Financial impact of energy efficiency and energy policies aimed at power sector reforms: mediating role of financing in the power sector.

This research examines how financial transformative power sector reforms affect energy efficiency and the economy in a sample of economies from South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. We applied two stages of OLS, Bayesian VAR, and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methods to a panel data set from 1995 to 2018. According to empirical findings, institutional deficiency has a negative effect on electricity reforms, implying that the greater the impact of reforms on electricity performance, the higher the institutional efficiency, A collection of reform initiatives involving a variety of reform agencies will boost energy efficiency by up to 13% and per capita electricity access by 62%. Despite recent reforms and regulatory measures, the electricity sector continues to face challenges in terms of private investment and structural flaws such as energy inefficiency, significant technological and financial losses, low power quality, and outdated transmission and network infrastructure. Interestingly 13.2% increases can be found in energy efficiency after electricity reforms. Unlike previous studies, our findings reveal a conflict between the broader economic effects and the welfare impact on electricity consumers.

Socioeconomic impacts of domestic biogas plants on rural households to strengthen energy security.

The central theme of the study is to assess the socioeconomic impact of household biogas plants on rural households. To this end, the study selected respondents from biogas plant holders and non-holders of biogas plants in rural areas of Muzaffar-Garh. During the field survey, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 40 biogas users in two villages in each Tehsil and 40 non-biogas users in the same village. A survey based on pre-designed questionnaire was conducted, and main data of 320 households in four Tehsil districts (interviewees) in the Muzaffar-Garh region were collected. In this study, biogas is the input variable, while elderly education and total household income are the input socioeconomic variables. Farm productivity, time saving, indoor air pollution, household hygiene, and expenditure are intermediate variables. The output variables include income, health, and education level of minor children aged 2-5 years. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques that describe the relationship between input variables and output variables can be used to obtain steadfast results. Based on the estimates, we have observed that BG investments have substantial impacts on farm productivity, time savings, indoor air pollution, household hygiene, and expenditure, which in turn has played a role in improving the status of people. It is concluded that many direct and indirect socioeconomic impacts of holding biogas plants on rural households can be measured. In order to widely promote biogas technology as an alternative energy source nationwide, there must be greater public participation.

Nexus between IT capability and green intellectual capital on sustainable businesses: evidence from emerging economies.

This study aims to determine the moderating role of IT capability between green intellectual capital (GIC) and business sustainability in China's manufacturing sector. A quantitative analysis approach is applied to the primary data collected through a close-ended survey questionnaire from 1000 supply chain employees of China's manufacturing industry. Results revealed that the association and effect of GIC on the business sustainability of Chinese manufacturing companies were statistically significant, while the moderating role of IT capability between GIC and business sustainability was also found. Notably, all variables indicating GIC (i.e., green human capital (GHC), green structural capital (GSC), and green relationship capital (GRC)) affected business sustainability positively and significantly, whereas the moderation of IT capability was specific to GSC and GRC. Hence, it has been recommended to the Chinese manufacturing companies to integrate IT infrastructure in their firms to enhance business sustainability. However, this research was limited to the Chinese manufacturing sector and cannot be generalized to other sectors or countries.

Energy insecurity, pollution mitigation, and renewable energy integration: prospective of wind energy in Ghana.

Wind energy is seen as an important energy to sustainably meet the energy needs of Ghana. However, the industry in Ghana is yet to take off due to policy uncertainty and regulatory costs. The paper analyzed the key determinants and how they interact to impact the scaling up of wind energy in Ghana, using time series data, the vector auto regression (VAR) model from 2013 to 2019.There were four endogenous variables, grouped under policy, population growth, wind capacity, and electrification rate. The findings revealed the dynamic behavior of the variables from the VAR to a strongly significant positive correlation to deploying wind energy in Ghana. The impulse response functions (IRFs) equally exhibited a positive impact long-run trajectory growth of the variables after a shock to the system. The response of the first lags had differences of log policy and that of the log of GDP produced a curious result from the shock by taking a steady positive growth path in the short run and nosedived to a negative pathway in the long run. On the other hand, the interaction of the first differences of the lags of log wind capacity and log policy is quite instructive, as the headwind produced a negative relationship in the short run and to a positive growth path in the long run. This was anticipated, as the wind capacity installation of Ghana is expected to increase in the long run, when pipeline projects materialize.

Scaling up renewable energy in Africa: measuring wind energy through econometric approach.

Wind energy continues to make inroads in Africa due to falling costs and technological advancements. Most African countries are planning, exsiccating and connecting their renewable energy projects with national grid system with giving high propriety to energy security, sustainable energy consumption and low carbon emission. Many policies have been enacted by countries to promote the scaling up of wind energy and renewable energy in particular, across the globe. However, these policies have mixed effects on the deployment of wind energy. For this purpose, current study used panel data and fixed effects model for 17 African countries with wind installed generation capacity to determine the driver of wind energy development on the African continent between 2008 and 2017. The variables were grouped into three thematic areas: policy, socioeconomic, and country-specific factors. After conducting the analysis, socioeconomic variables (GDP, CO2, energy use) and energy security variables (energy import, electricity consumption) have significant effects in determining the scaling up of wind energy in Africa. However, the policy variables of FITs, licensing during, and Tax did not have significant effects on wind energy capacity addition for the case of Africa. This study adds to the drivers of nascent wind energy deployment literature in Africa. This study suggests that set of effecitive policies are deem necessary to scale up wind energy in Africa.

Bortezomib sensitizes thyroid cancer to BRAF inhibitor in vitro and in vivo.

Although overall survival rate for patients with thyroid cancer (TC) is high, there is an alarming 10-year recurrence rate of up to 30% conferring a ~50% survival among these high-risk patients. The BRAFV600E mutation is estimated to be present in over 50% of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cases besides being associated with carcinogenesis and poor prognosis. We assessed the status of NF-κB, Ki-67, cyclin D1 and BRAFV600E in TC tissues and TC cell lines using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Concurrently, we evaluated the outcomes of combined targeting of the proteasome pathway in addition to selective BRAF inhibitors in cases of PTC. In this study, BRAFV600E-bearing TC cells were treated with BRAFV600E inhibitor, Vemurafenib alone or in combination with the proteasome inhibitor, Bortezomib. The combination of both drugs showed synergistic effects as evidenced by cell growth inhibition (P < 0.05), increased G2-phase cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis (P < 0.05). In our TC xenograft model, the combination of Vemurafenib and Bortezomib significantly reduced tumor size (P < 0.05) and expression of the markers of cell growth and proliferation, Ki-67 and cyclin D1 (P < 0.001), when compared to monotherapy. Further analysis demonstrated that treatment with Bortezomib sensitized TC cells to Vemurafenib via mitochondrial dysregulation and apoptosis of TC cells, as evidenced by the increase in the expression of p53, Noxa protein, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Our results demonstrate a strong clinical potential for the combination of the Bortezomib and the BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib as an efficient therapeutic approach for the treatment of TC.

Intercomparison of environmental gamma doses measured with A NaI (Tl) survey meter and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) in the Poonch division of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

This study presents the intercomparison of the outdoor environmental gamma dose rates measured using a NaI (Tl) based survey meter along with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and estimation of excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), for the inhabitants of Poonch division of the Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. CaF2: Dy (TLD-200) card dosimeters were installed at height of 1 m from ground at fifteen different locations covering the entire Poonch division comprising of three districts. During three distinct two month time periods within the six month study period, all the installed dosimeters were exposed to outdoor environmental gamma radiations, retrieved and read out at Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory, Health Physics Division, PINSTECH laboratory, Islamabad. The ambient outdoor gamma dose rate measurements were also taken with NaI (Tl) based portable radiometric instrument at 1 m above the ground. To estimate the annual gamma doses, NaI (Tl) based survey data were used for one complete year following the deployment of the dosimeters. The mean annual gamma dose rates measured by TLDs and survey meter were found as 1.47±0.10 and 0.862±0.003 mGy/y respectively. Taking into account a 29% outdoor occupancy factor, the annual average effective dose rate for individuals was estimated as 0.298±0.04 and 0.175±0.03 mSv/y by TLDs and survey meter, respectively. For outdoor exposure, the ELCR was calculated from the TLD and survey meter measurements. The environmental outdoor average annual effective dose obtained in present study are less than the estimated world average terrestrial and cosmic gamma ray dose rate of 0.9 mSv/y reported in UNSCEAR 2000. The possible origins of gamma doses in the area and incompatibilities of results obtained from the two different measurement techniques are also discussed.