate and safe accommodation and in the care of staff who are properly trained; UAS children are no different. Typically, these functions are performed by local authorities through their social work departments. However, the UK’s previous Conservative government’s practice of using hotels to accommodate UAS children in England from 2021–2024 fell short of its human rights obligations towards UAS children. This paper argues that through this and related policies, the government was actively involved in compounding the victimisation of already susceptible children who had fled their country of origin thinking (mistakenly) that their human rights would be respected here. Full article

This article presents a structured literature review of remittances, migration and economic policymaking in countries of origin, with a focus on Kenya, Kerala (India), and Sri Lanka. It examines three linked bodies of scholarship: migration as a driver of economic growth, the political economy of migration policymaking, and evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM). Conducted with a scoping orientation, the review focuses on contemporary academic and policy literature published since 2000 and shows that the evidence base on the economic value of international remittances in the context of labour migration is extensive, including findings on poverty reduction, macroeconomic stability, financial inclusion and diaspora engagement. However, this evidence is unevenly integrated into policymaking. The review finds that under-utilisation is not simply a problem of insufficient data or weak analytical capacity. Rather, it reflects structural, political and epistemic dynamics that shape how evidence is produced, legitimised, filtered and used in origin-country settings. It further shows that destination-centred perspectives continue to dominate migration scholarship, while gender and digitalisation are best understood as cross-cutting features of evidence systems rather than peripheral themes. The article concludes that strengthening the developmental contribution of migration and remittances requires greater attention to the institutional and political conditions under which economic evidence becomes policy-relevant and actionable. Full article