Institutional quality,financial development and sustainable economic growth among lower income countries

This article postulates strong endogenous relationships in lower income countries between institutional quality, financial development and sustained economic growth. These associations were investigated using the vector-error correction model (VECM) and Granger causality method for a sample of 79 countries from 2005 to 2022. The findings show that (1) these variables reinforce each other in the short run. (2) In the long run, both institutional quality and financial development can fuel economic growth. (3) The positive effect of institutional quality on economic growth is greater than that of financial development. Policy implications of these findings are that careful attention should be paid to co-development policies to enhance the institutional quality and the financial system in these economies. Policies should also consider economic growth strategies to enable sustainable economic growth rates.     

Unintentional non-traffic injury and fatal events: Threats to children in and around vehicles

Objective: There have been substantial reductions in motor vehicle crash–related child fatalities due to advances in legislation, public safety campaigns, and engineering. Less is known about non-traffic injuries and fatalities to children in and around motor vehicles. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of various non-traffic incidents, injuries, and fatalities to children using a unique surveillance system and database.

Methods: Instances of non-traffic injuries and fatalities in the United States to children 0–14 years were tracked from January 1990 to December 2014 using a compilation of sources including media reports, individual accounts from families of affected children, medical examiner reports, police reports, child death review teams, coroner reports, medical professionals, legal professionals, and other various modes of publication.

Results: Over the 25-year period, there were at least 11,759 events resulting in 3,396 deaths. The median age of the affected child was 3.7 years. The incident types included 3,115 children unattended in hot vehicles resulting in 729 deaths, 2,251 backovers resulting in 1,232 deaths, 1,439 frontovers resulting in 692 deaths, 777 vehicles knocked into motion resulting in 227 deaths, 415 underage drivers resulting in 203 deaths, 172 power window incidents resulting in 61 deaths, 134 falls resulting in 54 deaths, 79 fires resulting in 41 deaths, and 3,377 other incidents resulting in 157 deaths.

Conclusions: Non-traffic injuries and fatalities present an important threat to the safety and lives of very young children. Future efforts should consider complementary surveillance mechanisms to systematically and comprehensively capture all non-traffic incidents. Continued education, engineering modifications, advocacy, and legislation can help continue to prevent these incidents and must be incorporated in overall child vehicle safety initiatives.     

呼吸效应对矿井封闭火区氧浓度的影响分析

为避免因火区封闭导致重大安全事故发生，通过采集某矿井1 d内3个不同监测点的大气压力变化情况，建立大气压力波动模型并分析计算，同时建立火区内外压差100，750 Pa情形下的氧浓度模型进而获得火区内侧氧气浓度因呼吸效应，在不同压差、体积大小火区、风阻、瓦斯涌出量、封闭时刻等多因素耦合影响下随时间的变化规律，以评估火区危险性。研究结果表明:井下大气随地面大气周期波动，封闭火区内、外侧之间的气压差因外界大气波动呈现16 h的余弦波动和8 h的线性波动周期变化；密闭质量好的火区具有更好地抗干扰性，内侧氧浓度的降低主要依靠瓦斯稀释；密闭质量差的火区，内侧氧浓度易受到火区涌出瓦斯、外界涌入大气双重影响；火区氧浓度在2%~12%之间波动，以至火区存在发生瓦斯爆炸的可能性；火区内外压差较大时，氧浓度波动变化幅度更大，危险作用持续时间更长。结合火区氧浓度波动模型，可有效地对矿井火区采取安全的防范措施，避免瓦斯爆炸事故发生。     

Environmental pollution,hydropower and nuclear energy generation before and after catastrophe: Bathtub-Weibull curve and MS-VECM methods

In this paper, the life span of hydro and nuclear energy generations and the relationship between hydro and nuclear energy generations, environmental pollution, and economic growth were investigated for Japan covering the period of 1960–2018 by employing the Bathtub-Weibull curve and Markov switching-vector error correcting (MSVEC) method, respectively. According to the Bathtub-Weibull curve analysis, a rising failure rate for nuclear energy was found, indicating that the life of nuclear energy has expired, but a decreasing failure rate for hydroelectric energy has been detected. Then two different MSVEC models were used. The MSVEC method, unlike traditional approaches, determines the relationship between variables under different regimes. The results of MSVEC methods indicate three important points. First, regime-dependent asymmetry and regime changes are crucial for policy recommendations. Second, the shocks to hydropower and nuclear energy generations cause temporary deviations from the long-run growth path in both regimes. Lastly, the increase in hydropower generation leads to a decrease in environmental pollution and an increase in GDP, and an increase in nuclear power generation increases pollution and growth in both regimes.     

三峡库区消落带农用坡地磷素径流流失特征

消落带是三峡库区重要的生态交错带，但自发农用和无序开发可能会造成更多的氮磷流失，进而加剧三峡库区水体富营养化。通过对库区连续3 a的定位监测（2011~2013年），研究了三峡库区消落带农用坡地的磷素流失特征。结果表明：次降雨事件中常规施肥处理的地表径流、壤中流总磷平均浓度分别为0.848±0.153、0.140±0.006 mg/L，其中地表径流中磷的形态以颗粒态为主，壤中流以溶解态的生物可利用磷为主。常规施肥下，地表径流、壤中流磷素年均流失通量分别为0.236±0.004、0.100±0.003 kg·hm 2，地表径流、壤中流磷素流失通量分别占总流失通量的70.2%、29.8%，地表径流是坡地磷素流失的主要途径，但壤中流也是不可忽视的重要途径。与常规施肥处理相比，减量施肥处理地表径流、壤中流磷素流失量分别降低了45.3%、40.0%。建议采取减量施肥的方式，以降低营养盐负荷，保护水环境。     

Community participation in cultural heritage and environmental policy formulation in Botswana

Cultural heritage does not have direct economic benefits. However, if properly managed it can stimulate social cohesions, improving the environment and have beneficial economic spin offs for the local communities. This paper discusses the role of communities in the formulation of the policies concerning their local environment. It argues that community engagement by policy makers is important in giving legitimacy and ownership of the policies. Furthermore, this paper discusses the potential of cultural heritage in diversifying the economy in Botswana. This paper recommends for the re-assessment of the relationship between the state and local communities which is critical in resuscitating the seemingly ailing community business organizations. In conclusion, it argues for the sustainable management of cultural heritage as a social and economic resource in the next 50 years of Botswana’s independence.     

A multi-objective design optimisation of eco-friendly aircraft: the impact of noise fees on airplanes sustainable development

The current work deals with multi-objective optimisations including financial merit factors in the multi-disciplinary conceptual design of a commercial aircraft with a specific focus on noise social cost. The results of optimisations using financial and performance-oriented objective functions have been analysed and combined in a multi-objective optimisation problem using a three-dimensional objective vector. The main novelty of the present work is the analysis of social cost noise fees effectiveness integrated in financial models embracing a wider group of stakeholders’ interests. The foundations of this research lie on the air traffic increase envisaged in the next decades and the contextual growth of the urban areas nearby airport facilities. This scenario requires the aeronautical industry to handle the environment challenge taking into account all the social and economic effects. Indeed, the consolidated technology has approached a saturation point, therefore breakthrough concepts and configurations are mandatory. This matter is addressed as a highly multi-disciplinary problem within conceptual design framework. The financial model proposed is shown to highlight the need of appropriate noise fees as instruments to push all stakeholders towards a technology radical renewal and encourage the aeronautical industry towards a shared strategy in the development of an eco-friendly commercial aviation system.     

晋牛矿1303综放面采空区注氮方案研究及数值模拟

为了合理设计采空区注氮防灭火方案，以晋牛煤矿1303综放工作面为研究对象，通过在采空区进、回风侧布置束管监测系统，连续测定采空区气体浓度变化，划分采空区自燃“三带”分布区域,并基于采空区自燃“三带”划分标准和数值模拟的方法，利用流体力学COMSOL计算软件，研究不同注氮量、注氮位置下采空区氧化自燃带的分布规律。研究结果表明:注氮量和注氮位置参数的变化，对氧化自燃带上界限的影响并不显著，而对氧化自燃带的下界限影响比较显著；最合适的注氮位置应该在距离切顶线30 m左右，运用Origin软件得出注氮量与氧化自燃带宽度呈指数关系，由拟合式计算出最优注氮量为386 m3/h，此时氧化自燃带的宽度为31.5 m。     

碳汇造林项目促进了当地经济发展吗?--基于四川县域面板数据的PSM-DID实证研究

林业是重要的碳汇资源,在减缓全球气候变化、改善自然生态环境、促进经济可持续发展等方面有着至关重要的作用。作为林业碳汇的重要实现形式,碳汇造林项目兼具生态保护、促进经济发展与贫困减缓等重要功能,其实施成效究竟如何需要进一步验证。为此,本文从理论上分析了碳汇造林项目对县域经济发展的影响机理,利用2000—2016年四川47个县域的面板数据,采用PSM-DID模型估计了碳汇造林项目对县域经济发展的平均效应和动态效应,并对其影响机理进行了验证。结果显示:①碳汇造林项目的实施显著地促进了地区实际GDP和人均实际GDP的增长,这一结论在进行稳健性检验后依然成立;②囿于项目周期较长,此促进作用在短期内尚不能立竿见影,具有明显的滞后效应,且实施的时间越长,对当地经济发展的促进作用越大;③碳汇造林项目主要通过优化当地产业结构、提高居民储蓄率、提升地区政府财政收支水平等途径促进当地经济发展。因此,为更好地发挥碳汇造林项目对县域经济发展的促进作用,应继续拓展碳汇造林项目的覆盖区域,加大专项投资力度,引导碳汇造林项目向生态脆弱的深度贫困地区倾斜;在更加注重碳汇造林项目的长期效应的同时,应建立完善项目运行的长效稳定机制,防范潜在的自然与市场风险,保障项目对地区经济发展的长期驱动力;加快改善地区的融资环境,鼓励居民和企业将储蓄和融资能力有效转化为投资能力,充分依托碳汇造林项目促进当地经济可持续发展。     

平板显示器回收的新挑战

显示屏（监视器和电视机）经历了从阴极射线管到平板显示器技术的快速变化。截至目前为止,只有少量的平板显示器已记录在废物收集点。平板显示器的数量越来越多,在未来需要足够的用于回收的基础设施。本文旨在通过液晶显示屏幕的回收对经济影响的案例研究来提供数量、成分、回收利用技术和经验的基本数据。对于组件和材料也适用于其他类型的电子产品,如黑色金属和有色金属,印刷电路板或电缆,回收途径和技术是众所周知的和可用的。目前,液晶显示器（LCD）在欧洲不回收。处置时,例如,通过焚烧,有价值的材料,其成分是不再可用。例如：铟具有重要战略意义的应用,如,太阳能光伏作为一种稀缺资源。液晶显示器在欧洲具有回收基础设施,因此是有用的。