The importance of iron and steel to any nation’s economy cannot be overstressed. This paper X-rays the importance of iron and steel to the development of any nation’s economy with reference to China, South Africa and Nigeria. It discusses that iron and steel companies are needed to provide high-quality and efficient services. Benefits that can be derived from iron and steel which includes; revenue generation for the sustenance of nation’s economy, employment generation, industrialization are discussed. Government policy, lack of commitment on the part of policy makers of this country among others have been outlined as barriers that militate against the development of iron and steel in the country. Commitment, implementation of every policy formulated for the industry and partnership with experienced private sector was identified as among the solution to move the sector forward. Keywords: Industry, Iron and Steel, Economic, Production, Consumption, Policy

The investigation of the spatiotemporal trajectory and driving factors of urban carbon emissions is crucial for achieving carbon peaking， controlling global carbon emissions， and protecting the ecological environment. Compared with the traditional carbon emission-driven identification， the Bayesian hierarchical spatio-temporal model can deal with more complex nonlinear and multilateral variable relationships， better cope with data missing， and improve the estimation accuracy of the results. Based on this， this study uses the carbon accounting coefficient method to measure the carbon emissions of urban agglomerations in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The Theil index， gravity center migration model， and spatial autocorrelation analysis are used to explore the spatial and temporal trajectory of urban carbon emissions. Further， the Bayesian hierarchical spatial-temporal model is used to analyze the driving factors affecting carbon emissions. The results showed that： ① The total carbon emissions of the study area increased from 78 459.68×104 t in 2006 to 123 350.56×104 t in 2021， with the rate of increase in carbon emissions slowing down from 1.95% to 1.61%. The Wuhan urban agglomeration was the core area for carbon emissions， accounting for 47.48% of the total emissions. The difference in carbon emissions in the Poyang Lake urban agglomeration was the largest； the focus of carbon emissions changed from south to north. ② The carbon emissions of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River exhibited significant spatial correlation， primarily manifesting as high-high or low-low clustering types， and displayed a spatial distribution characteristic of higher emissions in the west and lower emissions in the east. ③ The degree of influence of driving factors on carbon emissions was ranked as follows： urbanization rate>industrial structure>level of economic development>actual use of foreign capital>energy efficiency>expenditure on science and technology>total population. The positive impact of urbanization rate， economic development level， actual utilization of foreign capital， and energy efficiency on carbon emissions was gradually increasing， the positive impact of industrial structure on carbon emissions was gradually weakening， and the positive impact of science and technology expenditure and total population on carbon emissions was fluctuating. The local changes in carbon emissions in the study area were obviously different， and the overall performance was 'weak in the upper part and strong in the lower part'. The hot spots were mainly concentrated below the study area， the local trend of carbon emissions in the study area was obviously different， and the rapid growth area was mainly distributed in Wuhan urban agglomeration. The study results are significant for understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of carbon emissions and their driving variables and hold important theoretical and practical implications for the subsequent application of Bayesian hierarchical spatiotemporal models in the field of carbon emissions.

ABSTRACT Algeria, like many Mediterranean regions, is highly vulnerable to flooding, which often occurs in catastrophic forms. The control and management of such events represent major challenges to both economic and social development. Since 2012, the rehabilitation of 8 km of the Saïda Wadi in northwestern Algeria has played a significant role in controlling recurrent floods. This study aims to analyze and compare hydraulic conditions before and after the rehabilitation of the Saïda Wadi. Flood simulation is essential for predicting wave arrival times and delineating flood-prone areas, particularly in ungauged catchments. HEC-RAS 2D, coupled with a Geographic Information System (GIS), is applied to model unsteady flows governed by the Saint-Venant equations. The results demonstrate a notable improvement following the rehabilitation works, with reductions of 29.4% in water depth, 8.97% in floodplain extent, and 43.9% in maximum flow velocity.

Constructing a stable and healthy ecological network is an important means to promote the sustainable development of oasis cities. This study adopts the research model of 'ecological source identification-resistance surface construction-ecological corridor extraction-ecological network optimization' to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of the ecological network in Yinchuan City in 2000， 2010， and 2020 and the multi-scenario ecological network simulated by PLUS model in 2030. The results showed that： ① The area of ecological sources has been declining over the past 20 years. Ecological sources were larger in the ecological protection scenario than in the natural development and economic development scenarios. ② Over the past 20 years， the length of ecological corridors has been decreasing， but the ecological network index has been increasing， and the ecological network structure is more solid. The corridor length and ecological network index of the ecological protection context had the best performance. ③ The optimal width of the ecological corridor in Yinchuan City was 100 m， at which time the area of the ecological corridor was 55.07 km2， and the areas of the ecological pinch points and ecological obstacles were 1.18 km2 and 2.38 km2， respectively. ④ The improved ecological network based on the optimization countermeasures was more stable and healthier， with the length and area of ecological corridors increasing by 15.27 % and 25.24 %， respectively. The results of the study can guide the spatial construction of the ecological network in Yinchuan City from a systematic perspective， promote the implementation of ecological protection and restoration projects， and reduce the interference of human activities on the ecosystem from a theoretical perspective. They also provide a basis and reference for the ecological protection of the national land space and the construction of a high-quality development pioneer zone in the Yellow River Basin.

The study examined Microsoft excel skills as antidotes towards achievement of economic development among secretarial administration students. Two research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey research design. Was used. The population of this study comprised all postgraduate business education students in Olabisi Onabanjo University and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State. A total of 100 postgraduate business education students in Olabisi Onabanjo University and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State served as sample size of the study. Stratified sampling technique was used in the process of selecting the sample size with the view to ensure gender balance. Researcher developed instrument tagged: Microsoft Excel Skills and Economic Development Questionnaire (MESEDQ) with 0.87 as reliability coefficient was used for data collection. Research questions 1 and 2 were analyses using mean and standard deviation as well as Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The findings of the study revealed that manipulate skill, manipulating symbols, to print document skill, reprographic machines skills, change paper layout skill, save information skills, delete information skill, copy/paste information skill, merge two or more documents, assign files name, bold numbers skill and underscore words skill were among Microsoft excel skills needed for the achievement of economic development by secretarial administration students. There was relationship between Microsoft excel skills and achievement of economic development (r = 5.16, p < .05). The secretarial administration curriculum should seek to produce graduates that are critical and creative thinkers, with real skills, those who are ready to challenge the status quo, ready to make mistakes and learn from them. Graduates who are not afraid to put forward novel ideas, listen to others and be ready to compromise where necessary.

Abstract The Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg., Cannabaceae, standardized spray-dried extract, underwent acute safety evaluation using a range of alternative toxicological models in alignment with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Test Guidelines. Acute aquatic toxicity was assessed using the Artemia salina lethality test (LC 50 418.4 μg/ml) and the zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) embryo toxicity test (OECD TG 236; LC 50 1116.0 μg/ml). According to the Globally Harmonized System aquatic toxicity categories, C. iguanaea spray-dried extract is classified as non-hazardous (LC 50 > 100 μg/ml). In vitro assays included cytotoxicity (methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay –in WI-38 and HaCaT cells; resazurin in Caco-2 and HT-29 cells), cell adhesion genotoxicity (comet assay; OECD TG 489), and mutagenicity (cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay; OECD TG 487). Celtis iguanaea spray-dried extract showed no cytotoxic, genotoxic, or mutagenic effects up to 250 μg/ml and enhanced HaCaT cell viability and adhesion at higher concentrations (100 μg/ml), suggesting potential support for wound healing. No antimicrobial activity was observed against Candida spp., ESKAPE pathogens, or bacteria associated with urinary tract infections (MIC > 1024.0 μg/ml). This weight-of-evidence assessment supports the safe use of C. iguanaea spray-dried extract in topical or oral formulations and provides data suitable for regulatory hazard characterization and acute risk assessment. Graphical Abstract

Natural water sourced from spring-fed outlets in rural territories represents a resource with the potential to generate economic value when its management is articulated through a marketing approach focused on origin, trust, and perceived quality. In Panama—particularly in the province of Coclé—the presence of these natural water sources contrasts with weakly structured commercialization practices, which restrict their positioning in local markets dominated by industrial brands. The objective of this study is to analyze the marketing and commercialization strategies associated with natural spring water in rural areas of Coclé, identifying the factors that influence consumer trust, willingness to pay, and purchase intention, as well as the opportunities for cooperative-based commercialization models oriented toward local development. The research adopts an applied mixed-methods approach. The quantitative phase involves structured surveys administered to consumers and local retailers, while the qualitative phase incorporates semi-structured interviews with producers and key stakeholders within the value chain. Data analysis integrates descriptive statistics and thematic analysis from a territorial marketing perspective. The findings indicate that rural origin, perceived purity, and trust in the water source exert a stronger influence on perceived value than price. The study concludes that origin-based and territorial marketing strategies constitute a viable pathway to strengthen the sustainable commercialization of natural water and to support inclusive local economic development in rural contexts.

The research explores the complicated and dynamic link between tax revenues, financial development (FD), and economic growth (EG) in rising countries like the BRICS. The research uses second-generation panel econometric techniques using a sample from 2010 to 2024. The BRICS nations show high CSD and slope heterogeneity, according to the preliminary dataset. Panel unit root tests show that most variables are I(1) while economic growth (EG) is I(0). Panel co-integration experiments (Kao, Pedroni, and Westerlund) showed a strong long-run connection between these variables. Regression analysis (Fixed Effect and FGLS) shows that tax income positively and statistically significantly affects financial development. Tax revenue boosts economic development. Positive control elements were FDI and trade openness, whereas negative control elements were inflation in financial development and economic growth. BRICS policymakers need these findings to understand that an effective and strong tax framework boosts government revenue and financial sector stability and depth, which are necessary for long-term economic success. The research adds to the field by examining taxes and financial growth in developing countries.

As an important level in the administrative system, counties have abundant natural and agricultural resources and play a key role in promoting green development strategies. This article uses the entropy method to construct a comprehensive evaluation index system for green and low-carbon development from five dimensions: green innovation, green coordination, green efficiency, green openness, and green sharing. It uses econometric methods such as Moran’s index and kernel density estimation to empirically analyze the level of green and low-carbon development in Chinese counties, differentiation characteristics, and spatial effects. Furthermore, geographically weighted regression model is introduced to explore and analyze the driving factors of various variables on the differences of green development in Chinese counties. The study finds the following: From a temporal perspective, the overall level of green development in Chinese counties shows a fluctuating upward trend; From the perspective of spatial evolution, the green development of Chinese counties presents a regional distribution characteristic of “moderate distribution in west, high in the east and low in west”; The level of green development in counties has a significant spatial positive correlation. The driving factors of economic development level, green technology innovation, and government support mainly have a positive impact on the green development of Chinese counties, while the quality of human resources mainly has a negative impact. The research results emphasize that there is obvious spatial heterogeneity in the impact of each driving factor. By implementing differentiated green development strategies to alleviate resource and environmental problems between counties, deepening the concept of green and low-carbon development, optimizing the industrial layout structure of counties, and adhering to the strategy of innovation driven development, suggestions can help counties achieve sustainable development goals.

In the context of globalization, variations in carbon emission intensity and economic growth rates exhibit not only direct, reciprocal effects within individual countries but also indirect transmission mechanisms across regions and nations. Employing the Global Vector Autoregressive (GVAR) model and utilizing quarterly data from 33 countries—including 8 Eurozone members—spanning from the first quarter of 1990 to the fourth quarter of 2019, this paper demonstrates that major global economies continue to exhibit salient features of low-carbon economic development. Specifically, reductions in carbon emission intensity in developed countries frequently exert adverse spillover effects on the economic growth rates of other nations. In response to negative economic shocks, numerous countries increase their carbon emission intensity as a countercyclical measure, while others reduce emissions—potentially reflecting that they have surpassed the turning point posited by the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). These findings highlight that advancing low-carbon economic development requires sustained improvements in production technologies and energy efficiency, alongside strengthened international cooperation in carbon emissions management, in order to alleviate the additional costs arising from the asynchronous progression of global carbon reduction efforts.

The extreme environmental conditions of a plateau have an important impact on the economic development of the area, including tourism and employment. High-altitude environments, characterized by hypoxia, low atmospheric pressure, and intense ultraviolet radiation, are recognized as key contributors to gastrointestinal injury. These environmental stresses promote oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and gut microbiota dysbiosis, resulting in intestinal barrier disruption, increased permeability, and immune imbalance, which collectively predispose individuals to gastrointestinal disorders and multi-organ dysfunction. Accumulating evidence suggests that natural bioactive molecules, probiotics, and synbiotics exert protective effects against high-altitude-induced intestinal injury via diverse mechanisms. Accordingly, this review focuses on the key mechanisms of high-altitude hypoxia-induced intestinal injury and discusses the therapeutic potential of intestinal function-enhancing molecules. This work aims to offer a theoretical framework and identify potential intervention targets for the management of gastrointestinal disorders associated with high-altitude exposure.

As key hubs of resource consumption, cities play a critical role in advancing sustainable development through improved metabolic efficiency. This study, using panel data from 287 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2021, employs the unexpected output SBM model to assess urban metabolic efficiency and examines how it is driven by digital economy growth. Results reveal a gradual but uneven improvement in the metabolic efficiency of Chinese cities, with significant regional disparities underscoring imbalances in resource use and economic progress. Notably, digital economy development significantly enhances urban metabolic efficiency, a conclusion that remains robust after controlling for endogeneity and robustness issues. Mechanism analysis indicates that industrial upgrading and technological advancements are key drivers of this improvement. Furthermore, enhancing network infrastructure further accelerates metabolic efficiency in the context of the digital economy. Heterogeneity analysis reveals an asymmetric impact, with more pronounced effects in eastern regions, major cities, less educated populations, and non-resource-based cities. The study also identifies a threshold effect, whereby the positive influence of the digital economy becomes evident only after reaching a certain level of development, and this effect exhibits increasing marginal returns over time. These findings provide empirical support for leveraging the digital economy to enhance urban metabolic efficiency in China and offer insights for global urban sustainability strategies.

Occurrence and spatial distribution of emerging organic contaminants in the coastal and deep Red Sea sediments utilizing liquid chromatography tandem high resolution mass spectrometry.

Under the global imperative for energy conservation and emission reduction, a critical yet underexplored question is how environmental regulation (ER) specifically affects carbon emission efficiency (CEE). In this paper, the Super-Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model with undesirable outputs is used to measure the CEE of 30 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2022. Based on the results, the Tobit model is used to study the impact of ER on CEE empirically. The results show that (1) China’s CEE is low, and the eastern region has the highest CEE, followed by the central and northeastern regions, and the lowest is the western region. (2) There is a U-shaped curve relationship between ER and CEE, namely, the impacts of ER on CEE are first inhibitory and then promotive; Currently, ER is having a negative effect on CEE, and the inflection point has yet to emerge. (3) Opening up level and population density have positive influences on CEE, while industrial structure exerts a negative impact. This research provides a reference for improving the CEEs of China and other developing countries. Policy implications include the need to strengthen and optimise the regulations to promote the high-quality development of the Chinese economy. The results offer a reference for policymakers.

The article, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the discovery of aluminum, examines the formation of its engineering role – from a laboratory phenomenon to a strategic structural material that shapes innovative approaches in modern mechanical engineering, the aviation industry, and construction. In this context, modern technologies for manufacturing complex parts from aluminum alloys, which are of critical importance for precision manufacturing and next-generation structural systems, are considered. The authors focus on the key advantages of aluminum as a structural material – low density, high corrosion resistance, good machinability, and the ability to be recycled without losing its properties. Particular attention is paid to technologies such as pressure casting, friction welding, laser spraying, and additive manufacturing using aluminum powders, which enable the creation of large-sized, thin-walled components with high accuracy and minimal material loss. The paper provides examples of the use of aluminum alloys in the manufacture of body elements for electric vehicles and drones, as well as in advanced building structures. The importance of digital modeling and automated design is emphasized, as these tools allow for the optimization of part geometry, reduction of structural mass, and enhancement of energy efficiency. The influence of alloying elements (Mg, Si, Cu, Li) on the structure and mechanical properties of aluminum alloys is analyzed, along with methods for modifying the Al–Si eutectic structure to improve fluidity and reduce casting defects. The article presents a comparative analysis of traditional and modern methods for processing aluminum alloys, including gigacasting – a resource-efficient process for casting large parts using giant presses. The authors conclude that the integration of innovative technologies into production processes significantly enhances the competitiveness of aluminum components, reduces energy consumption, and promotes the development of a circular economy. For the construction industry, aluminum has become not only a means of implementing engineering solutions, but also a tool for architectural expressiveness, energy efficiency, and environmental safety – qualities that make it a highly promising material for the future.

ABSTRACT This article critically examines Sweden’s National Professional Programme (NPP) for principals, teachers and preschool teachers, launched in 2025, through the lens of Bacchi’s framework “What’s the problem represented to be?” From an international perspective, the Swedish case is an example of transnational policy trends carried by powerful agents such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Three main problem representations were identified in the analysed documents: governing; equity and continuous professional development (CPD). The analysis identifies various binaries, such as individual vs. collective efficacy, successful vs. unsuccessful professionals and national standardisation vs. local autonomy. The NPP has been framed as a solution to local governance inadequacies by calling for centralisation and tightening control over educational quality. This shift poses potential risks, including competition for control over professional development opportunities, marginalisation of principals’ roles as pedagogical leaders and creation of hierarchies within the school professions. Furthermore, the emphasis on CPD as a singular path to improvement may overlook collective efficacy and local contexts, favouring a one-size-fits-all approach that may exacerbate existing inequities. The findings indicate the need for further investigation into practical effects that the NPP poses and its impact on Sweden’s educational landscape.

The natural materials craft industry plays a significant role in the economic and social development of Temanggung and Wonosobo regencies in Central Java. It helps in preserving the environment and empowers the local communities through job creation and traditional culture preservation. This study aims to understand the perceptions of natural craft business owners regarding relational capability and e-CRM (Electronic Customer Relationship Management) and their contributions to enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the business. The study used a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was distributed to the owners of small and medium scale natural craft businesses in Temanggung and Wonosobo. The obtained data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics to depict the perceptions of the owners toward relational capability and e-CRM. The results indicate that the relational capability is categorized as high and the application of e-CRM is moderate. These findings suggest that even though the customer relationships had been well-maintained, but improvement in leveraging e-CRM technology is still possible. For the recommendations, providing and enhancing trainings and technological supports for the business are necessary for optimizing the e-CRM use that will thereby strengthen the competitiveness and contribute to sustainable development. This research provides valuable insights for MSME owners, the government, and other stakeholders in formulating more effective and sustainable development strategies for the environmentally friendly craft industry.

Abstract Demand for skilled labor and social status accorded by educational achievements induce a race to acquire education, dubbed “education fever.” In conjunction with credit market constraints and in the context of quantity-quality tradeoff, this, in turn, may reduce fertility, especially in well-educated families, and create cross-sectional inequality while limiting intergenerational mobility. The resulting inequality is persistent, which, in turn, may have adverse implications for economic growth. I argue that these phenomena are consistent with recent economic and social developments in China.

Sovereign wealth funds enhance the international movement of capital and often facilitate economic development in domestic and host countries. However, the lack of transparency and accountability of SWFs varies, and state ownership gives rise to suspicions and realizations of political motivations, unfair commercial advantages, opportunities for corruption, and national security threats, thereby challenging the liberal economic order. This paper provides an overview and identifies major concerns and policy options associated with SWFs. Defining SWFs, measuring their size and transparency, domestic, cultural, and political origins, and policies for oversight and mitigation of geopolitical risk are discussed. The goals and behavior of SWFs are too diverse to draw broad, general conclusions. The growth in the number of funds and assets under management has increased their diversity, but the essential defining characteristic is that they are state-owned financial investment vehicles not subject to the hard budget constraints or regulations of comparable private sector, market-oriented entities. Transparency varies, with democratic country SWFs more transparent and less problematic than those of autocracies. SWFs have evolved into unbounded state-owned entities ushering in a new era of financial statecraft. Policies to guide their behavior and enforcement mechanisms are host-country specific and highly variable. An often-discussed international regulatory framework to mitigate geopolitical risk has not emerged and is not likely.

Purpose Saudi Vision 2030 marks an attempt to create an enabling environment for economic development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This article constitutes an evaluation of its endeavour to create an enabling environment for the production and consumption of affordable housing. The need to do this has arisen from the government’s intention to transform itself from being a provider to an enabler of housing which involves the introduction of housing as a commodity to be bought and sold in the market. Methodology The main method of this paper was based on reviewing and evaluating the resultant enabling environment in terms of six analytical factors involving opportunities and constraints created in the input, output and regulatory environments. Findings The main finding is that the resultant environment has prioritized demand factors over supply factors over the provision of affordable housing. This has led to the recommendation that the enabling environment should be tweaked to factor in items in the input environment that would lead to lower costs and more affordable housing. Originality This research focused on a less discussed subsystem of housing in housing research, an evaluation of the endeavour to create an enabling environment for the production and consumption of affordable housing.