This study aims to evaluate the influence of population dependency ratio on the economic growth of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, the three members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The study covers the time from 1960 to 2021. It also analyses in detail how population aging and the youth dependency ratio affects the development of certain sectors, including industry, services and agriculture. This study uses panel data to determine the influence of population dependency ratios on economic growth. To estimate this effect, we use the Pooled Mean Group/Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG/ARDL) technique. Based on the results obtained from the ARDL analysis indicate the presence of a long-term relationship among these variables. These discoveries align with prior empirical research conducted by Lee and Shin, Mamun et al., and Rostiana and Rodesbi. Furthermore, the findings suggest that an increase in the old age population dependency ratio positively influences economic growth within these nations. The long-term relationship findings pertaining to the old and young dependency ratio and economic growth corroborate the conclusions of Bawazir et al., who proposed that the old population dependency ratio exerts a favorable impact, while the young population has an adverse effect on economic growth. Originality: This research focused on the population dependency ratio, a pivotal demographic metric that gauges the proportion of individuals relying on support (including children and the elderly) compared to those of working age. This investigation particularly explores the interconnection between the population dependency ratio and sectoral development, an essential aspect given that various sectors make distinct contributions to economic advancement. Examining how population dynamics affect sectoral development yields valuable insights into the overall economic performance of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Reusable bags have been introduced as an alternative to single-use plastic bags (SUPB). While beneficial, this alternative is economically and environmentally viable only if utilized multiple times. This study aims to identify the determinants influencing the use of reusable bags (RB) over single-use plastic bags (SUPB) within the framework of ecological impact reduction, employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The focus is on understanding how attitudes (AT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) collectively guide consumers towards adopting reusable bags as a pro-environmental choice. The focus is on understanding how attitudes (AT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) collectively guide consumers towards the adoption of reusable bags as a pro-environmental choice. Data were collected through a survey administered to 814 consumers in Lahore, employing both regression analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the impact of AT, SN, and PBC on reusable bag consumption (RBC). The TPB framework underpins the hypothesis that these three psychological factors significantly influence the decision to use RBs. Both regression and SEM analyses demonstrated that AT, SN, and PBC positively affect RBC, with significant estimates indicating the strength of each predictor. Specifically, PBC emerged as the strongest predictor of RBC (PBC2, β = 0.533, p < 0.001), highlighting the paramount importance of control perceptions in influencing bag use. This was followed by AT (β = 0.211, p < 0.001) and SN (β = 0.173, p < 0.001), confirming the hypothesized positive relationships. The congruence of findings from both analytical approaches underlines the robustness of these techniques in validating the TPB within the context of sustainable consumer behaviors. The investigation corroborates the TPB’s applicability in predicting RBC, with a clear hierarchy of influence among the model’s constructs. PBC’s prominence underscores the necessity of enhancing consumers’ control over using RBs to foster sustainable consumption patterns. Practical implications include the development of policies and marketing strategies that target the identified determinants, especially emphasizing the critical role of PBC, to promote broader adoption of RBs and contribute to significant reductions in plastic waste.

The COVID-19 epidemic has given rise to a new situation that requires the qualification and training of teachers to operate in educational crises. Amidst the pandemic, online training has emerged as the predominant approach for delivering teacher training. The COVID-19 pandemic has created potential opportunities and challenges for online training, which may have a long-lasting impact on online training procedures in the post-pandemic era. This study aims to determine the primary potential and constraints of online training as seen by instructors. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) identified online training opportunities and challenges by examining the to-be-applied behavioral intention variables that influence trainees. These variables include individual, system, social, and organizational factors. The study has applied the Phenomenological technique to address the research issues, using the Semi-structured interview tool to get a comprehensive knowledge of the online training phenomena amongst the pandemic. A total of seven participants were selected from a list of general education teachers at the Central Education Office of the Education Department in Bisha Governorate. These people were deliberately selected because of their high frequency of completing training sessions throughout the epidemic. A series of interviews was conducted with these participants. The findings indicated that the primary prospects included both equal opportunities and digital culture within the individual factors, enrollment in training programs and variation in training programs across organizational characteristics, the use of digital material and electronic archiving within the system variables, engaging in the exchange of personal experiences, providing constructive criticism, and fostering favorable communication within the realm of social factors. However, the primary obstacles included deficiencies in digital competencies, compatibility of trainees’ attributes, and dearth of desire as per individual factors, the temporal arrangement of training programs, as well as the lack of prior preparation and preparedness within the realm of organizational factors. Other challenges included the absence of trainer assessment, limited diversity of training exercises, and technological obstacles within the system factors, and ultimately the absence of engagement with the instructor, and lack of engagement with peers are within the social variable.

Assessment of water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) is of great significance for understanding the status of regional water resources, promoting the coordinated development of water resources with environmental, social and economic development, and promoting sustainable development. This study focuses on the Longdong Loess Plateau region and utilized panel data spanning from 2010 to 2020, established a three-dimensional evaluation index system encompassing water resources, economic, and ecological dimensions, uses the entropy-weighted TOPSIS model coupled with global spatial autocorrelation analysis (Global Moran’s I) and the hot spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi* index) method to comprehensively evaluate the spatial distribution of the WRCC in the study region. It can provide scientific basis and theoretical support for decision-making on sustainable development strategies in the Longdong Loess Plateau region and other regions of the world.From 2010 to 2020, the overall WRCC of the Longdong Loess Plateau area show some fluctuations but maintained overall growth. The WRCC in each county and district predominantly fell within level III (normal) and level IV (good). The spatial distribution of the WRCC in each county and district is featured by clustering pattern, with neighboring counties displaying similar values, resulting in a spatial distribution pattern characterized by high carrying capacity in the south and low carrying capacity in the north. Based on these findings, our study puts forth several recommendations for enhancing the WRCC in the Longdong Loess Plateau area.

Research on retailers’ behavioral intention and behavior of using the omnichannel ecommerce solution (OES) used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model and supplemented the other factors such as seamless supply, omnichannel integration. Research concerns about behavioral intention and behavior of using OES as this is a global trend; OES has become one of the top priorities for businesses to thrive in the rapidly changing market and retain customers; increasingly high standards are being set for digital experiences. Therefore, retailers must quickly adapt to new trends for sustainable development to keep up with the transformation and increase the use of OES. The results show that effort expectation, social influence, hedonic motive, retailers’ capacity, seamlessly connecting have a positive impact on retailers’ behavioral intention and behavior of using OES. Behavioral intention and favorable conditions have a positive impact on behavior of using OES. Meantime, omnichannel integration have a negative impact on behavior of using OES in Vietnam. This research helps managers and OES providers to develop their skills and expertise, and the study results may prove diagnostically useful to the retailers’ behavioral intention and behavior of using OES.

In this study, the entropy weight method, the α convergence model, the absolute β convergence model and the conditional β convergence model are used to evaluate the 31 provinces’ innovative potential in China from 2011 to 2022. It is found that the innovative potential in nationwide China and in various regions are all increasing year by year, and the innovative potential in the eastern region is obviously better than that in the central region and western region. No matter considering the influence of external factors or not, the gap of innovative potential among provinces in different regions will gradually expand over time, with the largest gap among provinces in the eastern region, followed by the central region and the smallest in the western region. The conclusion of this study is instructive to enhance the innovative potential of China and promote the balanced development of regional innovative potential in China.