Purpose: Today’s challenges underscore the importance of energy across all segments of life. This scientific paper investigates the multifaceted relationship between energy efficiency, energy import reliance, population heating access, renewable energy integration, electricity production capacities, internet utilization, structural EU funds, and education/training within the framework of economic development. Methodology: Using data from selected European countries and employing self-organizing neural networks (SOM) and linear regression, this research explores how these interconnected factors influence the journey toward a sustainable and prosperous economic future. Results: The analysis revealed a strong connection between energy efficiency and numerous socioeconomic factors of modern times, with most of these connections being non-linear in nature. Conclusion: As countries work toward sustainable development goals, prioritizing energy efficiency can contribute to improved quality of life, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

Regions rich in natural resources often exhibit a high dependency on revenue from Revenue Sharing Funds (DBH). This dependency can pose long-term challenges, especially when commodity prices experience significant fluctuations. This study examines the role of Revenue Sharing Funds from Natural Resources (DBH SDA) on economic growth in 491 regencies/cities in Indonesia during the 2010–2012 period. The analysis employs panel data regression. The selection of this period was based on the occurrence of a resource boom characterized by a surge in global demand for natural resource commodities, accompanied by an increase in commodity prices. This condition positively impacted the revenues of both the nation and resource-rich regions. The results of the study show that economic growth is not influenced by DBH SDA but rather by General Allocation Funds (DAU). This indicates that the central government still plays a significant role in determining economic growth at the regency/city level in Indonesia. Regions need to prioritize economic diversification to reduce reliance on DBH SDA and DAU. Investment in productive sectors, such as infrastructure, education, and technology, can be a strategic approach to accelerating regional economic growth.

How are telecommunications infrastructure, institutions and poverty related in a war-torn economy such as Afghanistan? Afghanistan has been plagued by poor governance, low usage of telecommunications, and extreme poverty levels which can be termed triple-challenges. High levels of political instability affected telecommunications investment and adversely affected the adoption and diffusion of modern technology. This study examines the asymmetric effect of telecommunications and governance (institutions) on poverty reduction over the period 1989–2019 using a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model. In the short run, we establish that information and communication technology, private domestic credit, governance, and educational access for males and females are essential tools that can be used for poverty reduction. In the long run, we also establish that Afghanistan can reduce poverty levels through the use of information and communication technology, governance, and educational access for both males and females. The following policy recommendations were suggested: research and development, robust policy formulation on governance and ICT, development of the ICT sector, and improved governance. These are critical in reducing the high poverty levels as well as solving the institutional challenges faced by Afghanistan.

In Nigeria, deforestation has led to an unimaginable loss of genetic variation within tree populations. Regrettably, little is known about the genetic variation of many important indigenous timber species in Nigeria. More so, the specific tools to evaluate the genetic diversity of these timber species are scarce. Therefore, this study developed species-specific markers for Pterygota macrocarpa using state-of-the-art equipment. Leaf samples were collected from Akure Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria. DNA isolation, quantification, PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, post-PCR purification, and sequencing were done following a standardized protocol. The melting temperatures (TM) of the DNA fragments range from 57.5 ℃to 60.1 ℃ for primers developed from the MatK gene and 58.7 ℃ to 60.5 ℃ for primers developed from the RuBisCo gene. The characteristics of the ten primers developed are within the range appropriate for genetic diversity assessment. These species-specific primers are therefore recommended for population evaluation of Pterygota macrocarpa in Nigeria.

Tourism stands as a cornerstone industry, experiencing continual expansion within the global economy, and is increasingly acknowledged for its crucial role as an economic catalyst. The convergence of the tourism sector with the film culture industry amplifies the economic advantages of regions and enriches cultural narratives while bolstering the international resonance of regional brands. This study examines the promotional efficacy of adapted films in fostering the development of local tourism sectors. It investigates the impact of adapted films on the development of local tourism economy and provides a new analytical perspective to describe their specific contribution to the tourism economy. Empirical findings underscore that adapted films imbued with regional nuances substantially augment local tourism revenue, catalyzing the growth of the tourism sector. This highlights the capacity of adapted films to amplify regional exposure, nurturing the expansion of the local tourism economy. The findings of the study reveal that the promotional impact of adapted films on local tourism sectors is more pronounced in less developed regions than in more developed regions. Moreover, areas with limited transportation infrastructure witness a heightened promotional effect from the film industry. Rigorous robustness and endogeneity tests corroborate the reliability of these findings.

In the domains of geological study, natural resource exploitation, geological hazards, sustainable development, and environmental management, lithological mapping holds significant importance. Conventional approaches to lithological mapping sometimes entail considerable effort and difficulties, especially in geographically isolated or inaccessible regions. Incorporating geological surveys and satellite data is a powerful approach that can be effectively employed for lithological mapping. During this process, contemporary RS-enhancing methodologies demonstrate a remarkable proficiency in identifying complex patterns and attributes within the data, hence facilitating the classification of diverse lithological entities. The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the lithological units present in the western section of the Sohag region. This objective will be achieved by integrating Landsat ETM⁺ satellite imagery and field observations. To achieve our objectives, we employed many methodologies, including the true and false color composition (FCC&TCC), the minimal noise fraction (MNF), principal component analysis (PCA), decoration stretch (DS), and independent component analysis (ICA). Our findings from the field investigation and the data presented offer compelling evidence that the distinct lithological units can be effectively distinguished. A recently introduced geology map has been incorporated within the research area. The sequence of formations depicted in this map is as follows: Thebes, Drunka, Katkut, Abu Retag, Issawia, Armant, Qena, Abbassia, and Dandara. Implementing this integrated technique enhances our comprehension of geological units and their impacts on urban development in the area. Based on the new geologic map of the study area, geologists can improve urban development in the regions by detecting building materials “aggregates”. This underscores the significance and potential of our research in the context of urban development.