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This paper examines the relationship between financial development, CO2 emissions, trade and economic growth using simultaneous-equation panel data models for a panel of 12 MENA countries over the period 1990-2011. Our results indicate that there is evidence of bidirectional causality between CO2 emissions and economic growth. Economic growth and trade openness are interrelated i.e. bidirectional causality. Feedback hypothesis is validated between trade openness and financial development. Neutrality hypothesis is identified between CO2 emissions and financial development. Unidirectional causality running from financial development to economic growth and from trade openness to CO2 emissions is identified. Our empirical results also verified the existence of environmental Kuznets curve. These empirical insights are of particular interest to policymakers as they help build sound economic policies to sustain economic development and to improve the environmental quality.

Because of a controversial view on the role of smoking in the recovery process of alcoholism, outcome data obtained for alcoholics who had been included in a long-term clinical trial with a putative anticraving drug were analyzed. To avoid unknown interactions between the drug under study and smoking behavior, only placebo-treated patients were evaluated in this investigation. After 12 months of rehabilitation, there was no significant difference regarding abstinence rate between 48 smoking alcoholics (who reported that they smoked 32 cigarettes on average per day) and 15 nonsmoking alcoholics (33% vs. 20%). However, smokers tended to be abstinent longer than nonsmokers (173 vs. 114 days; P= .092). This possible advantage might be related to nicotinic effects on central dopamine systems in smokers, as indicated by higher growth hormone secretion after apomorphine stimulation obtained in smokers, compared with findings for nonsmokers (area under the curve during chronic intoxication: 2253 vs. 1247 microg/min/l; P= .019). Multivariate regression analysis revealed a decreasing effect of ethanol blood level (P= .006) and the number of fullfilled International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10) criteria of the alcohol dependence syndrome (P= .012) on stimulated growth hormone secretion. In contrast, the reported number of smoked cigarettes per day had an increasing effect (P= .034), accounting for 6% of the variance of growth hormone secretion. However, differences in outcome could also be explained by other clinical features as smokers, compared with nonsmokers, were more frequently males (78.3% vs. 60.7%) and younger when studied at index episode (mean age 44.45 vs. 48.21 years; P= .054), reported higher ethanol consumption in the month before hospital admission (262 g vs. 192 g; P= .044), and met more criteria for the ICD-10 alcohol dependence syndrome (6.6 vs. 6.0; P= .047). Therefore, it cannot be stringently inferred from our data that a possible advantage of smoking for alcoholism recovery is causally related to the effects of nicotine on cerebral systems or human behavior, as our findings had not been based on a randomized design.

The energy sector provides fuel for much of everyday life, particularly economically and socially. Fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, a well-functioning and resilient energy sector is vital for maintaining the operation of critical infrastructures, including, most importantly, the health sector, and timely economic recovery. Notwithstanding its importance in everyday life and crises, the energy sector itself is currently in a complex and far-reaching transformation to combat climate change whilst supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy and society, mainly through the development of variable renewable energy sources (RES) such as wind and solar photovoltaics. This paper highlights the need for energy resilience as countries face the triple challenge of the COVID-19 health crisis, the consequent economic crisis, and the climate crisis. Focusing on Europe, it is advanced here that with the ability to balance fluctuating electricity generation and demand, flexibility allows the energy sector to utilise low-carbon RES reliably, ensuring a more resilient and sustainable energy future. This paper derives five urgent policy recommendations for Europe that address possible impacts of COVID-19 on the economic and societal prerequisites for flexibility in energy systems.

Most research on the air pollution-related health effects of decarbonization has focused on adults. We assess the potential health benefits that could be achieved in children and young people in a global sample of 16 cities through global decarbonization actions. We modelled annual average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 1x1 km resolution in the cities using a general circulation/atmospheric chemistry model assuming removal of all global combustion-related emissions from land transport, industries, domestic energy use and power generation. We modelled the impact on childhood asthma incidence and adverse birth outcomes (low birthweight, pre-term births) using published exposure-response relationships. Removal of combustion emissions was estimated to decrease annual average PM2.5 by between 2.9 μg/m3 (8.4%) in Freetown and 45.4 μg/m3 (63.7%) in Dhaka. For NO2, the range was from 0.3 ppb (7.9%) in Freetown to 18.8 ppb (92.3%) in Mexico City. Estimated reductions in asthma incidence ranged from close to zero in Freetown, Tamale and Harare to 149 cases per 100,000 population in Los Angeles. For pre-term birth, modelled impacts ranged from a reduction of 135 per 100,000 births in Dar es Salaam to 2,818 per 100,000 births in Bhubaneswar and, for low birthweight, from 75 per 100,000 births in Dar es Salaam to 2,951 per 100,000 births in Dhaka. The large variations chiefly reflect differences in the magnitudes of air pollution reductions and estimated underlying disease rates. Across the 16 cities, the reduction in childhood asthma incidence represents more than one-fifth of the current burden, and an almost 10% reduction in pre-term and low birthweight births. Decarbonization actions that remove combustion-related emissions contributing to ambient PM2.5 and NO2 would likely lead to substantial but geographically-varied reductions in childhood asthma and adverse birth outcomes, though there are uncertainties in causality and the precision of estimates.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital contributors and significant drivers of any manufacturing sector. The Industry 4.0 (I 4.0) revolution has made the global economy highly competitive and automated, requiring Indian SMEs to adapt more quickly. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the barriers to implementing I 4.0, simplifying the complex interrelationship among such barriers with the help of a suitable model, categorizing them as independent and dependent ones, and, ultimately, leveling the same drivers, autonomous linkages, and dependent forces. The present investigation thoroughly examined the existing literature and summarized the list of barriers into fifteen significant barriers to the smooth establishment of Industry 4.0 in India. The identified barriers were analyzed with the help of Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) Diagraph and Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis. This study was able to explore the interrelationship among these barriers. The study has found found a lack of support from stakeholders, and insufficient managerial support emerged as a major factor neglected by Indian SMEs. However, uncertainty in the predicted demand for products, the lack of an alternate solution to the technological breakdown, and doubt about the sustainability of Industry 4.0 (relating to its potential to lead to unemployment in society, etc.) are significant contingent barriers. These barriers can impact the other strategic choices related to the successful implementation of Industry 4.0. This study’s observations can help decision-makers make strategic decisions to manage the barriers affecting Industry 4.0 in Indian SMEs. This research revealed a scope that can be extended to other South Asian and developing nations. The results of the present work can be further studied with structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple regression analysis (MRA).

Previously it was demonstrated that digitalis-like cardiotonic steroid, marinobufagenin (MBG), is implicated in the development of ethanol addiction in rats. We hypothesized that (i) levels of sodium pump ligand, MBG, would be negatively correlated with the amount of ethanol consumed by rats, and (ii) that spironolactone would oppose the MBG induced ethanol-seeking behavior and blood pressure in rats.Voluntary consumption of 9% alcohol (vs. water) during 10 days period by 11 adult male Wistar rats was studied. Eight weeks after the beginning of the experiment, the animals were divided into two treatment subgroups: high alcohol drinkers (HAD, n=6, daily consumption of ethanol > 4 g/kg) and low alcohol drinkers (LAD, n=5, daily consumption of ethanol < 4 g/kg) rats. Spironolactone treatment (7 days) was started following 3-day habituation to intragastric vehicle administration. Consumption of ethanol and blood pressure were recorded daily.Urinary MBG excretion at baseline was 11.2±0.6 pmoles in HAD rats and 19.1±2.9 pmoles (p<0.05) in LAD rats, respectively. Seven days of spironolactone treatment was associated with reduction in ethanol intake (2.9 g/kg/24 hr), reduction in systolic blood pressure (5 mm Hg), and increase in sodium excretion (1 mmol/24 hr).Levels of MBG may be a predisposing factor to voluntary ethanol intake. Spironolactone, along with antihypertensive effect, decreases ethanol intake.

Abstract In this work, for the first time, we model the variation of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) across the depth of anode electrode of lithium ion battery. It is anticipated that due to higher thickness of SEI layer at the electrode side connected to the separator, a more critical condition prevails there. The present work also investigates the effects of variations in the morphological parameters including porosity, interfacial surface area and active particle radius across anode electrode on the uniformity of side reaction. Moreover, the sensitivity of the side reaction uniformity to electrolyte parameters, such as diffusion and ionic conductivity, is studied. Results show that the ionic conductivity has a major role on the uniformity, and could reduce critical conditions in the part of electrode next to the separator. Moreover, simulation results show that increasing ionic conductivity could significantly prolong the lifetime of the battery. An increase in electrolyte diffusion improves side reaction uniformity. Results also show that positive gradients of morphological parameters across anode electrode, when parameters are changed independently, have considerable effects on uniformity of side reaction. This could be a criterion in choosing new morphologies for the part of anode electrode connected to separator.