Development Path Research Articles

China. Issues of Economic Modernization

The article examines Xi Jinping’s views on the modernization of PRC’s economy, contained in the report to the Twentieth Congress of the CPC (October 2022) and covering a ten-year period since 2012, in which the historical task of eliminating poverty of 1.4 billion people in the socio-economic sphere was completed and the construction of a middleclass society in China (Xiaokan) was completed. In the author’s field of view, state development programs in the field of science, informatization, military-civilian integration, a large-scale leap in the qualitative development and building up of China’s economic and innovative potential, the problem of overcoming the country’s dependence on foreign technologies. The breadth of the approach to economic modernization is noted, including provisions on the coordinated development of material and spiritual culture, on “green” China, on China’s firm intention to continue modernization, following the path of peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation with the outside world with the ultimate goal of completing the construction of a modernized socialist power by 2035.

Regime Transformation of the PRC and the Formulation of a Strategy to Contain China: Assessments of American Sinologists

This article looks into the discussion of American sinologists regarding the potential of the “Chinese model” and recommendations for Washington on developing a policy to contain China based on these assessments. This issue becomes especially relevant against the backdrop of statements by the PRC leadership about the existence of “Chinese-style modernization” as a non-Western path of development and the emergence of the thesis in the Chinese ideological discourse about Beijing’s readiness to share “Chinese wisdom” and management principles with other countries. It is concluded that opinions of American sinologists on the subject are far from unanimous. There are two main groups of assessments among professional sinologists in the United States regarding the capabilities of the PRC to displace American values and standards of governance on a global scale.

Transformation of political elites in Latin America

The article deals with the features of the evolution of the Latin American ruling class, as well as the causes, manifestations and consequences of a certain decline in its level of competence in a number of Latin American states. Against the backdrop of the crisis of traditional parties, the appearance on the political stage of non-systemic actors who have no experience in economic and government activities and who promote neoliberal and populist slogans leads to serious mistakes in public administration and various socio-cultural deviations. The author comes to the conclusion that along with the unique path of development of Latin America there has been a tendency in the region towards a certain degradation of political elites, similar to that observed in some developed countries.

Значение Энергетического Сектора в Геоэкономическом Положении Азербайджана в Первом Десятилетии XXI Века

The article analyzes the development path of the energy sector of Azerbaijan over the past quarter century and its geoeconomic significance. The article jointly analyzes the geoeconomic parameters of Azerbaijan’s energy resources and their role in economic diversification for the first time. This analysis covers a certain period of time, during which new proposals are made, such as revising the importance of energy resources in the world and implementing the transition to green energy. Studying the material of the article allows us to consider to a certain extent the nature of the global political course around energy resources and the dividends that it has brought and can bring in the future to Azerbaijan. On the eve of the COP 29 event, it is very important to analyze the positive impact of this event on the geopolitical influence of Azerbaijan and the benefits it brings to its geoeconomic interests. It can also serve as a kind of basic material for researchers conducting research in this direction. The importance of the energy sector in Azerbaijan's geoeconomic situation during the first decade of the 21st century can be explored through several dimensions, including the country's strategic position, its energy resources, and how these elements shaped its geopolitical influence and economic growth. The scientific innovation of this theme lies in understanding the transformational role that Azerbaijan's energy sector played not only in its national development but also in the broader regional and global geopolitical context.

The Role of Green Taxation Governance in China: A Review of the Development and Impacts of Environmental Protection Tax

The initiatives from China’s “ecological civilisation construction” to “promoting the modernisation of harmonious coexistence between man and nature”, and then to the dual-carbon goal of “carbon peaking – carbon neutrality”, highlight China’s firm determination to promote green development further. On January 1, 2018, the Environmental Protection Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China was officially implemented as the first new green tax focused on environmental governance in China. This marks the formal entry of China’s environmental protection into the tax era and the establishment of a green tax system with environmental protection tax (EPT) as the core. By a comprehensive review of the development, multi-dimensional effects and tax optimisation paths of China’s EPT, this paper hopes to provide an important reference for government departments to improve the construction of the green tax system, for enterprises to enhance their green governance capabilities, and for scholars to extend the study of the green tax system.

Exploring Determinants of Job Satisfaction among Academic Members in Jordanian Higher Education Institutions

This study aimed to identify the determinants of job satisfaction among academic staff in Jordanian Higher Education Institutions and propose a model that these institutions can use to estimate overall job satisfaction. Understanding these determinants is critical for faculty retention, performance, and organizational effectiveness. This study employed a quantitative approach to examine job satisfaction and its determinants among academic members in Jordanian Higher Education Institutions. A total of 272 participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with multiple statements regarding job satisfaction determinants using a Likert scale. The data collected were analyzed to identify the key factors influencing job satisfaction among academic staff. The study found that the work environment, promotion and development opportunities, and job security are significant determinants of job satisfaction among academic staff in Jordan. These factors play a crucial role in shaping faculty members’ perspectives on their jobs and their overall satisfaction levels. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for Higher Education Institutions that aim to enhance faculty satisfaction and organizational effectiveness. By focusing on improving the work environment, offering clear promotion and development paths, and ensuring job security, institutions can retain and motivate their academic staff better.

TOE Configuration Analysis of Smart City Construction in China Under the Concept of Sustainable Development

The construction of smart cities is an effective path for sustainable urban development. Determining how to build smart cities and choose effective development models has attracted attention from all walks of life. Consequently, determining how to promote the development of smart cities and how to choose effective development models has also attracted attention. This paper takes 77 prefecture-level cities in China as case studies to explore the impact of technology, organization, and environment on the high-level development of smart cities. In this study, the fsQCA (fuzzy set-based qualitative comparative analysis) method was used to explore the configuration effects of three types of factors. The main findings are as follows: Firstly, no single factor among the three categories is a necessary condition for the high development level of smart cities, indicating that relying solely on technological conditions cannot build high-level smart cities. Secondly, the path of development of a smart city can be summarized into three modes: Both organizational and industrial environment type, both governance and cultural environment type, and balanced development type. Finally, among the three modes, the government’s digital governance capability and industrial environment play a crucial role in achieving a high level of development in smart cities. This article examines the development of smart cities from a systems perspective and provides useful, practical insights for the construction of smart cities.

Living, doing and learning in sport, civic and political activities: possible paths for positive youth development

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationship between patterns of youth participation in sports, civic and political activities, and positive youth development outcomes, including social and personal responsibility. It used cluster analysis complemented by a MANOVA and MANCOVA. A sample of 1,174 secondary vocational students (57.1% female) aged 14–19 completed an online questionnaire. Results show that different participation patterns promote different developmental outcomes; combining sports and citizenship activities enhances character, caring, and social and personal responsibility. Gender and age are significant moderating factors in the relationship between youth participation patterns and developmental outcomes, with girls scoring higher in character, caring and personal responsibility, while boys showed higher levels of competence and confidence. Older students revealed weaker competence and personal responsibility. This study emphasizes the benefits of combining different activities to promote youth development and the role of schools in promoting active, socially responsible youth. The study appeals to adapted interventions and for more research into contextual variables and long-term effects.

Analysis of the Impact and Mechanism of Financial Technology Levels on Green Productivity

This paper selects the data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2013 to 2023, and explores the impact and mechanism of enterprise financial technology level on green productivity based on the perspective of green technology innovation. It was found that improving enterprise financial technology levels significantly promotes enterprise green technology innovation, and this conclusion is still based on the discussion of endogeneity issues and a series of robustness tests. In terms of the mechanism of action, the increase in the level of enterprise financial technology increases the investment in scientific and technological innovation, which in turn effectively promotes the green technological innovation of enterprises. At the same time, the strengthening of market competition in the industry further enhances the green innovation effect. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that both the property rights and the industry have a significant impact on the improvement of the financial technology level to promote enterprise green technology innovation. This paper reveals the key role of financial technology in enterprise innovation strategy. It provides empirical evidence for the promotion of financial technology innovation and the optimization of green productivity development path.

Digital Convergence and Divergence in EU and ASEAN Economies

Abstract This study examines the evolving digital economy in terms of convergence and divergence in European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries over the period from 2010 to 2024, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research uses a range of digital economy indices, including the ICT Development Index, E-Government Development Index, Online Service Index, Telecommunication Infrastructure Index, and Human Capital Index. It aims to identify and compare the patterns of convergence or divergence in digital indicators within and between the EU and ASEAN regions. The study employs beta convergence analysis, sigma convergence analysis, and difference-in-difference analysis to compare digital performance and assess the impact of the pandemic on the digital economy. By contrasting the digital development paths of the EU and ASEAN, the study provides insights into the digital gap and offers policy recommendations to promote more equitable digital development in both regions. The findings indicate that while the EU demonstrates more consistent convergence across digital indices, ASEAN exhibits both convergence and divergence, particularly during the post-pandemic period. The results reveal the urgent need for policy interventions aimed at reducing regional digital gaps, especially by enhancing digital infrastructure and improving human capital. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers in both regions, providing actionable strategies to foster inclusive digital development, enhance resilience in the face of global crises, and bridge the digital divide in an increasingly interconnected world.

Research on the development path of Chengdu as a low-carbon city under the dual constraints of carbon emission and economic growth

As the proportion of carbon emissions from urban areas rises, cities like Chengdu have become critical frontiers for emission reduction in China. Consequently, constructing low-carbon cities has emerged as the primary strategy for mitigating carbon emissions. According to the LMDI additive decomposition analysis, Chengdu’s carbon emissions increased by 4,397,700 tons during the 13th Five-Year Plan, primarily due to economic expansion, which alone accounted for an increase of 8,078,200 tons. Meanwhile, shifts in industrial structure and reductions in energy intensity contributed to declines of 657,700 tons and 3,016,500 tons, respectively, while changes in energy structure resulted in a marginal decrease of 640 tons. The LMDI multiplicative decomposition indicates a 10.3% growth in carbon emissions, with economic size amplifying emissions by 1.197 times, while enhanced energy intensity mitigated growth, reducing emissions to 0.935 times 2016 levels. Adjustments in industrial and energy structures exerted minimal impact on emission reductions. By developing a decomposition model for carbon emission influencing factors across various industries, this study identifies challenges to economic growth within the context of carbon reduction constraints and proposes pathways for low-carbon city development, including industrial restructuring, urban optimization, green building initiatives, and comprehensive transportation systems, thereby offering valuable insights for national low-carbon city initiatives.

Research on the Impact of Green Bond Issuance in New Energy Automobile Industry-- Taking BYD Company as an Example

Green bonds are a cutting-edge financial tool that is becoming more and more significant in encouraging green development and investment in the environment. This paper will analyze the operational and financial impact on the company based on the BYD green bond case. From the view of weighted average return on net assets, long-term debt ratio and other indicators, it is found that green bonds can help the company to improve profits, but also bring more debt pressure. Overall green bonds are a good financing route for BYD, creating a diversified development path, broadening the investor base, and improving the green reputation and the company's financial stability. This paper further suggests optimizing the structure of the new energy green bond market, improving the regulatory system and enhancing investor education in order to promote the healthy development of this market.

Pattern and driver of Rosa roxburghii Tratt suitability and its effect on ecological services in karst desertification control areas

The eco-industry is an effective path to achieve ecological and economic sustainable development. However, the role played by Rosa roxburghii Tratt (R. roxburghii) industry in karst desertification control still needs to be determined. In this study, we predict the suitability probability and driving variables of R. roxburghii's distribution through a Maximum Entropy model, combining climate, population, vegetation, and soil data, and conducted a sample plot survey in a high-suitability area to explore the role of the R. roxburghii industry in ecological services by using adjacent non-R. roxburghii patches as comparisons. The results showed that South China Karst, with its simultaneous rain and heat climate characteristics, was the most suitable area for the industrialization of R. roxburghii in the world. In South China Karst, the area of no, low, medium, and high suitability zones for R. roxburghii was 4.2 × 105, 6.12 × 105, 4.64 × 105, and 4.42 × 105 km2, respectively, and population distribution was the dominant variable controlling its distribution. The net primary productivity, soil conservation, water conservation, mean species abundance, and aboveground biomass of the R. roxburghii monoculture plot in the high-suitability area were significantly lower than those of adjacent non-R. roxburghii lands and forest patches. Furthermore, the monoculture had higher trade-offs between provision, regulation, and support service. This study found that the monoculture of R. roxburghii industry, dominated by human activities, failed to improve ecological services and exacerbated the trade-offs between services. Therefore, future karst desertification control still needs to follow the agroforestry development path.

Transition Effects in Bridge Structures and Their Possible Reduction Using Recycled Materials

This article serves as a review of the current challenges in bridge engineering, specifically addressing the transition effect and the utilization of recycled materials. It aims to identify research gaps and propose innovative approaches, paving the way for future experimental studies. As a review article, the authors critically analyze the existing literature on the transition effects in bridge construction, their causes, and their negative impacts. Integral bridges are discussed as a solution designed to work in conjunction with road or rail embankments to transfer loads, minimizing maintenance and construction costs while increasing durability. Particular attention is given to the potential use of modified plastic composites as an alternative material in integral bridge structures. This concept not only addresses the issue of plastic waste but also promotes the long-term use of recycled materials, a key consideration given recycling limitations. This article highlights the importance of the connection between the embankment and the abutment and provides examples of polymer applications in bridge engineering. By outlining the state of the art, this review identifies future development paths in this niche, but promising, field. Almost 240 literature items were analyzed in detail, and works containing 475 different key words contained in about 3500 individual works were used for scientometric analysis. The results of the analysis clearly indicate the novelty of the presented subject matter.

Craniomaxillofacial trauma increases the risk of temporomandibular joint disorders and days of work disability—a SWEREG-TMD registry-based study

Although craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma is a factor recognized as contributing to the development of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD), large population-based research on CMF trauma and subsequent TMJD is lacking. Additionally, it is unknown how previous CMF trauma affects work disability reimbursements for patients with TMJD (pwTMJD). This Swedish registry-based study included 33,315 pwTMJD matched to 333,122 individuals from the general population. Both a case–control design and a cohort design were used in this study to evaluate the association between CMF trauma and TMJD, and to investigate how CMF trauma impacts the number of days on work disability among pwTMJD. The main study finding was that many types of previous CMF trauma were strongly associated with TMJD, with mandibular fractures having the strongest association (adjusted odds ratio 11.4). Furthermore, the strongest association for an increased number of annual days on work disability was found for pwTMJD with a history of CMF trauma. These results suggest that CMF trauma influences the developmental path of TMJD, even in a population-based sample.

Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Platforms: Development and Outlook

Background: Multi-degree-of-freedom platforms are frequently employed in space docking devices, motion modeling, and robotics. Complex research is being done on multidegree- of-freedom platforms, including work on spatial route creation, control simulation, and forward and backward platform motion solutions. The development of research platforms in their current state is advantageous for advancing multi-degree-of-freedom motion research, which has the potential to advance numerous sectors through new technology. Objective: In this patent study, the benefits and drawbacks of various platforms are explored to analyze the development trend of platforms for academics and engineers through the most recent development of multi-degree-of-freedom platforms. Methods: By using the research methodology, research substance, and inventive structure of the most recent representative patents of the multi-degree-of-freedom platform, the platform's operating principle and characteristics are demonstrated. Results: By contrasting multi-degree-of-freedom platforms in various application domains, the issues with current multi-degree-of-freedom platforms are enumerated, and the platforms' potential future development path and research topics are suggested. Conclusion: The growth of the aviation, medical, and military industries is aided by the development of multi-degree-of-freedom platforms, and the flexible distribution of high-precision parallel platforms has promising future development.

Employee attendance system using face recognition and GPS using local binary pattern histogram

Tracking employee attendance is an integral part of running a company in an organized and economical manner. Conventional approaches such as manual sign-ins and RFID cards or fingerprint scanning have shown important weaknesses, especially with regard to proxy attendance (buddy punching). We chose the LBPH algorithm since it has a higher flexibility against changes of light, which means that we can use it in many situations like indoor or outdoor cases. The system performances for various conditions were also noteworthy, achieving 96.4% recognition accuracy with FAR = 0.05 %, FRR = 1 % in normal lighting conditions and maintaining a 94.1 % near-accurate performance under low-light environmental settings whilst sustaining the performance at 90.6 % in outdoor environments, which resulted in detection time of approximately between 1.3–2.3 seconds respectively. For further peace of mind, the system incorporated GPS tracking to provide location verification with a 90% to 94% accuracy rate—logging attendance only when students were present in a designated area. This integrated system is especially useful in contemporary hybrid workplaces, as it minimizes attendance fraud and enhances operational efficiency. Although the system is capable of functionally robust performance under normal conditions, tests point to possible scalability and performance improvements in extreme lighting conditions and outdoor applications, thus establishing future development paths for environmental adaptation.

How can the natural background and ecological & environment promote the green and sustainable development of Chinese tourist attractions?

In the context of the global carbon peak and carbon neutrality initiatives and post-pandemic, studying the green and sustainable development of tourist attractions is of great significance for the sustainable utilization of tourism resources. This study focuses on tourist attractions in 30 provinces in China from 2001 to 2019, establishes an input–output indicator system for economic efficiency and eco-efficiency, and uses the Super-SBM model in Data Envelopment Analysis to calculate the economic efficiency and eco-efficiency of tourist attractions in China. To analyze the natural background and environmental driving factors that affect eco-efficiency, as well as the interaction between these factors, using a geographic detector model, and propose a green and sustainable development path for tourist attractions. The research results indicate that the eco-efficiency of Chinese tourist attractions was higher than the economic efficiency, and both showed a downward trend. The proportion of altitude and nature reserve area to the area under the jurisdiction, as well as the total investment in environmental pollution control, have a significant impact on eco-efficiency; The interaction between temperature, precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the proportion of nature reserves in the jurisdiction and the total investment in environmental pollution control, is significantly enhanced, indirectly affecting the eco-efficiency of Chinese tourist attractions. Among the natural factors, temperature, precipitation, and NDVI all could interact with altitude to significantly the impacts on the eco-efficiency of Chinese tourist attractions. The research aims to provide a Chinese solution for developing tourist attractions in developing countries similar to China.

Importance of tailored non-clinical safety testing of novel antimalarial drugs: Industry best-practice

Malaria is an acute, debilitating parasitic illness. There were 249 million cases of malaria in 2022, resulting in 608,000 deaths globally, 76% of which were children ≤5 years. The unique nature of this disease (recurrences leading to re-treatments and numerous organ systems affected), specific clinical treatment regimens, poor compliance, and diversity of affected populations (predominantly pediatrics, women of childbearing potential, pregnant and lactating women), often makes standard testing approaches inadequate, and tailor-made safety assessments are more appropriate.We provide best practice recommendations based on company experience for the non-clinical safety assessment of antimalarial drugs, with a focus on small molecules since they represent the majority of drug candidates for this illness. We focus on specific testing considerations for repeat dose toxicity studies, including combination toxicity assessments, since new drug treatment regimens typically foresee short treatment durations to improve compliance (i.e., 1 day) with combinations of compounds to improve efficacy and limit potential resistance. Due to the target population, the timing of reproductive, developmental, and juvenile toxicity studies may be earlier than general testing roadmaps for other small molecule drugs.In conclusion, key recommendations presented should enable a more effective and efficient development path whilst protecting clinical trial participants and patients.

Mentor-Mentee relationship in Medicine: How to develop trust?

A mentor-mentee relationship, also known as a mentoring relationship, is a professional or personal partnership in which a more experienced or knowledgeable individual (the mentor) provides guidance, support, and advice to a less experienced or knowledgeable individual (the mentee). The primary purpose of this relationship is to facilitate the mentee's personal and professional growth. Mentors typically share their expertise, wisdom, and experiences to help mentees navigate their career or personal development paths. In this qualitative exploratory study 10 mentees were interviewed and analysis was done based on their answers to find out the strengthening factors of a mentor-mentee relationship particularly focusing on the qualities and traits required to build trust. The results of this research indicate that trust among mentors and mentees could be developed by respect, confidentiality, empathy, humbleness, hard work and good communication from both sides.