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Examining the Influence of Sustainable Development Indicators on Economic Development: A Machine Learning Approach with Evidence from Africa
Get PDFYesPurpose
Government interventions for economic growth often fail to enhance citizen well-being, highlighting the need for research on effective strategies. Integrating sustainability into economic planning holds potential, yet there is a dearth of research on the interplay between sustainable development indicators (SDIs) and economic development (ED). This study addresses this gap by examining the influence of SDIs on ED through machine learning (ML), specifically the random forest (RF) algorithm, analyzing 408 SDIs across six African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was adopted, drawing data from two prominent databases: the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Goals database and the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) all-composite indices time series dataset. The random forest algorithm was employed to investigate the relationship between SDIs and ED.
Findings
This study found no negative relationship between the identified SDIs and Human Development Index metrics. The findings reveal that indicators such as gross national income, CO2 emissions, and mortality rates significantly impact ED, while others (e.g. forest area and school enrolment) vary by country. The findings suggest that tailored policies leveraging country-specific resources and capabilities can drive sustainable economic growth and enhance performance management for optimized development outcomes.
Originality/value
Unlike prior studies on ED, this study shifts the focus from traditional economic variables to non-economic indicators such as health (e.g. under-5 mortality rates), environment (e.g. CO2 emissions) and society (e.g. urban population). The research expands ED metrics, provides country-specific insights and proposes an integrated performance management approach incorporating underexplored variables in the literature
Assessing smartwatches for design for repair: insights from a professional repairer Author links open overlay panel
Get PDFYesMost existing repairability assessments rely on predefined criteria and scoring systems that evaluate factors such
as documentation, tool accessibility, spare parts availability, and ease of disassembly. While these methods
enable systematic benchmarking across products, they are conducted under controlled or idealized conditions by
manufacturers, engineers, or regulators and do not capture the real challenges professional repairers face.
This study addresses this gap by applying a product ethnography approach, directly observing a professional
repairer working on the top five smartwatches in the UK market–Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, and Hua wei–with a specific focus on harvesting and replacing batteries, screens, and straps, as these are the top three
high-wear parts. The repair process was analyzed through task analysis, timing, and interviews with the pro fessional repairer.
This approach enables the identification of nuanced, real-world challenges that scoring-based methods often
overlook, providing a deeper understanding of how product design affects practical repairability beyond what
theoretical metrics can reveal.
The analysis revealed recurring design barriers, including strong adhesives, fused assemblies, a high number of
internal supports, shields, and tapes, and shell designs that require unnecessary screen removal to access bat teries. Further challenges arose from nested and dependent design, misleading layouts, minimal alignment or
orientation cues, and clusters of small, similar-looking parts that complicate sequencing and reassembly.
Based on these insights, a set of practical design guidelines grounded in real-world repair is proposed to help
manufacturers enhance the repairability of future smartwatches and wearables.University of Bradford, School of Management
Development, optimization, and characterization of submicron propolis formulations using microfluidization and design of experiments approach
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Stable isotope evidence for the participation of commoners in Inka khipu production
No full textYesThis study presents previously unknown evidence about the social status of Inka-era khipu experts. A lack of physical evidence hinders our understanding of the specialists who made Inka khipus (knotted cords that served as writing). On the basis of primarily Spanish-language colonial chronicles, it is thought that khipus were created exclusively by male bureaucratic elites. We analyzed Inka khipu, KH0631, whose primary cord is composed of human hair. Historically, human hair on a khipu served as a “signature” to indicate the khipu’s creator. Recent advances in elemental analysis–isotope ratio mass spectrometry allowed us to undertake simultaneous carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur measurements from a single KH0631 hair sample, revealing that this individual consumed a diet characteristic of low-ranking commoners. This finding suggests that commoners participated in Inka khipu production.This work was funded by the British Academy Senior Research Grant, SRF23230249 (S.H.), and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, “Hidden Texts of the Andes” (S.H.)
I’m a nuclear warfare expert – is this really the end of Iran’s quest for a nuclear bomb?
No full textNoI have researched nuclear weapons technology for a decade, and my understanding is that this may not be the end of things. So, what would the timescale for proliferation look like, if Iran has managed to retain weapons-grade uranium
Data Leaks Through Public Digital Document Libraries: A Growing Concern in Relation to Personal Data Protection and Cyber Security Regulations
No full textNoData leaks through digital document libraries have escalated into a critical issue locally and globally. While at one end the online libraries provide remarkable opportunities for sharing and gaining access to digital documents in a wide array of niches, at the other end it poses risk of infringement of sensitive personal information and raises significant concerns about data protection and cyber security. This paper explores the implications of these data breaches in the context of personal data protection regulations at selected jurisdictions and emphasises the urgent need for enhanced cyber security measures. This research engaged in case study of a public digital document library, Scribd, by examining specific cases using keyword-based search methodology where personal identification numbers, passport, birth certificate and telephone numbers have been compromised, and engaging in Boolean-operators to refine the search results and filtering the report for quality searches. This paper highlights the technical and legal analysis of data leaks involving public digital document libraries through the lens of personal data protection and cyber security regulations in selected jurisdictions. The study found an alarming and growing concern about personal data violations through these libraries which could potentially lead to cyber security threats. The study also highlights some regulatory challenges in terms of enforcement of the personal data protection and cyber security requirements of using the digital libraries. The study concludes by suggesting firmer implementation of the terms of use of the services on the part of the library provider, as well as enhanced security control requirements on part of the provider as well as the users
Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Espionage: Delineating Emergent Warfare and International Security
No full textNoThe exponential permeation of emerging technologies has become a source of international debate on defining cyber activities linked to the evolving strategies of warfare. Cyber espionage is a growing national security issue. The developing cyber-related aspects of espionage have meant that threats are becoming limitless while targeting various actors. There are further issues related to the categorization of non-state actors in the discourse, and how international legal frameworks on the topic may develop in relation to international security. While the imminent threat of cyber espionage certainly impacts the political interactions between nation-states and may increasingly change the nature of modern warfare, non-state actors and identifiable vulnerabilities are also implicated. The chapter aims to foster the enhancement of policy and capacity to address cyber espionage in the promotion of international security. It examines the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in the expansion of cyber espionage, the emergent international and national approaches to delineating the discourse, and the normative implications for international cyber security strategies in the development of regulatory frameworks
Expansion of urban sharing business models: a business ecosystem view
No full textYesThis conceptual chapter explores the resource requirements and organisational capabilities crucial for expanding sharing economy models in urban contexts. Using a business ecosystem perspective, it highlights the importance of engaging with external actors to enhance value propositions. The chapter identifies three ideal types of urban sharing business ecosystems: (i) born global models, where supply and demand develop globally from the start, (ii) staying local models, which remain in one urban context, and (iii) glocal models, which expand from a local base to other urban areas, requiring engagement with local ecosystem players. Each model requires distinct alignments, linkages, and resources for successful expansion, necessitating the development of specific organisational capabilities. The chapter contributes to the literature on sharing economy ecosystems, addressing interactions between business and urban ecosystems, and offers insights for urban leaders to co-create value for communities based on the identified boundaries of sharing economy upscaling
Analysis of a mouse germ cell tumor model establishes pluripotency-associated miRNAs as conserved serum biomarkers for germ cell cancer detection
No full textYesMalignant testicular germ cells tumors (TGCTs) are the most common solid cancers in young men. Current TGCT diagnostics include conventional serum protein markers, but these lack the sensitivity and specificity to serve as accurate markers across all TGCT subtypes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding regulatory RNAs and informative biomarkers for several diseases. In humans, miRNAs of the miR-371-373 cluster are detectable in the serum of patients with malignant TGCTs and outperform existing serum protein markers for both initial diagnosis and subsequent disease monitoring. We previously developed a genetically engineered mouse model featuring malignant mixed TGCTs consisting of pluripotent embryonal carcinoma (EC) and differentiated teratoma that, like the corresponding human malignancies, originate in utero and are highly chemosensitive. Here, we report that miRNAs in the mouse miR-290-295 cluster, homologs of the human miR-371-373 cluster, were detectable in serum from mice with malignant TGCTs but not from tumor-free control mice or mice with benign teratomas. miR-291-293 were expressed and secreted specifically by pluripotent EC cells, and expression was lost following differentiation induced by the drug thioridazine. Notably, miR-291-293 levels were significantly higher in the serum of pregnant dams carrying tumor-bearing fetuses compared to that of control dams. These findings reveal that expression of the miR-290-295 and miR-371-373 clusters in mice and humans, respectively, is a conserved feature of malignant TGCTs, further validating the mouse model as representative of the human disease. These data also highlight the potential of serum miR-371-373 assays to improve patient outcomes through early TGCT detection, possibly even prenatally