Search Results (29,177)

This study examines the impact of digitalisation, innovation activity, demographic factors, and macroeconomic variables on employment in European Union countries within the framework of sustainable development. The empirical analysis is based on Eurostat panel data for 2015–2023 and applies regression analysis to identify the key determinants of employment. The results indicate that digitalisation demonstrates the strongest positive statistical association with employment, confirming its important role in labour market transformation and inclusive economic development. Expenditures on research and development also show a positive effect, highlighting the significance of innovation activity for employment growth. At the same time, GDP per capita does not exhibit a statistically significant relationship with employment, while education expenditure demonstrates a negative short-term effect. The findings suggest that digitalisation and innovation contribute not only to employment growth but also to the expansion of labour market participation opportunities for diverse social groups. The study contributes to the analysis of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by identifying the structural factors associated with employment dynamics in the digital economy. Full article

With the large-scale deployment of distributed photovoltaics (PVs) on the user side, integrated PV-storage systems have become a critical means to reduce electricity costs and enhance energy flexibility. However, the volatility of PV output and the dynamic nature of time-of-use (TOU) pricing render the economic viability of such systems highly dependent on the coordinated optimization of capacity configuration and operational strategies. To address this, a bi-level optimization model is developed. The upper level maximizes the equivalent annual economic benefit by determining the installed capacities of PV and storage, explicitly incorporating power-sensitive operation and maintenance costs. The lower level, formulated as a mixed-integer programming problem, minimizes the daily net electricity cost by optimizing charging/discharging schedules and grid interaction. The model is solved through an iterative hierarchical approach combining the chaotic sparrow search algorithm (CSSA) and the CPLEX solver. A case study using actual data from an industrial park demonstrates that, compared with scenarios without PV-storage and with PV only, the joint PV-storage configuration reduces total electricity costs by 17.3% and 4.5%, respectively. Furthermore, the asymmetric impacts of PV forecast errors on operational economics are quantitatively analyzed: when PV output is underestimated, the failure to pre-reserve accommodation capacity leads to an increase in electricity procurement costs of RMB 1927.84 compared with the ideal scenario. To mitigate this, a risk-aware fault-tolerant scheduling strategy is proposed, which reserves a 5% accommodation margin through conservative biasing, reducing the additional cost caused by forecast errors by 20.14% and significantly enhancing the system’s economic robustness under forecast uncertainty. Full article

Digital innovation constitutes the core determinant of sustainable digital transformation and functions as a pivotal driver of regional high-quality economic development. As a strategic node in China’s urban agglomeration framework, the Guangdong–Fujian–Zhejiang Coastal Urban Agglomeration plays a critical role in regional synergistic high-quality development. This study examines how digital innovation impacts the coupling coordination of high-quality development in the urban agglomeration. The results show: (1) Synergistic high-quality development shows a steady downward trend in the research region with substantial coordination potential. (2) “Gradient disparity” exists, primarily driven by inter-regional Gini coefficient contributions. (3) Overall coupling coordination remains at the antagonistic stage with significant convergence tendencies. (4) Lack of robust central city and centripetal force hinders effective spatial radiation. Driven by the core-periphery spatial differentiation, the short-run dominance of digital innovation’s polarization effect undermines the coordination level of urban agglomerations through scale expansion, structural optimization, and technological empowerment. It requires vigilance against Yangtze and Pearl River Delta siphoning effects. This study provides theoretical and practical implications for promoting digitally driven, synergistic, sustainable, and balanced high-quality development, as well as for optimizing policy frameworks in the new era. Full article

Background/Objectives: Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically predisposed individuals. In children and adolescents, it presents heterogeneously and may negatively affect physical, psychological, and social well-being. Although a strict gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment, it may also impose important dietary, social, and economic burdens. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of celiac disease on the quality of life of affected children and adolescents and their families. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA, AMSTAR 2, and Cochrane Handbook recommendations. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for studies published between 2019 and 2026 in English or Spanish. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies on pediatric celiac disease and quality of life were included. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. Due to study heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed. Results: Thirteen studies were included. Children and adolescents with celiac disease generally reported lower quality of life, particularly in emotional, social, and school-related domains. Adherence to a gluten-free diet was an important factor associated with quality of life. Although it improved symptoms, it was also linked to social restrictions, nutritional imbalances, and financial burden. Families also reported stress, lifestyle changes, and reduced well-being. Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to heterogeneity and variability in methodological quality across studies. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that celiac disease may have a multidimensional impact on the quality of life of pediatric patients and their families. These findings support the need for a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach addressing dietary, psychosocial, and family-related factors. Full article

As the “fifth major factor of production,” data plays a crucial role in fostering China’s tourism industry, advancing high-quality economic development, and gaining competitive market advantages. Serving as institutional infrastructure for data factor rights confirmation, pricing, trading, and value conversion, data trading platforms are central to the market-based allocation of data factors. The efficient flow and value realization of data elements have paved the way for the rapid development of digital tourism; new forms of digital tourism represent a profound transformation of the industry resulting from integration and innovation with other sectors. Based on the platform ecosystem theory, we select the panel data of 297 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2024 and innovatively use the Double/Debiased Machine Learning (DDML) model to empirically test the impact of data trading platforms on the new forms of digital tourism and its mechanisms. It is found that the construction of data trading platforms effectively empowers the development of new forms of digital tourism, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests, such as changing the sample split ratio, replacing the machine learning algorithm, and the instrumental variables method. Mechanism analysis indicates that data trading platforms significantly promote new forms of digital tourism through dual pathways of talent agglomeration and technological innovation, an effect further strengthened by increased government support. Heterogeneity analysis found that the empowerment effect is more significant in cities with lower resource endowment and common administrative level and historical cities, which can be effectively transformed into an employment support effect. Spatial effect analysis reveals that the establishment of data trading platforms exerts a positive pull effect on new forms of tourism in surrounding cities within a 30 km core zone. However, this effect gradually weakens with increasing distance, turning into a significant negative siphon effect beyond 60 km. The findings provide theoretical basis and empirical support for regionally differentiated digital tourism development policies. Full article

Assessing environmental flows downstream of reservoirs under changing climate and increasing water demand remains a critical challenge in catchment management. This study presents an integrated framework for optimizing environmental flow releases by explicitly linking reservoir operation with climate change and population growth. The key novelty lies in the development of a modified objective function that incorporates environmental flow requirements alongside evolving hydrological and demand conditions. Reservoir inflows were simulated using an artificial intelligence-based rainfall–runoff model, employing a neuro-fuzzy inference system to capture nonlinear relationships between climate variables and runoff. Future rainfall projections were derived from four general circulation models (ACCESS1.0, CanESM2, MIROC5, and NorESM-M1) across four-time horizons (2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100). The simulated inflows were coupled with a reservoir operation model to optimize environmental flow releases, with system performance evaluated using reliability and vulnerability metrics. Results show that climate change alone has a limited impact on environmental flow supply; however, when combined with population-driven increases in water demand, significant reductions in system performance occur. In the worst-case scenario, the reliability of meeting environmental flow requirements drops below 20%, accompanied by a marked increase in system vulnerability. These findings demonstrate that water demand pressures play a dominant role in shaping future environmental flow availability. The proposed framework provides a robust and adaptable approach for integrating hydrological variability and socio-economic drivers into reservoir management, supporting more informed decision-making for balancing water supply and ecosystem sustainability under future uncertainty. Full article

Background/Objectives: Rare diseases have a substantial impact not only on affected individuals but also on their families, particularly parents who assume primary caregiving roles. Despite increasing attention to rare conditions, parents’ experiences remain fragmented across the literature. This integrative review aimed to synthesise existing evidence on the experiences and multidimensional impact of caring for a child with a rare disease on parents. Methods: An integrative review was conducted following Whittemore and Knafl’s methodology and reported according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A systematic search was performed across MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Scopus from 1 November 2025 to 31 January 2026. Twenty-two studies (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and reviews) were included. Data were analysed using thematic synthesis. Results: Three interrelated themes were identified: (1) the diagnostic journey, characterised by prolonged uncertainty, fragmented care, and the pivotal role of communication; (2) multidimensional caregiving burden, encompassing emotional, social, economic, and physical impacts, with notable gender differences; and (3) adaptive trajectories, involving dynamic coping processes, parental upskilling, and meaning-making. Across studies, caregiving burden emerged as a cumulative and system-influenced phenomenon, while adaptation was found to coexist with ongoing uncertainty rather than representing a linear resolution. Conclusions: Caring for a child with a rare disease profoundly affects parents across multiple domains. The findings highlight the need for integrated, family-centred care models, improved diagnostic communication, and sustained psychosocial support. Implications for nursing practice: Nurses play a key role in recognising caregiver burden, supporting adaptive processes, and promoting effective communication throughout the diagnostic and care trajectory. Full article

The population of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus is rapidly expanding in the Mediterranean Sea, where it is causing increasing ecological and economic impacts. However, biological information from recently colonised areas remains limited. This study combined controlled experiments and reproductive analyses to investigate the key biological traits of C. sapidus in the northern Adriatic Sea. Feeding trials were conducted under controlled conditions to assess prey consumption and feeding behaviours using Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) and Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), offered as monospecific and mixed diets. The results showed that, while the number of prey items consumed did not differ markedly between species, mussels provided a significantly higher edible biomass, indicating greater energetic profitability. Handling and consumption times were comparable between prey types, suggesting compensatory differences between opening and feeding phases. Food intake was strongly influenced by temperature, with peak consumption observed between 25 and 28 °C and reduced feeding at both lower and higher temperatures. Reproductive analysis of ovigerous females revealed high fecundity, with a mean of 1.63 ± 0.53 million eggs per individual and a positive relationship between fecundity and body size. Overall, the results confirm that C. sapidus combines trophic flexibility with high reproductive output—traits that support its invasive success. These findings improve the understanding of the blue crab’s ecological role in the northern Adriatic, providing useful insights for assessing its impact on shellfish aquaculture and developing management strategies. Full article

Background: PPPs are central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 healthcare transformation, yet evidence on their impact on accessibility, quality, and sustainability remains limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived associations between PPP implementation under Vision 2030 and three healthcare system outcomes—service accessibility (geographical, financial, technological), care quality (clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, efficiency), and reform sustainability (economic, operational, adaptive)—from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods design was employed. Surveys were administered to 150 healthcare professionals and 210 patients at PPP-operated facilities (response rates of 61.2% and 65.6%, respectively). Descriptive and inferential statistics—including t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, education, household income, comorbidities, and facility type were used to assess associations between PPP initiatives and outcomes. Instrument reliability was confirmed (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.7), and content validity was supported by an expert-panel content validity index of 0.91. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses captured stakeholder perceptions and challenges (inter-coder κ = 0.83). Results: Among professionals, 56.6% reported improved accessibility following the implementation of PPP, with 60.6% endorsing telemedicine as a key facilitator. However, 64.6% indicated financial access remained unchanged or worsened due to persistent out-of-pocket expenditures, and a statistically significant urban–rural gap was observed (p = 0.008). Quality indicators showed positive trends, including improved patient outcomes (52%), reduced waiting times (60.6%), and high satisfaction with hygiene and safety (74%). Sustainability assessments were cautiously favorable (mean financial viability = 3.4/5), though subsidy dependence remained a concern. Adjusted regression analysis identified financial accessibility (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and reduced waiting times (β = 0.23, p = 0.005) as variables significantly associated with patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: PPPs were associated with measurable improvements in healthcare accessibility, quality, and efficiency in Saudi Arabia. However, achieving the Vision 2030 objectives requires reforms that address financial equity, service distribution, workforce nationalization, and governance. Full article

This review analyzes the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) production and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines was conducted using the Web of Science (2020–2026), resulting in 225 included studies. Buffalo production is a multipurpose system that generates value through milk, meat, hides, manure, draft power, and animal-assisted services, with greater longevity than most livestock species. Economically, it supports income diversification, resource efficiency, and functions as a financial asset that can be sold to cover unexpected expenses. Socially, it enhances food security by providing nutrient-dense products, particularly milk with bioactive compounds associated with potential health benefits, and promotes women’s participation in livestock management and household economies. Environmentally, buffalo systems efficiently utilize low-quality forages, are adapted to marginal conditions, contribute to wetland conservation, and provide ecosystem services. These contributions align with several SDGs (1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 13, and 15). However, sector expansion is constrained by limitations in nutrition, management, veterinary services, and reproductive efficiency, as well as environmental challenges related to methane emissions and life cycle impacts. While global methane emissions from buffalo are lower due to their smaller population, emission intensity remains system-dependent and represents a critical challenge. In conclusion, water buffalo production represents a multifunctional and context-dependent system with significant potential to support sustainable development, although targeted innovations are required to improve productivity and address environmental challenges. Future research should integrate One Health and One Welfare approaches, develop long-term studies, and expand research under diverse experimental and field conditions to better characterize the potential health implications of buffalo-derived products. In addition, strengthening circular economy strategies, including region-specific diets to reduce emissions, remains a priority. Full article

Optimizing fertilizer management is crucial for increasing crop yields while reducing environmental impact. However, traditional methods rely on extensive field trials, which are costly and limit their scalability. To overcome these limitations, this study developed data-driven yield prediction models (YPM) for wheat, rice, and maize by integrating multiple feature selection and machine learning algorithms with explainable ensemble learning, namely stacking regression (SR) and voting mean (VM). The optimal YPM was subsequently combined with the hybrid optimization strategy to construct an intelligent fertilization decision model (IFDM), and the economic–environmental benefits were subsequently evaluated. The best-performing models were SHAP-SR for wheat and rice and GBM-SR for maize, achieving R² values of 0.79, 0.69, and 0.67, and RMSEs of 681.69, 725.35, and 1091.49 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Based on the IFDM, the recommended application ranges for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P₂O₅), and potassium (K₂O) were as follows: for wheat, 122.1–256.3, 45.4–98.2, and 30.6–60.7 kg ha⁻¹; for rice, 170.8–261.2, 55.1–91.4, and 40.6–98.5 kg ha⁻¹; and for maize, 157.5–293.4, 84.2–156.4, and 30.1–62.7 kg ha⁻¹. Simulation-based evaluation suggested that adopting these recommendations could potentially increase average yields by 9.2–12.4% and enhance economic–environmental benefits by 32.86–97.73% across the three crops. This study indicates that coupling interpretable ensemble learning with a hybrid optimization strategy can support efficient decision-making for field-scale fertilization and provides a data-driven and cost-effective approach for precision fertilization, with potential applicability to arid agricultural regions under similar agro-ecological conditions. Full article

Heat stress (HS) is among the most economically consequential environmental challenges to global dairy production, causing progressive declines in milk yield, compositional quality, and mammary cellular integrity. The temperature–humidity index (THI) is the primary thermal load metric, with performance-impairment thresholds typically beginning at THI 68 in Holstein cattle, with severe impacts manifesting beyond THI 72; breed-specific thresholds for Jersey, Brown Swiss, and Simmental cows differ owing to their lower metabolic heat load and greater inherent thermotolerance. At the molecular level, HS activates heat shock protein networks—notably HSPA1A, HSP90B1, and HSPH1—through HSF1/HSF4 transcriptional activation, while simultaneously suppressing casein genes (CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN3), lipogenic genes (FASN, SCD, CD36), amino acid transporters (SLC7A5, SLC38A2), and mTOR-AKT-STAT5 translational machinery, collectively impairing milk biosynthetic capacity. Pro-apoptotic signaling (BAX, CASP3 upregulation; BCL2 downregulation) and mitochondrial dysfunction further compromise mammary epithelial viability. Post-transcriptional regulation through miRNA, circRNA, and lncRNA competing endogenous RNA networks, alongside epitranscriptomic m6A modifications, adds further regulatory complexity. Genome-wide association studies have identified SNPs in HSP70A1A, HSPA4, TLR4, and PRLR as thermotolerance candidates compatible with sustained milk production. Nutritional supplementation with methionine, arginine, and taurine partially restores cellular synthetic capacity. Integrating multi-trait genomic selection with Bos indicus introgression, precision cooling, and targeted nutrition offers the most viable path toward climate-resilient, high-producing dairy cattle. Full article

In the digital economy era, digital inclusive finance represents a paradigmatic reconstruction of key economic information flows. This study integrates multi-source panel data of 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2011 to 2023. By constructing an economic geography composite spatial weight matrix and a nonlinear spatial panel model, this study analyzes the impact of the diffusion of digital inclusive financial information on industrial structure upgrading. The results show that: (1) digital financial inclusion exerts a significant direct effect and spatial spillover effect on industrial structure; (2) the local effect exhibits a “U-shaped” curve with an accelerating characteristic on the right side; the spatial spillover effect demonstrates an “inverted U-shaped” curve, revealing the transformation law and threshold effect of the diffusion and aggregation of digital financial information benefits; (3) digital payment and digital credit constitute the core information flows driving the coordinated upgrading of industries; and (4) entrepreneurial activity exerts a partial mediating effects, and exhibits a spatial mediating effect, while the technological innovation only demonstrates a significant local mediating effect. The findings provide quantitative evidence to support the optimization of the digital financial information ecosystem and the realization of coordinated industrial upgrading in the Yangtze River Delta. Full article

This study evaluates how environmental regulation influences enterprise management practices in the YREB of China, which faces a dilemma between economic growth and ecological conservation. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines, a qualitative systematic review of empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted. The data were retrieved via Web of Science and Scopus, supplemented by Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. Subsequently, thematic analysis and data visualization were conducted by MAXQDA 2024. The findings synthesize evidence across key themes, environmental information disclosure (EID), green innovation, governance adaptation, and regional disparity themes to synthesize key empirical findings. From the perspectives of Institutional Theory and Stakeholder Theory, the findings suggest that environmental regulation is not only a compliance burden, but also a force for enterprise change, driving EID practices and innovation-oriented competitive advantages. The results further suggest that when institutions are more developed or policy implementation is more stable, enterprises are better able to adjust, implying that downstream regions are more flexible than upstream regions. Other instruments to close the implementation gap and support sustainable development are multi-level governance, context-specific policy instruments, and Integrated Water Resource Management. Also, it may be highlighted that effectiveness in environmental governance relies on governance quality, institutional capacities, and regionally differentiated aspects. Future research should better identify causal mechanisms and improve cross-region learning to improve equitable and effective environmental governance in China’s evolving socio-ecological context. Full article

Public data openness (PDO) is critical for advancing digital government initiatives and sustainable development. This study investigates the impact and underlying mechanisms of PDO on carbon emission efficiency (CEE) using a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) approach. The results reveal that the PDO significantly improves CEE. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that PDO enhances CEE by facilitating digital technology innovation, improving capacity utilization, and fostering industrial structure upgrading. The positive effect of PDO on CEE exhibits heterogeneity across the dimensions of data themes, human capital, green finance development, and land marketization. Furthermore, the Broadband China Strategy (BCS) and the New Energy Demonstration City (NEDC) policy amplify PDO’s positive effect on CEE. This study quantitatively evaluates the economic and environmental effects of data resource openness and sharing, offering insights into deepening data infrastructure development and unleashing data’s potential to promote sustainable development. Full article