Understanding the macroeconomic determinants of environmental degradation is critical for designing effective and evidence-based sustainability policies in emerging economies. This study provides a comprehensive empirical re-examination of the growth–energy–environment nexus in India over the period 1990–2023 within an extended macroeconomic framework. It integrates key structural drivers—economic growth, energy consumption, industrialization, trade openness, urbanization, and renewable energy—into a unified analytical model to capture the complex interactions between development processes and environmental outcomes. Methodologically, the study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach within an error-correction framework, allowing for the estimation of both long-run equilibrium relationships and short-run dynamic adjustments under mixed orders of integration. The robustness of long-run estimates is further assessed using alternative cointegration techniques, while diagnostic and stability tests ensure the reliability of the empirical specification. The results confirm the presence of a stable long-run cointegrating relationship among the variables. However, the estimated long-run elasticities are heterogeneous and generally weak in statistical strength. Economic growth and energy consumption exhibit positive but modest associations with environmental degradation, indicating the persistence of scale effects and structural dependence on fossil fuel–based energy systems. In contrast, the effects of trade openness and industrialization are not statistically robust, suggesting that structural transformation and globalization have not yet translated into consistent environmental efficiency gains. Renewable energy does not demonstrate a significant long-run mitigating effect, reflecting its limited penetration and integration within the broader energy system. Short-run dynamics reveal asymmetric adjustment patterns. Energy consumption shows a negative and significant short-run effect, implying transitional efficiency gains, whereas industrialization contributes positively to environmental pressure in the short term. Urbanization exhibits divergent temporal effects, with short-run improvements but long-run environmental costs. The significant error-correction term indicates gradual convergence toward equilibrium. Overall, the findings highlight a nuanced and evolving relationship between macroeconomic processes and environmental degradation in India, underscoring the need for structurally aligned and context-specific policy interventions.
Pyrophyllite is a 2:1 layered silicate with interest in ceramics, refractories, and several other important applications. In this work, an investigation into the thermal behaviour of several natural and purified pyrophyllite samples, including a pyrophyllite clay, has been conducted. A previous characterization of these samples has been carried out by AA, XRD, thermal analysis by thermo-dilatometry and DTA-TG, surface area, and SEM-EDX. Thus, relevant chemical, mineralogical, thermal, and textural data of these samples have been obtained. As a second step of this investigation, the thermal behaviour of these pyrophyllite samples has been investigated by XRD and SEM after several thermal treatments at 800, 1100 and 1150 °C during 24 h. The formation of dehydroxylated pyrophyllite as a crystalline phase in the samples was established after 1050 °C by XRD, and its permanency above this temperature, with little changes in morphological features, as revealed by SEM. When thermal treatment was progressive at higher temperatures (1300 °C) the following was evidenced by XRD: (a) the formation and crystallization of mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2), with a progressive destruction of dehydroxylated pyrophyllite, and (b) the formation of cristobalite (SiO2). This later phase was formed by crystallization of the amorphous silica, detected as a hump by XRD, which is segregated in the solid-state reaction of formation of mullite. This treatment produces a new microstructure with elongated and needle-like crystals of mullite according to SEM observations. All these results have been found of interest for the preparation of ceramic materials, mullite-based ceramics, and refractories using these pyrophyllite samples.
This review aimed to synthesize evidence from 2010–2024 on the nutritional status of adult tribal populations in India, with a focus on Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) as assessed by Body Mass Index (BMI). Given the persistent health disparities among India’s Scheduled Tribes (STs), the study sought to examine geographic patterns, sex differentials, and contextual determinants of undernutrition across major tribal regions of the country. A systematic literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, and JSTOR to identify peer-reviewed studies on adult tribal nutrition in India published between 2010 and 2024. National datasets—including the Census of India (2011) and the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–2021)—were used to provide demographic and health context. Eligible studies reported BMI-based nutritional assessments using the WHO (1995) BMI classification (CED defined as BMI < 18.5 kg/m2). Forty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Extracted data were summarized by region, tribe, sex, and CED prevalence. The review reveals pronounced regional and sex-based disparities in CED among tribal adults. Northern and Northeastern tribal groups exhibited highly variable CED levels, ranging from very low in the Apatani (≤2%) to extremely high among Gujjar and Bakerwal women (90.7%). Eastern India showed consistently elevated CED, particularly among the Bhumij, Lodha, Kheria, and Santal tribes, with female CED often exceeding 50%. Central and Western tribes—including the Gonds, Kharwar, Mawasi, and Tadvi—displayed widespread undernutrition driven by food insecurity, poverty, and limited healthcare access. Southern India showed critical CED prevalence among Jenu Kuruba and Koraga adults (>90%), while island populations such as the Shompens exhibited low CED but high anaemia burdens. NFHS-5 corroborated these findings, indicating serious national-level CED prevalence among ST adults (18.4% in men, 25.5% in women). Across regions, coexisting burdens of anaemia, tuberculosis, hemoglobinopathies (e.g., sickle cell disease), leprosy, and vector-borne diseases further compounded poor nutritional status. Adult tribal populations in India experience disproportionately high levels of CED, shaped by intersecting structural and cultural determinants including poverty, geographic isolation, gender inequality, food insecurity, and limited access to health services. The wide regional variability underscores the need for targeted, culturally informed, region-specific nutritional interventions. Strengthening surveillance, improving healthcare accessibility, and promoting community-engaged, bottom-up health strategies are essential for reducing disparities and achieving national commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the mandate to “Leave no one behind”.
Climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events in West Africa, threatening water resources and livelihoods. The Koliba-Corubal transboundary basin (Guinea-Guinea-Bissau), located primarily outside the Sahel region, constitutes a major freshwater resource for the area. This study analyzes the future daily variability of extreme rainfall and temperatures in this basin using CMIP6 projections. Four climate models (GFDL-ESM4, MPI-ESM1-2-HR, UKESM1-0-LL, IPSL-CM6A-LR) under the SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios were used. Six extreme precipitation indices (R99p, Rx3day, Rx5day, SDII, CWD, R20mm) and four extreme temperature indices (TN90p, TNx, TX90p, TXx) were calculated for three time horizons (2021–2050, 2051–2080, 2071–2100) and compared to the reference period 1985–2014. Extreme precipitation decreases considerably in both scenarios (under SSP1-2.6, −45.4% for R99p and −42.0% for Rx3day compared to the reference period 1985–2014), with a marked downward trend at the beginning of the period followed by an increase around 2100 under SSP5-8.5 (R99p: −37.4%; Rx3day: −20.2%). Concurrently, extreme temperatures are increasing significantly, particularly under SSP5-8.5, where TN90p is projected to increase by 169.7% by 2071–2100. Mann-Kendall tests confirm significant trends for most indices under the highest emissions scenario. The spatial distribution shows marked heterogeneity, with higher values in the central mountain areas. These results underscore the urgent need to adapt water resource management strategies and agricultural policies in this transboundary basin in the face of the projected intensification of climate extremes by the end of the century.
We aimed to quantify contemporary changes in physician Medicare reimbursement for surgical and transcatheter valvular procedures. Publicly available 2015–2023 data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were used to identify annual physician reimbursement fees for four procedures: surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), mitral valve repair (MVr), and MitraClip. Physician reimbursement fees were adjusted for inflation into 2023 U.S. dollars. Changes over time were analyzed using linear regression to account for differences in average annual U.S. dollar decline, average annual percent change, and total percent change over the study period. Reimbursement for surgical and transcatheter valve procedures declined by a combined total of 28.5%: 25.8% SAVR, 34.2% TAVR, 25.8% MVr, and 28.3% MitraClip. They corresponded to average annual percent changes of −3.7% (SAVR), −5.1% (TAVR), −3.7% (MVr), and −4.1% (MitraClip)—representing a collective decline in reimbursement fee per patient of $784.96 (SAVR), $624.73 (TAVR), $823.54 (MVr), and $706.12 (MitraClip) over the nine-year study span. Over the last decade, physician reimbursement for surgical and transcatheter valve procedures has significantly decreased, potentially threatening access to quality cardiac care within the heart team approach.
