The impact of accelerating population aging on service industry development: Evidence from China.

The demographic structure is an important factor influencing the development of the services industry. As the country with the world's most serious aging problem, China's service industry structure is likely to undergo profound changes in response to the rapid demographic transition. Therefore, this paper examines the effect of population aging on the development of the service industry in the context of China's accelerating population aging. The study found that: (1) Population aging has a significant "inverted U" effect on the development of the services industry. (2) The impact of population aging on the development of the service industry has obvious regional and industry heterogeneity. The study of regional heterogeneity found that population aging in economically developed regions has a more obvious effect on the development of the service industry than in economically less developed regions. Industry heterogeneity studies found that population aging has an obvious promotional effect on the development of medical and other rigid demand industries, while the effect on other non-rigid demand industries is not significant. (3) The threshold effect test found that when the degree of population aging exceeds the threshold, the stimulating effect of population aging on the development of the services industry is no longer significant. The research in this paper provides useful insights into the likely response to changes in the industrial structure of the services industry, and offers some implications for countries with similar demographic profiles to China.

Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of metals in sediments along the industrialized coast of East Java, Indonesia.

The eastern coastline of Gresik, located in East Java, Indonesia, experienced significant industrialization, leading to the development of numerous diverse sectors. These diverse industrial activities, in addition to other human activities, result in the contamination of sediment across the eastern coast of Gresik with a variety of metals. Metals like arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) have exceeded the international standards for sediment quality, potentially causing significant harm to the aquatic ecosystem in this coastal region. The results of the multivariate analysis indicate that the metals found in the sediment are related to a combination of anthropogenic inputs, specifically those originating from industrial effluents in the area under study. Based on the assessment of enrichment factor, contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, degree of contamination, ecological risk index, and pollution load index, it can be concluded that the metals examined displayed different degrees of sediment contamination, ranging from minimal to severely contaminated.

Seeds, Dams, and Khipus: Latin America's Eclectic Recent History of Technology.

Scholarship on Latin America's history of technology has expanded significantly in recent years. By reviewing articles in English- and Spanish-language journals from 2012 to the first half of 2023, we illustrate the emerging themes, geographies, and methodologies in this literature. The four main themes we identify are industrialization, institutions and policies, infrastructure, and moving beyond technological adaptation. We also highlight two emerging themes: Indigenous technologies and the circulation of knowledge. We conclude that the scholarship has generally moved in three directions: the study of technologies associated with traditional economic activities in the region (e.g., monocrop agriculture), national industrialization and modernization processes, and cases that demonstrate alternative ways of knowing the world and how communities use these types of knowledge. We suggest that deepening the connections between these three lines of research could be fruitful for future work.

The crucial roles of ICT, renewable energy sources, industrialization, and institutional quality in achieving environmental sustainability in BRICS.

The BRICS countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-are committed to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13, which focuses on mitigating climate change. To attain this goal, it is crucial to emphasize the significance of ICT, renewable energy sources, industrialization, and institutional quality. This study contributes to the literature by examining the potential role of these factors in environmental sustainability in the BRICS economies from 2000 to 2021, utilizing cross-sectional augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) estimation and other novel econometric techniques. Accordingly, the study suggests that BRICS governments and policymakers prioritize the use of ICT in the industrial and institutional sectors to achieve faster environmental sustainability in the short-run, as per the CS-ARDL results. However, the study advises caution in the long-term as the interaction between ICT and renewable energy sources, industrialization, and institutional quality may not favour environmental quality. Although the renewable energy sources interaction with ICT may not yield immediate progress, strong measures need to be taken to ensure that short-term gains are not nullified. In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of ICT, renewable energy sources, industrialization, and institutional quality in achieving environmental sustainability in the BRICS countries, while recommending cautious measures in the long run to safeguard the progress made.

Role of scientific and technological innovations on industrial upgradation in China: A spatial econometric analysis.

China is in a phase of high-quality development, where scientific and technological innovations are serving as the primary driving force for its development strategy. This emphasis on innovations is expected to fuel the upgrading of the industrial structure. This study investigates the role of scientific and technological innovations in industrial upgradation in China using spatial econometric analysis. Leveraging the data of 31 provinces of China from 2005 to 2022, we employed a spatial Durbin model to determine the spatial spillover effects of scientific and technological innovations on industrial upgradation. Our findings reveal the significant positive spatial spillover effects, indicating that provinces with higher levels of scientific and technological innovations tend to experience greater industrial upgradation, which in turn contributes to regional economic development. Furthermore, the findings suggest a strong spatial correlation between innovation and the upgrading of industrial structures, indicating that regional innovations have the potential to drive China's industrial upgradation. These results underscore the critical role of scientific and technological innovations in promoting industrial upgradation and regional development in China.

Time-varying causality relationships between trade openness, technological innovation, industrialization, financial development, and carbon emissions in Thailand.

Over the last twenty years, there has been swift growth in industrialization and technological advancements, driving economic progress. Nevertheless, it is inevitable that these sectors will bring about environmental shifts. Thus far, endeavors have been undertaken to assess the influence of industrialization and technological advancements on environmental deterioration. Additionally, the extensive discussion surrounding the impact of financial development, trade openness, and technological innovation on the environment has not yielded conclusive empirical findings. Studies often operate under the assumption of symmetric relationships, potentially leading to biased results. Adding to the discussion on the drivers of carbon neutrality, the time-dependent effects of critical aspects such as financial development and technological innovation should inform meaningful policies for environmental management. This article explores the time-varying causal association between trade openness, industrialization, financial development, technological innovation, and CO2 emissions in Thailand using novel time-varying Granger causality tests. The time-varying causality outcomes demonstrate that the associations change significantly over time, in contrast to the results of Toda-Yamamoto causality. Overall, there exists a bidirectional relationship between industrialization, financial development, trade openness, technological innovation, and CO2 emissions over different time sequences. These outcomes have implications for both policy and research.

Using Museum collections to assess the impact of industrialization on mussel (Mytilus edulis) calcification.

Mytilus edulis is a commercially and ecologically important species found along the east coast of the United States. Ecologically, M. edulis improves water quality through filtration feeding and provides habitat formation and coastal protection through reef formation. Like many marine calcifiers, ocean warming, and acidification are a growing threat to these organisms-impacting their morphology and function. Museum collections are useful in assessing long-term environmental impacts on organisms in a natural multi-stressor environment, where acclimation and adaptation can be considered. Using the American Museum of Natural History collections ranging from the early 1900s until now, we show that shell porosity changes through time. Shells collected today are significantly more porous than shells collected in the 1960s and, at some sites, than shells collected from the early 1900s. The disparity between porosity changes matches well with the warming that occurred over the last 130 years in the north Atlantic suggesting that warming is causing porosity changes. However, more work is required to discern local environmental impacts and to fully identify porosity drivers. Since, porosity is known to affect structural integrity, porosity increasing through time could have negative consequences for mussel reef structural integrity and hence habitat formation and storm defenses.

Economic expansion and innovation: A comprehensive analysis of Pakistan's path to technological excellence.

To encourage technological and industrial innovation, nations worldwide implement "re-industrialization" and "manufacturing return." This study investigates the relationship between GDP growth, expenditure on research and development, and medium- to high-tech as a percentage of manufactured exports on technological innovation in Pakistan. We evaluated long-run and short-run causal relationships using the ARDL, bound-F test, and ECM regression. The study found a positive relationship between GDP growth and technological innovation in the short and long run. In the short run, with a one-year lag, the analysis reveals a positive and statistically significant relationship between technological innovation, medium-high-tech exports, and GDP growth. In the long run, R&D is positive and significant, while economic growth and technological innovation are positive but not statistically significant. There is a 0.38 percent chance that exogenous shocks will eventually lead to equilibrium in the long run. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended to allocate resources to research and development, promoting collaborative initiatives, ensuring intellectual property rights, and developing a skilled workforce.

Research on the factors and path of sports industry development in China: A fsQCA study of 31 provinces.

The advancement of the sports industry's development constitutes a critical concern shared by regional authorities and the scholarly community, reflecting its significant role in economic and social development. This study employs a Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) methodology to examine the 31 provincial-level administrative units in China. The objective is to elucidate the influence of technological, organizational, and environmental factors on the industry's development level, considering both a holistic national framework and dissected regional approaches (Eastern, Central, and Western China). This paper's contribution to the literature is structured around the following core findings: (1) The study establishes that a singular condition does not suffice as an essential prerequisite for achieving a heightened development state within the sports industry. (2) At the national level, there are three pathways to enhance the development level of the sports industry, specifically identified as "network-human resources dominant pathway," "technological innovation-human resources dominant pathway," and "comprehensive synergistic pathway."(3) From a regional perspective, the Eastern region has two pathways for sports industry enhancement: "network-economic pathway" and "comprehensive synergistic pathway." The Central region follows a "technology pathway," while the Western region has three pathways: "organization-environment pathway," "network-organization-environment pathway," and "organization pathway."(4) The synthesis of these findings underscores the multifactorial nature of sports industry development, suggesting a paradigm where diverse routes can lead to equivalent outcomes. This heterogeneity indicates that provinces or regions can tailor their development strategies to their unique situational contexts.

Coupling development of sports industry and tourism industry based on internet of things.

This study investigates the positive coupling between the sports industry and tourism, exploring the ways to promote their interconnection. Under state guidance, the integration of sports industry services is facilitated to attract sports culture and tourism fairs, leveraging regional economic development advantages to enhance the industrial market appeal. The emerging leisure consumption mode of sports tourism injects vitality into the economy, fostering the core sports service industry. The coupling of the education and tourism sectors is strategically aligned with long-term national policies. Using IoT technology, this paper employs a grey relational analysis to assess the coupling between the sports industry and tourism, revealing a significant correlation. Experimental results demonstrate a positive coupling trend, likened to conjoined twins with a natural material basis and technical support. This coupling not only aligns with industry trends but also resonates with the "environmental protection era," "green era," and "ecological era," marking a pivotal aspect of industrial development. The study contributes valuable insights into the symbiotic relationship between the sports and tourism industries, emphasizing their interconnectedness and the positive implications for economic and environmental sustainability.

Nano-scaled polyacrylonitrile for industrialization of nanofibers with photoluminescence and microbicide performance.

Nanofibers are investigated to be superiorly applicable in different purposes such as drug delivery systems, air filters, wound dressing, water filters, and tissue engineering. Herein, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is thermally treated for autocatalytic cyclization, to give optically active PAN-nanopolymer, which is subsequently applicable for preparation of nanofibers through solution blow spinning. Whereas, solution blow spinning is identified as a process for production of nanofibers characterized with high porosity and large surface area from a minimum amounts of polymer solution. The as-prepared nanofibers were shown with excellent photoluminescence and microbicide performance. According to rheological properties, to obtain spinnable PAN-nanopolymer, PAN (12.5-15% wt/vol, honey like solution, 678-834 mPa s), thermal treatment for 2-4 h must be performed, whereas, time prolongation resulted in PAN-nanopolymer gelling or rubbering. Size distribution of PAN-nanopolymer (12.5% wt/vol) is estimated (68.8 ± 22.2 nm), to reflect its compatibility for the production of carbon nanofibers with size distribution of 300-400 nm. Spectral mapping data for the photoluminescent emission showed that, PAN-nanopolymer were exhibited with two intense peaks at 498 nm and 545 nm, to affirm their superiority for production of fluorescent nanofibers. The microbial reduction % was estimated for carbon nanofibers prepared from PAN-nanopolymer (12.5% wt/vol) to be 61.5%, 71.4% and 81.9%, against S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans, respectively. So, the prepared florescent carbon nanofibers can be potentially applicable in anti-infective therapy.

Microplastic Human Dietary Uptake from 1990 to 2018 Grew across 109 Major Developing and Industrialized Countries but Can Be Halved by Plastic Debris Removal.

Microplastics (MPs), plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are now a growing environmental and public health issue, as they are detected pervasively in freshwater and marine environments, ingested by organisms, and then enter the human body. Industrial development drives this environmental burden caused by MP formation and human uptake by elevating plastic pollution levels and shaping the domestic dietary structure. We map the MP human uptake across 109 global countries on five continents from 1990 to 2018, focusing on the world's major coastlines that are affected by plastic pollution that affects the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Amid rapid industrial growth, Indonesia tops the global per capita MP dietary intake at 15 g monthly. In Asian, African, and American countries, including China and the United States, airborne and dietary MP uptake increased over 6-fold from 1990 to 2018. Eradicating 90% of global aquatic plastic debris can help decrease MP uptake by more than 48% in Southeast Asian countries that peak MP uptake. To reduce MP uptake and potential public health risks, governments in developing and industrialized countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and North and South America should incentivize the removal of free plastic debris from freshwater and saltwater environments through advanced water treatment and effective solid waste management practices.

Cryptic diversity of cellulose-degrading gut bacteria in industrialized humans.

Humans, like all mammals, depend on the gut microbiome for digestion of cellulose, the main component of plant fiber. However, evidence for cellulose fermentation in the human gut is scarce. We have identified ruminococcal species in the gut microbiota of human populations that assemble functional multienzymatic cellulosome structures capable of degrading plant cell wall polysaccharides. One of these species, which is strongly associated with humans, likely originated in the ruminant gut and was subsequently transferred to the human gut, potentially during domestication where it underwent diversification and diet-related adaptation through the acquisition of genes from other gut microbes. Collectively, these species are abundant and widespread among ancient humans, hunter-gatherers, and rural populations but are rare in populations from industrialized societies thus indicating potential disappearance in response to the westernized lifestyle.

Analyzing the determinants of beef cattle commercialization and Its market inefficiency: A case study of Pabna district, Bangladesh.

The world has entered a new era of globalization and industrialization, which pose several challenges to ensuring food security. Beef cattle production is one of the fastest-growing subsectors that has the capacity to meet protein demand. Due to growing demand of meat and protein and a market-oriented production system, small-scale beef cattle production contribute most to marginal farmers as a means of rising income in many developing nations like Bangladesh. Though production and commercialization are not easier for households' due to various factors and a lack of market efficiency. To determine beef cattle commercialization and market inefficiency, the current study focused on the determinants of beef cattle commercialization and the challenges to the of market efficiency. Heckman's two-stage model used to determine the factors that influence households' commercialization decisions, and the two-stage least squares method is used to examine the constraints of market inefficiencies. However, commercialization decisions offer twofold decision of commercialization and degree of commercialization. The result showed that commercialization decisions are significantly influenced by households' age, extension services, and production costs. The degree of commercialization was affected by education, marketing costs, income from dairy, transportation costs, and training access. On the other hand, market inefficiency was influenced by formal market access, distance, extension services, and earning from cattle. As extension services worsen both commercialization decisions and market efficiency, the government should focus on extension services and offer farmers opportunities to increase their understanding and knowledge of marketing.

The impact of the digital economy on creative industries development: Empirical evidence based on the China.

Digital economy has become a "new engine" that driving global economic growth. Nevertheless, numerous controversies persist regarding whether and how digital economy can facilitate the development of emerging industries. Thus, this paper investigates how digital economy affects creative industries development in China and whether innovation efficiency mediates this relationship. Drawing upon a panel data set containing 29 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2019, an econometric model is constructed for empirical analysis. We find that digital economy significantly promotes creative industries development, and innovation efficiency plays a partial mediating role between digital economy and creative industries development. According to the influence mechanism, the digital economy of various regions could promote the creative industries development by improving the innovation efficiency. Finally, relevant suggestions were put forward from the expanding application paths, improving regional innovation efficiency, and creating an innovative environment.

Can policy advantages be transformed into industrial advantages? Evidences from digital economy industry development in Zhejiang Province, China.

The digital economy is a new impetus to promote high-quality economic development. We use the policies of Zhejiang Information Economy Development Demonstration Base (IEDD) and Zhejiang Software and Information Service Industry Base (SISI) established between 2015 and 2017 to design a quasi-natural experiment. By using a panel data from 2005 to 2020 in Zhejiang and the difference-in-differences model, we test the impacts of IEDD and SISI policies on digital economy development. We find that there are significant spatial differences for digital economy in Zhejiang. IEDD and SISI policies improve the digital economy development, that is, the policy advantages can indeed be transformed into industrial advantages. The IEDD policy can promote the digital economy industry development by enhancing the digital infrastructure and financial development; SISI policy can promote the development of the digital economy industry by promoting financial development. The results of quantile regression show that the promotion effect of IEDD and SISI policies increases with the improvement of the industrial basis of regional digital economy. The results of group regression show that the IEDD policy promotes the digital economy development in counties and county-level cities of Zhejiang, and the SISI policy plays a significant role in municipal districts.

Evaluation of innovation primacy in cross-regional central cities: Evidence from the Huaihai Economic Zone in China (2010-2020).

With the intensification of global economic competition, innovation has become one of the core elements of vigorous development in various regions. Improving the innovation ability of cross-regional central cities is the main factor influencing whether a region can achieve economic and social development. In this paper, an innovation primacy index system is designed according to the links of the innovation value chain, and the innovation advantages and empirical effects are comprehensively analyzed by using the point-to-point method, entropy weight method, gravity model and two-way fixed effect model. Based on the data of 8 cities in the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone from 2010 to 2020 in China, Xuzhou's innovation primacy ranks first in the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone, which accords with its status as the central city of the region. Its index has been rising, and its development trend is also good. However, the overall innovation ability of the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone is unbalanced; the overall economic foundation is not solid enough. In terms of knowledge innovation, R&D innovation and industrial innovation, the industrialization level, around the activation of Xuzhou city vitality, enhances the Xuzhou innovation radiation drive, leading to a decrease in the Huaihai Economic Zone. Finally, some corresponding suggestions on innovation primacy have been proposed for the city of the Huaihai Economic Zone.

Economic level, environmental regulation, and new energy industry development.

Using panel data of 30 provinces and new energy (NE)-listed enterprises in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper uses basic model to research the impact of various environmental policies in China on NE industry development firstly. Then, using economic level as a threshold variable, a threshold model was constructed to research the impact of economic level on the relationship between environmental regulation and NE industry development. The research results show that firstly, various environmental policies in China have significantly promoted the development of the NE industry. This is mainly manifested in two aspects. One is environmental regulations significantly increased the NE industry output value and profit, the other is environmental regulations enhanced the NE industry growth potential. Secondly, the regional economic level has a significant impact on the relationship between environmental regulations and NE industry development. The promotion effect of environmental regulations on NE industry development depends on the regional economic level. When the regional economic level exceeds the threshold, the promoting effect of environmental regulations on NE industry development significantly increases. The reason is that a weak economic foundation will affect investment in the NE industry. Insufficient capital investment will inevitably seriously hinder the development of the NE industry. Thirdly, residents' education status, financial support, and NE industry agglomeration degree have a positive impact on the development of the NE industry, while population size has no significant impact on NE industry development.

Can industrial structure optimization and industrial structure transition both lead to carbon lock-in mitigation? The case of China.

The optimization and transition of the industrial structure help improve the quality of the economy, moving it toward low-carbon development. By using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments model and a city-level dataset covering the period 2006-2019, this paper explores the carbon lock-in mitigation effects of industrial structure optimization and industrial structure transition, respectively. The heterogeneity and the synthetic industrial structure adjustment effect are detected, and the potential impact mechanism is also explored. Some findings have been generated. (1) Both industrial structure optimization and industrial structure transition realize carbon lock-in eradication. (2) Industrial structure optimization and transition are more effective in inhibiting carbon lock-in in cities with a higher level of economic background. (3) By generating an interaction term of industrial structure optimization and transition and examining the impact of the interaction term on carbon lock-in, this paper detects that industrial structure optimization and transition have a synthetic impact on carbon lock-in, showing a "1 + 1 > 2" effect. (4) Industrial structure optimization and transition both affect carbon lock-in by improving technological innovation level, which is the impact mechanism. Some policy implications, such as sectoral diversification and promoting research and development, are put forward for better industrial structure development and carbon unlocking.

Green supply chain management influence on the economic and environmental aspects in China.

In China's rapid industrial development, the adoption and impact of green supply chain practices (GSCP) have become pivotal. This research employs a non-radial, non-angle SBM-DEA model to examine the intricate relationship between environmental sustainability and economic advancement. The observation suggests that companies adopting the global sustainable consumption and production (GSCP) framework demonstrate a more substantial alignment with China's sustainable goals. However, this alignment is accompanied by a fundamental conflict between the need for economic growth and the need for environmental caution. This study highlights China's sincere efforts to adhere to global ecological norms, as the environmental outcomes (ENVO) demonstrated. The findings on organizational culture (O.C.) present a complex depiction of China's direction, highlighting the intersection between its longstanding traditions with the pressing demands of modern environmentally sustainable corporate practices. The presence of regulatory variations across provinces highlights the regional differences within the nation, thus causing organizations to adopt adaptable environmental policies. The complex network of supply chains in China and the careful management of financial resources underscore the diverse range of difficulties and opportunities that firms face. This research ultimately provides a comprehensive understanding of the crucial balancing process that characterizes China's path toward environmental sustainability. It highlights the importance of effectively managing these factors, since it is essential for enterprises to achieve enduring and sustainable success.