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This study investigates the impact of urbanization and nonrenewable energy consumption on carbon emissions. The context of the analysis is 54 African Union countries from 1996 to 2019. For estimation, we use panel quantile regression (PQR) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). Our regression results demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between urbanization and CO 2 emission. Further, our empirical results confirmed that nonrenewable energy consumption increases environmental pollution in African Union countries. The outcomes demonstrate the EKC hypothesis because at the initial stage of development, when economic growth increases, environmental pollution increases; after a threshold point, environmental pollution decreases as economic growth increases. It can find an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and CO 2 emission. The findings also show that urbanization should be planned; otherwise, it can lead to environmental degradation in the long run. Africa continent takes strict action and builds a blueprint for efficient and effective energy production and consumption. The only solution to achieve green growth in Africa is to shift from fossil fuel energy supply to renewable energy supply.

Growing income inequality remains a pressing phenomenon in many developing economies, especially Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and may cause discontent in achieving inclusive growth which is crucial for sustainable development. Economies turning to financial inclusion as a critical component of economic development where access to formal financial institutions and services remains limited in the region. Digital technology has the potential to advance financial inclusion by tapping technology to extend financial access to underserved populations, as lack of access to efficient financial products and services can perpetuate income disparities. We employ a generalized quantile regression with an instrumental variables framework to investigate the distributional effects of financial inclusion and digitalization on income inequality in the region. Results imply that the use and adoption of the internet and mobile phones contribute to reducing income inequality, highlighting the transformative potential of digitalization across different quantiles. The findings indicate that public expenditure favors distributional impacts on inequality across quantiles. Our study suggests that policymakers in the region should prioritize the adoption and use of digital technology and foster an enabling policy that encourages the development of digital infrastructure and financial services to ensure widespread access and benefits for all segments of the population. First published online 18 February 2025

This paper finds a causal relationship between telecommunication infrastructure and economic growth in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries. The analysis considers 56 OIC countries, and data was taken from 2001 to 2019. Telecommunication infrastructure computed from telephone subscribers, mobile cellular subscribers, mobile money accounts, and internet access is the main explanatory variable. We utilized panel data analysis. We utilized fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares estimation techniques for long-run estimation. To check the causality between the variables, we use the Granger causality test. The empirical findings elaborate that there is a unidirectional relationship between telephone subscribers, mobile cellular subscribers, mobile money accounts, and economic growth. Similarly, internet users and economic growth have a bidirectional relationship. Our findings indicate that there is a need to constitute integrative policies to improve technology inflow for the growth of the economy. An increase in the telecommunication infrastructure will encourage economic growth and improve the living standards of the masses in OIC countries.

Previous research has demonstrated the relationship between digital and urban growth through a variety of variables. This article explores the effects of digitalization and urban development on economic growth. The analysis takes place between 2005 and 2022 in 22 Muslim-Arab nations. This work proposes a novel empirical approach based on principal component analysis to construct a digital index. To address any endogenous issues, we use a two-stage least-squares estimation. We also utilize the pooled mean group estimation to examine the short-run and long-run relationships between the variables. Our findings imply that digitalization and urban growth have a beneficial economic impact. Digitalization has a positive impact on economic growth in the short and long term. Second, urbanization and economic growth provide substantial negative effects in the short run and long run. As a result, policies should be implemented to encourage urban development, which will contribute to economic growth in these countries. These innovative empirical findings will assist policymakers’ new ideas in developing digital and urban development policies that promote long-term economic growth.

Addressing income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires a comprehensive approach that tackles the region's underlying structural challenges, including limited access to quality education and the need for inclusive economic growth. Education and foreign direct investment (FDI) are critical drivers of economic mobility that can help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in developing regions, enhance the quality of education mitigate skill mismatches in the labour market, supported by increased public spending on education and foreign investment inflows to reduce unemployment. Our study investigates the dynamic relationship between government education spending and FDI, and their impact on income inequality in 36 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1995 to 2021. The results reveal that while FDI significantly reduces income inequality, government spending on education tends to increase it. Furthermore, basic education enrolment exacerbates income disparities in the region, though a growing labour share mitigates inequality. Findings suggest the need for policies that encourage FDI inflows and educational initiatives that aim to enhance skills and expand the educated workforce.

Addressing income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires a comprehensive approach that tackles the region's underlying structural challenges, including limited access to quality education and the need for inclusive economic growth. Education and foreign direct investment (FDI) are critical drivers of economic mobility that can help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in developing regions, enhance the quality of education mitigate skill mismatches in the labour market, supported by increased public spending on education and foreign investment inflows to reduce unemployment. Our study investigates the dynamic relationship between government education spending and FDI, and their impact on income inequality in 36 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1995 to 2021. The results reveal that while FDI significantly reduces income inequality, government spending on education tends to increase it. Furthermore, basic education enrolment exacerbates income disparities in the region, though a growing labour share mitigates inequality. Findings suggest the need for policies that encourage FDI inflows and educational initiatives that aim to enhance skills and expand the educated workforce.

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), income inequality persists as a multifaceted challenge influenced by various structural factors, including limited access to quality education, inclusive economic growth, rural development, good governance, and political stability. Education and foreign investments in the host country play a strong major role as a mobility factor that moves the population from intergenerational poverty in developing countries. Quality education attainment improves skill-biased labor market and unemployment through increases in public expenditure in neweducation and foreign investment flows. This study examined the interplay between education expenditure, foreign direct investment (FDI), and income inequality in a selected sample of 36 SSA countries from 1995 to 2021. We employ the bias-corrected method of moment (BCMM) estimator for dynamic panel data models. The findings revealed that foreign investment significantly reduces income inequality in the region. On the other hand, government expenditure on education is associated with an increase in income inequality. Moreover, enrollment in basic education impairs income disparity in the SSA region, whereas an increase in the labor share reduces inequality. Based on the results, we recommend policy that attracts more foreign investment and prioritizing education policies that enhance skills and increase the share of educated labor in the region. By adopting these measures, SSA countries can effectively mitigate income inequality and promote sustainable economic development.

There are clear differences in the electrical conductivities of the crustal granites of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Because these granites are among the major rock types on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is very important to detect the electrical conductivity of granites under high temperatures and pressures to study the electrical conductivity structure of this area. Using impedance spectroscopy at a frequency range of 10.1–106 Hz, the electrical conductivity of the muscovite-granite collected from Yadong was investigated at a confining pressure of 1.0 GPa and temperatures ranging from 577 to 996 K, while the electrical conductivity of the biotite-granite collected from Lhasa was investigated at a pressure of 1.0 GPa and temperatures ranging from587 to 1382 K. The calculated activation enthalpies of the Yadong muscovite-granite sample is 0.92 eV in the low-temperature range（577–919 K） and 2.16 eV in the high-temperature range（919–996 K）. The activation enthalpies of the Lhasa biotite-granite sample is 0.48 eV in the low-temperature range（587–990 K） and 2.06 eV in the high-temperature range（990–1382 K）. The change in the activation enthalpies of the granites at different temperature ranges may be associated with the dehydration of the two samples. The electrical conductivities of the granite samples obtained in the laboratory using impedance spectroscopy correspond well with field observations conducted near the sampling points, both in terms of the actual conductivity values and the observed variations between the low-temperature and high-temperature regimes. This correlation of laboratory and field conductivities indicates that the conductivities of the crustal rocks in the two regions closely correspond to granite conductivities.We calculated the electrical conductivities of muscovite-granite and biotite-granite samples using the effective medium and HS boundary models. When applied to the crustal rocks of southern Tibet, the results of the geophysical conductivity profiles lie within the range of laboratory data. Thus, the electrical characteristics of the crustal rocks underlying the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau can largely be attributed to granites, with the large changes to high conductivities at increasing depths resulting from the dehydration of crustal rocks with granitic compositions.

Common fragile sites (CFSs) are genomic loci prone to the formation of breaks or gaps on metaphase chromosomes. They are hotspots for chromosome rearrangements and structural variations, which have been extensively implicated in carcinogenesis, aging, and other pathological processes. Although many CFSs were identified decades ago, a consensus is still lacking for why they are particularly unstable and sensitive to replication perturbations. This is in part due to the lack of high-resolution mapping data for the vast majority of the CFSs, which has hindered mechanistic interrogations. Here, we seek to map human CFSs with high resolution on a genome-wide scale by sequencing the sites of mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDASeq) that are specific for CFSs. We generated a nucleotide-resolution atlas of MiDAS sites (MDSs) that covered most of the known CFSs, and comprehensively analyzed their sequence characteristics and genomic features. Our data on MDSs tallied well with long-standing hypotheses to explain CFS fragility while highlighting the contributions of late replication timing and large transcription units. Notably, the MDSs also encompassed most of the recurrent double-strand break clusters previously identified in mouse neural stem/progenitor cells, thus bridging evolutionarily conserved break points across species. Moreover, MiDAseq provides an important resource that can stimulate future research on CFSs to further unravel the mechanisms and biological relevance underlying these labile genomic regions.

It is challenging to treat developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) classified Crowe III-IV using direct anterior approach (DAA) total hip arthroplasty (THA), and very little is known on its outcome. This study aimed to investigate the clinical result in this defined disorder with DAA versus posterolateral approach. Twenty-three consecutive hips with Crowe III-IV DDH who underwent DAA were retrospectively evaluated from 2016 through 2018. Outcomes were primarily assessed by HHS, WOMAC, and SF-12 physical scales. The second evaluations included leg length discrepancy, hip muscle strength, radiographic review, complications, and limp recovery. Results were compared to a control cohort of 50 hips underwent posterolateral THA concurrently within the observational period. At last follow-up (DAA 28.5 months; PLA 39.0 months), the mean increase of the HHS for DAA was 48.2 and 30.3 for PLA (p = 0.003). The improvement in WOMAC score in DAA cohort was 15.89 higher that of the PLA cohort after adjusting preoperative difference [R2 = 0.532, P = 0.000, 95% CI (10.037, 21.735)]. DAA had more rapid recovery of hip abductor strength at 1-month (p = 0.03) and hip flexor strength at 3 months (p = 0.007) compared to PLA. No significant differences were found in the radiographic analysis with the exception of increased acetabular anteversion in the DAA cohort (p = 0.036). Satisfactory improvement in limp, indicated by the percentage of limp graded as none and mild to the total, was much higher in DAA cohort (97.6%), compared to that of PLA cohort (90.0%, p = 0.032). DAA for high-dislocated dysplasia demonstrate a significant improvement in clinical result comparable to posterolateral approach. Improved clinical outcome in terms of increased HHS and WOMAC scores, rapid recovery of hip abductor and flexor strength, and enhanced limp recovery without an increased risk in complications, could be acquired when the surgeons were specialized in this approach.