Three-dimensionally cross-linked polymer nanocomposite networks coated nano sand light-weight proppants (LWPs) were successfully prepared via ball-milling the macro sand and subsequently modifying the resultant nano sand with sequential polymer nanocomposite coating. The modified nano sand proppants had good sphericity and roundness. Thermal analyses showed that the samples can withstand up to 411 ℃. Moreover, the proppant samples’ specific gravity (S.G.) was 1.02–1.10 g/cm³ with excellent water dispersibility. Therefore, cross-linked polymer nanocomposite networks coated nano sand particles can act as potential candidates as water-carrying proppants for hydraulic fracturing operations.

Infrastructure development is critical to delivering growth, reducing poverty and addressing broader development goals, as argued in the World Bank Report Transformation through Infrastructure (2012). This paper surveys the literature of the linkages between infrastructure investment and economic growth, discusses the role of infrastructure in the participation of global value chains and in supporting economic upgrades, highlights the challenges faced the least developed countries and provides policy recommendations. It suggests that addressing the bottlenecks in infrastructure is a necessary condition to provide a window of opportunity for an economy to develop following its comparative advantage. With the right conditions, good infrastructure can support an economy, particularly a less developed economy, to reap the benefit through the participation in the global value chains to upgrade the economic structure.

Sweet cherry is a type of fruit that is high on demand in exports for table consumption. Turkey is a gene centre for sweet cherry fruit. Fruits are produced over an extended period because of the ecological richness and large cultivation area, which allows Turkey to remain as the leader of sweet cherry production in the world. The variety, ‘0900 Ziraat’, also known as the Turkish sweet cherry fruit, has the highest production volume. Mazzard and Mahaleb are the commonly used rootstocks for sweet cherry cultivation; and Mazzard is used more frequently than Mahaleb. Clonal rootstocks are used to maintain cultivation in new orchards. The present study provides a detailed information on the current status of sweet cherry fruit cultivation in Turkey as well as its cultivation practices and exports. It is targeted that modern irrigation techniques, good agricultural practices, and increased cultivation areas are established to maintain Turkey’s position as the leader in global sweet cherry production and exports. 

Ignorance of laws and policies creates barriers to the social inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs), hindering their full participation in communal life and opportunities. The current study aims to analyze the social inclusion of PWDs in the context of ignorance of laws and policies and how it influences their overall social inclusion. To achieve the study objectives, data were collected from a sample of 488 PWDs, comprising 284 males and 204 females, in the selected six Union Councils (sub-administrative units) of District Malakand, Pakistan. Respondents were chosen through multistage stratified random sampling. In the univariate and multivariate level analyses, the chi-square test and Kendall’s Tau-b test statistics were used to test the relationship between ignorance of laws and policies and the social inclusion of PWDs. Gender and level of disability were used as control variables at the multivariate level. The results of Kendal Tb and chi-square significance values depicted a spurious relation among ignorance of laws and policies and social inclusion of PWDs while controlling respondent’s gender. The results highlighted that ignorance of laws and policies reduced social inclusion in male to a higher extent than female. Additionally, the social inclusion of PWDs with moderate disabilities is more significantly hampered by ignorance of laws and polices than those with severe disabilities.

Tropical peat swamp is an essential ecosystem experiencing increased degradation over the past few decades. Therefore, this study used the social-ecological system (SES) perspective to explain the complex relationship between humans and nature in the Sumatran Peatlands Biosphere Reserve. The peat swamp forest has experienced a significant decline, followed by a significant increase in oil palm and forest plantations in areas designated for peat protection. Human systems have evolved to become complex and hierarchical, constituting individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. Studies on SES conducted in the tropical peatlands of Asia have yet to address the co-evolutionary processes occurring in this region, which could illustrate the dynamic relationship between humans and nature. This study highlights the co-evolutionary processes occurring in the tropical peatland biosphere reserve and provides insights into their sustainability trajectory. Moreover, the coevolution process shows that biosphere reserve is shifting toward an unsustainable path. This is indicated by ongoing degradation in three zones and a lack of a comprehensive framework for landscape-scale water management. Implementing landscape-scale water management is essential to sustain the capacity of peatlands social-ecological systems facing disturbances, and it is important to maintain biodiversity. In addition, exploring alternative development pathways can help alter these trajectories toward sustainability.

The banking sector is a pillar of the world’s economic fabric and is today facing a major revolution due to the demands of sustainable development objectives and the evolution of sustainable finance tools. This article analyses the impact of green credit on commercial banks’ performance based on data from 10 commercial banks in China between 2012 and 2022. The study found that in the short term, the implementation of green credit has a positive effect on the income level of commercial banks’ intermediate activities and a moderating effect on their return on total assets and non-performing loan ratio.