Search Results (123)

Youth unemployment remains a pressing issue in many emerging economies, where educational disparities and demographic pressures interact in complex ways. This study investigates the links between higher-education enrolment, demographic structure and youth unemployment in eight developing countries from 2009 to 2023. Panel cointegration techniques—Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS)—are applied to estimate the long-run effects of gross tertiary-school enrolment on youth unemployment while controlling for GDP growth and youth-cohort size. Robustness is confirmed through complementary estimations with pooled-mean-group ARDL and system-GMM panels, which deliver consistent coefficient signs and significance levels. Results show a significant negative elasticity between enrolment and youth unemployment, indicating that wider access to higher education helps lower joblessness among young people. Youth-population growth exerts an opposite, positive effect, while GDP growth reduces unemployment but less uniformly across regions. The evidence points to an integrated policy mix—expanding tertiary (especially vocational and technical) education, managing demographic pressure and maintaining macro-economic stability—to improve youth-employment outcomes in emerging economies. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between ESG performance and economic growth in BRICS nations from 2000 to 2020, aiming to understand how ESG practices influence development trajectories. By integrating economic theories with relevant conceptual frameworks, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of ESG dynamics in emerging economies. The purpose of this study is to determine how the economic growth of the BRICS countries between 2000 and 2020 was impacted by ESG performance at the national level. This work contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a fresh macroeconomic examination of the connection between economic growth and ESG performance in the BRICS nations, a topic that is still relatively unexplored in comparison to firm-level research. A significant knowledge gap on how developing economies strike a balance between rapid economic expansion and environmental and social sustainability is filled by the research’s use of a thorough national-level ESG framework. The study employed a dynamic panel auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, utilising a dynamic pooled mean group (PMG) ARDL econometric technique for both short- and long-term estimates. The findings reveal a short-term negative relationship between ESG performance and economic growth in the BRICS countries, which implies that there are high transitional effects involved in sustainable growth solutions. It also highlights the structural and developmental heterogeneity among BRICS countries. Moreover, the study highlights that carbon emissions positively influence short-term economic growth, underscoring the challenge of balancing sustainability with the continued reliance on fossil fuels in these economies. However, the long-term results show that strong ESG practices ultimately positively affect economic growth, reinforcing the importance of investing in sustainable development for achieving high-quality, long-term prosperity. This conclusion emphasises that, while short-term trade-offs may exist, robust ESG frameworks are crucial for fostering enduring economic and environmental well-being. Full article

The transition to sustainable, innovation-driven economies has become a global imperative, particularly for resource-dependent regions like the Middle East, where environmental challenges, fossil fuel reliance, and economic diversification pressures intersect. In this context, green innovation plays a pivotal role in mitigating environmental degradation while supporting long-term economic growth. This study examines the short-term and long-term drivers of green innovation across 13 Middle Eastern countries from 1990 to 2023, with a focus on environmental governance, environmental pollution, economic growth, and natural resource abundance. Using a balanced panel dataset, this study applies Frees, Friedman, and Pesaran CSD tests to address cross-sectional dependency and second-generation unit root tests for data stationarity. Both first- and second-generation cointegration tests confirm long-run relationships among variables. The empirical analysis employs the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) model, alongside Pooled Mean Group (PMG-ARDL), Average Mean Group (AMG), and Common Correlated Effects CCEMG estimators, ensuring robustness. The findings indicate that, in the long term, environmental governance, economic growth, population size, and natural resource abundance significantly promote green innovation, with respective coefficients of 0.3, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.4. Conversely, human development and environmental pollution exert a negative influence on green innovation, particularly over the long term. These results suggest that, while economic and governance factors drive innovation, human capital development may prioritize immediate growth over sustainability, and pollution may hinder long-term innovation. Enhancing environmental governance, accelerating renewables, using strategic resource revenue for green projects, integrating green growth, and regional collaboration can position Middle Eastern economies as green innovation leaders. Full article

This research investigates the role of fossil fuel energy, renewable energy, and education in terms of years of schooling and mean years of schooling on the economic growth of 19 selected Sub-Saharan African countries. The primary objective is to assess whether renewable energy and educational attainment serve as viable long-term drivers of economic development in a region still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. We employed the newly developed and robust econometric estimators, including “Residual Augmented Least Squares (RALS) co-integration”, to estimate long-term links among the facets of study. Moreover, “Pooled Mean Group–Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (PMG-ARDL) and Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (QARDL)” econometric estimator was employed to estimate the long and short coefficients of the antecedents of study. The estimations obtained from the PMG-ARDL and QARDL estimators provide evidence that the coefficients of fossil fuel energy and renewable energy on economic growth are positive. But surprisingly, the magnitude of renewable energy is greater than fossil fuel energy in Sub-Saharan countries that still depend on fossil fuels. Moreover, human capital and capital stock boost economic growth in the countries studied. The outcomes reveal that not only quality but also quantity of education play a vital role in boosting economic development. To deepen the understanding of the observed effects, the study also explores the transmission channels through which renewable energy and education foster economic growth. Renewable energy contributes by lowering the marginal cost of electricity, encouraging green industrial transformation, and serving as a catalyst for technological innovation. Concurrently, improvements in education—measured by both expected and mean years of schooling—elevate labor productivity and facilitate the absorption and diffusion of new technologies across sectors, thereby stimulating sustained economic performance. The empirical results provide valuable insights for government officials and policymakers in specific Sub-Saharan African countries. Full article

Divergences in tax policies are evident among European OECD economies, due to varying priorities of efficiency vs. equity, influenced by the forms of direct vs. indirect taxation. The special interest of this paper is to identify how different tax forms (direct—corporate and personal income taxes (CIT, PIT); and indirect—value added tax (VAT)) affect inequality in European OECD economies in the period 2003–2020. Using heterogeneous non-stationary panel models and the (Pooled) Mean Group (PMG/MG) methods of estimation, a long-run negative relationship between direct tax forms (CIT, PIT) and the Gini coefficient was discovered, meaning that utilizing progressive direct tax forms resulted in more equity. The error-correction terms are heterogeneous, showing that developed economies decrease income inequality by using direct taxes more efficiently than emerging European OECD economies. The short-run statistically significant relationships between VAT and the Gini coefficient are discovered, meaning that certain European OECD economies effectively use VAT revenue to achieve greater equity in society. This study demonstrates that the use of indirect tax forms may be beneficial in terms of collecting more tax revenues, and that using them for redistributive programs can reduce inequality while maintaining economic efficiency. Full article

Introduction: The Da Vinci Single-Port (DV-SP) system emerged in 2018 but there is limited evidence on its use and perioperative outcomes for robot-assisted adrenalectomy (RAA). Methods: A systematic search was performed through PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and WoS in December 2024. A PICO framework was used. Population: adult patients with adrenal masses; Intervention: DV-SP RAA; Outcomes: feasibility, reproducibility and safety of DV-SP RAA. A total of five retrospective studies involving 342 patients were included. The quantitative analysis was conducted using a random-effect model or a fixed-effect model as appropriate. A risk of bias assessment for non-randomized comparative studies and case series was performed. Results: The pooled mean operative time was 92.5 min (95% confidence interval [CI] 71.2, 113.9, p I² = 0%, four studies), and the mean estimated blood loss (EBL) was 26.5 mL (95%CI −8.1, 61.2, I² = 98.2%, three studies). Most of the procedures were completed with a single incision, though some required additional port placement, with a proportion of 9% (95%CI 0, 29, I² = 71.7%, five studies). Perioperative complications were rare (0%, 95% CI 0, 4, I² = 0%, five studies). Two studies comparing DV-SP and DV multi-port (MP) found no significant differences in complications. One study compared DV-SP RAA to DV Si or Xi single-access procedures. DV-SP showed improved operative techniques and better cosmetic outcomes. Limitations of this study are small sample size and potential selection bias due to smaller masses in the DV-SP RAA group. Conclusions: DV-SP RAA is a promising approach, offering reduced operative time, low EBL, and excellent cosmetic results. This study shows that DV-SP RAA seems reproducible, feasible, and safe. Limitation of the included studies are small sample size and selection bias, which limits the generalizability of the results. Randomized comparative studies between DV-SP and MP RAA are needed to further validate these findings. Full article

In the absence of long-term hydrologic records, field-measured hydrologic indicators are useful for inferring past wetland hydrologic conditions, which can support research, regulation, and restoration. Inflection points on the buttresses of pondcypress trees (Taxodium ascendens) are frequently used in west-central Florida to estimate cypress wetland high water levels, known as normal pool. However, little is known about how this indicator develops. A method to estimate tree age using diameter at breast height was developed for Florida pondcypress, which can be used by forested wetland managers to constrain the maximum potential age of hydrologic indicators in groups of cypress trees. This model was applied to a waterbody with a complex history of hydrologic alterations. The waterbody had two distinct populations of buttress inflection elevations, corresponding to historic versus current water level regimes. This represents one of the first documented instances in the literature where a waterbody showed multiple buttress inflection populations in the absence of soil subsidence. This work underscores the need to consider the development timelines when interpreting the hydrologic meaning of indicator elevations. Full article

Background: Dental caries is one of the most common oral infections observed worldwide. It is defined as a multifactorial dynamic disease-causing mineral loss of dental hard tissue, which is identified by the caries lesion. Treatment of the caries lesion involves filling the cavity or removing the damaged tooth. Then, the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index is the simplest and most commonly used index to assess the dental caries status. Salivary glands are estrogen dependent and, after menopause, the changes in salivary flow and saliva consistency produce xerostomia, hyposiale, or dryness, common findings among postmenopausal women. Since saliva plays a fundamental role in caries prevention, the postmenopausal decline in salivary secretion may contribute to increased caries incidence. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to answer the following PICO question: In adult women (P), does the presence of menopause (I), compared to its absence (C), influence dental caries status, assessed using the DMFT index (O)? Methods: The study adhered to PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and EMBASE databases. For each study, characteristics and mean difference (MD) with 95% CI were extracted. Meta-analyses were performed using the Revman software (v. 5.4) to calculate pooled MD and 95% CI. Random-effects model meta-analysis was performed. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. To estimate variance and heterogeneity between trials, the Higgins I² test was used. The certainty level of the evidence was determined through the GRADE approach. Results: Seven studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, including 4396 postmenopausal women and 5131 control women. Meta-analysis showed an overall MD = 3.13 (95% CI = 2.12–4.15; p < 0.00001), which suggest that postmenopausal women had a DMFT index 3 units higher than the control group. Conclusions: Menopause was significantly associated with worse dental caries status, probably due to declining estrogen levels affecting salivary function. Further research is needed to confirm mechanisms and evaluate preventive strategies like hormone replacement therapy. Full article

Background and Objectives: Kazakhstan’s unique geographic, dietary, and cultural factors contribute to the widespread occurrence of vitamin D deficiency across the entire country population, particularly among children. This study aims to assess the mean prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children in Kazakhstan and determine whether it differs between healthy and non-healthy children, as well as between infants and older age groups. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed across five databases by two researchers. Studies were eligible if they were observational and provided the number of children with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL out of the total number of children assessed in Kazakhstan. Results: Eleven studies were included in the analysis, assessing 1396 children, of whom 714 had the outcome of interest. The pooled mean estimate of vitamin D deficiency among children was 56% (95% CI, 46–65%), with particularly concerning rates among infants at 65% (95% CI, 44–82%). No substantial differences were observed between healthy and non-healthy children. Conclusions: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among children is alarmingly high. These results highlight the urgent necessity of tackling vitamin D deficiency as a public health priority. Incorporating vitamin D deficiency prevention into Kazakhstan’s national healthcare program is vital for improving child health outcomes and reducing the long-term burden of associated complications. Full article

The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of conditional variables—physical capital, population, and Total Factor Productivity (TFP)—on the economic convergence of the member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum over the period 1960–2020. This study employs a causal and correlational methodological approach, utilizing the pooled mean group (PMG) estimator within a non-experimental design framework for quantitative analysis. This methodology facilitates the estimation of conditional β-convergence, ensuring the statistical significance of estimates even in heterogeneous data panels with variables of integration order I(0) and I(1). The results indicate that physical capital, population growth, and TFP have significantly influenced the growth rates of APEC economies, contributing to economic convergence within the region during the 1960–2020 period. This study offers significant contributions by analyzing the 21 APEC economies over a 60-year period, utilizing a PMG model to estimate conditional β-convergence, and conducting comprehensive evaluations of short- and long-term trends. Consequently, the research recommends implementing policies that prioritize innovation, strengthen capital, create employment opportunities, and enhance productivity to reduce inequalities and foster sustainable growth across APEC economies. Full article

Emerging countries are the main source of new CO₂ emissions and the major net carbon importers, and they have also become an important part of the global trade pattern. In this study, the impact of trade openness on CO₂ emissions was investigated by approaches such as fully modified least squares (FMOLS), dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and pooled mean group-autoregressive distributive lag (PMG-ARDL) methods. Further estimations were conducted by employing methods such as DCCEMG (dynamic common-correlated effect mean group) and Driscoll–Kray to strengthen the robustness of the results. Moreover, the Granger causality between trade openness and CO₂ emissions was tested by using the Dumitrescu–Hurlin method. Conclusions can be drawn as follows: First, economic growth, energy consumption, trade openness, and CO₂ emissions are all interconnected in the long term. Specifically, higher levels of economic growth and trade openness are associated with lower CO₂ emissions, whereas energy consumption contributes to higher emissions. However, in the short term, economic growth and energy consumption lead to an increase in CO₂ emissions, while trade openness does not have a significant impact. Moreover, there is a two-way Granger causality between trade openness and CO₂ emissions. Additionally, economic growth and energy consumption have an indirect effect on CO₂ emissions by influencing trade openness. Given these findings, emerging market countries should focus on enhancing their service sectors, promoting technological advancements, and fostering international collaboration in green technologies. By actively engaging in efforts to combat climate change, these countries reach a point where trade expansion and carbon reduction are achieved. Full article

In the context of the Environmental Phillips Curve hypothesis, this study investigates the impact of unemployment on environmental quality in ten emerging economies with the highest carbon emissions, as identified in the International Monetary Fund’s 2015 World Economic Outlook. The primary aim of this study is to estimate the effects of income, natural gas usage, renewable energy usage, unemployment, and population size on carbon dioxide emissions in the selected countries. The study utilizes panel data from 1990 to 2019 and employs an Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) to evaluate the short- and long-run relationships between these variables. Findings obtained using the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator indicate that both income and population size have a significant positive impact on air pollution levels, whereas natural gas consumption and the use of renewable energy correlate with a decrease in emissions. The results support a negative correlation between unemployment and environmental degradation, aligning with the EPC. The error correction term suggests that the process returns to equilibrium in about 2.8 years. The findings are validated through robustness tests utilizing the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) estimators. This study offers important insights for environmental policymaking in these emerging economies, emphasizing the importance of sustainable development strategies and green energy adoption. Full article

The fight against climate change is gaining momentum, with a growing focus on reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and mitigating environmental impacts. Africa, the continent most vulnerable to global warming, faces unique challenges in this context. This study examines the long-term association among CO₂ emissions, economic growth, and different socio-economic factors in 36 African countries from 1990 to 2020. Employing the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator with Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, along with U-test and Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality analyses, our study reveals substantial long-term connections amongst CO₂ emissions and factors such as economic growth, trade openness, renewable energy consumption, urbanization, and population dynamics. The findings support the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, indicating that CO₂ emissions initially increase with GDP per capita growth but begin to decline after a turning point at approximately 10,614.75 USD. However, the evidence for this turning point remains weak, suggesting that most African countries have not yet achieved decoupling. Renewable energy consumption and urbanization are negatively associated with CO₂ emissions, while trade openness and GDP per capita show positive correlations. Causality analysis reveals bidirectional relationships among most variables, except for population growth and CO₂ emissions, which may involve other moderating factors. The findings highlight the urgent need for integrated policies that advance sustainable development by focusing on renewable energy adoption, sustainable urbanization, and green growth strategies. Policymakers should prioritize initiatives that harmonize economic growth with environmental sustainability, ensuring a lasting balance between development and ecological preservation across Africa. Full article

Background/Objectives: Age is a known predictor of skin autofluorescence (SAF) across populations, but age-based reference values are lacking for the Spanish population. This study aims to establish SAF reference values for healthy Spanish adults by age group, compare these with other populations, and estimate optimal SAF cut-off points by age range. Additionally, it aims to analyse the influence of sex, smoking, and skin phototype. Methods: This cross-sectional EVasCu study included 390 healthy subjects aged over 18 years. Participants’ age, sex, smoking status, and skin were recorded and categorised into age groups. Advanced glycation end products were measured through the SAF. A systematic review and meta-analysis, including an EVasCu study, was performed to obtain pooled means and standard deviations by age group. Results: The mean SAF Spanish values by age were (95% CI): (i) 18–19 years: 1.34–1.56 arbitrary units (AU); (ii) 20–29 years: 1.56–1.70 AU; (iii) 30–39 years: 1.66–1.84 AU; (iv) 40–49 years: 1.79–1.91 AU; (v) 50–59 years: 2.07–2.21 AU; (vi) ≥60 years: 2.07–2.50 AU. SAF was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.531; p < 0.001), smoking status (r = −0.196; p < 0.001), and skin phototype (r = 0.138; p = 0.007), and SAF was greater in smokers and dark-skinned individuals (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the SAF values for sex. The results of the meta-analysis were in line with those of the present study, providing reference values of SAF for the general population. Conclusions: SAF increases linearly with age in healthy individuals, and higher levels of SAF are observed in smokers and dark-skinned individuals. Full article

Since the Great 2008 Recession, central banks around the world have been coping with monetary consequences that highlight structural costs of the economic system and the rise of unconventional monetary measures. This research aims to capture the heterogeneous effects of expansionary balance sheet (Quantitative easing) policy on the real effective exchange rate and current account balance under the different exchange rate regimes in crisis circumstances. The sample is structured of two groups of EU countries differentiated by level of monetary autonomy: EZ members (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and Spain) are represented by countries with the highest level of asset purchases by ECB and emerging monetary autonomous EU economies (Czech, Hungary, Poland, and Romania). Empirical findings are based on the framework of cross-sectional dependent, non-stationary, heterogeneous, dynamic panels using the (Pooled) Mean Group estimator during the 2014Q1–2023Q1 time horizon. Results indicate a positive long-run relationship between the central bank balance sheet assets, the real interest rate, and the real effective exchange rate. A negative long-term relationship with the current account balance is confirmed, suggesting a diminishing external position. While error-correction parameters are significant and heterogeneous, research confirms higher real effective exchange rate reaction for the EZ members with higher adjustment toward worsening competitiveness along with external balance. Full article