In this paper, we examine the Moderating Role of Governance on the Relationships between social inclusion (SI), Information and communication technology infrastructure (ICT), and financial inclusion (FI) in 46 countries representing a global sample span from 2010 to 2020. We collect the data from the IMF\'s financial access survey and construct a multidimensional FI index. Based on the FI index, we divide the sample into two sub-samples (med-high level and low-level FI countries). For the empirics, we employed panel-corrected standard errors, fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares techniques. We find that SI is negatively related to FI. ICT infrastructure positively influences FI. Further, we find that governance with sound ICT infrastructure and socially inclusive communities enhances FI. The findings of sub-samples are similar to the full sample results except for a promoting effect of SI and governance in the case of med-high financially inclusive economies. Moreover, the Interaction term of governance and ICT infrastructure is insignificant in med-high financially inclusive economies and negatively significant in low financially inclusive economies. Our study reports novel findings which have significant implications for policymakers and financial institutions to effectively develop and implement new policies which strengthen the institutional base, develop digital banking infrastructure, enhance SI to boost up FI and ensure sustainable economic growth.

This study examines the relationship between political factors, entrepreneurship, and female employment vulnerability in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) and World Governance Indicators (WGI) of the World Bank for the period 2001 - 2022, the study employs the Generalised Method of Moments to control for endogeneity. The results show that there exists an elastic relationship between voice and accountability and female vulnerability to employment in these sub-regions. It implies that a percentage increase in voice and accountability will result in a 11.9%, 3.07%, 1.08% decrease in female vulnerability to employment in Central, East, West and Southern Africa, respectively. These findings suggest that improving political institutions and reducing corruption could help to promote female entrepreneurship and reduce vulnerability in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Cette étude examine la relation entre les facteurs politiques, l\'entrepreneuriat et la vulnérabilité de l\'emploi des femmes en Afrique subsaharienne. Utilisant les données des Indicateurs de développement dans le monde (WDI) et des Indicateurs de gouvernance mondiale (WGI) de la Banque mondiale pour la période 2001-2022, l\'étude utilise la méthode généralisée des moments pour contrôler l\'endogénéité. Les résultats montrent qu\'il existe une relation élastique entre la voix et la responsabilité et la vulnérabilité des femmes à l\'emploi dans ces sous-régions. Cela implique qu’une augmentation en pourcentage de la voix et de la responsabilité entraînera une diminution de 11,9 %, 3,07 % et 1,08 % de la vulnérabilité des femmes à l’emploi en Afrique centrale, orientale, occidentale et australe, respectivement. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’amélioration des institutions politiques et la réduction de la corruption pourraient contribuer à promouvoir l’entrepreneuriat féminin et à réduire la vulnérabilité en Afrique subsaharienne.

Coastal states are currently transitioning their traditional socio-economic activities into a single platform to address the emerging issues of the coast and marine environment. For countries like Pakistan, managing multiple coastal and marine activities is a significant challenge. The lack of proper management policies and an inefficient decision-making process put various types of pressure on the ecological functions of Pakistan\'s coastal and marine areas. The Government of Pakistan has not yet prioritized coastal and marine affairs in its policy agenda, resulting in a halt to the process of sustainable development. Moreover, a lack of financial allocation for large-scale coastal and marine projects, a shortage of trained human resources, insufficient coordination among organizations, and unstable political decisions and governance impede the sustainable delivery of the projects. This paper discusses Pakistan\'s coastal and marine policy targets and highlights various issues through PESTLE analysis, which encompasses political (P), economic (E), social (S), technological (T), legal (L), and environmental (E) factors that limit the advancement of sustainable coastal and marine development. This paper aims to determine the advantages of adopting marine spatial planning (MSP) in Pakistan and how its implementation can bring social, ecological, and economic prosperity. The study provides a baseline for the country\'s coastal and marine policymakers regarding the advancement of a blue economy through MSP.

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of household socio-economic factors on maternal mortality and under-five survival in Nigeria. Consequently, data from 2005 to 2021 were collected from the World Development Indicators, and fully modified least squares and canonical cointegrating regression were utilised to implement the study. The results showed that for every 100,000 live births, at least 1097 mothers die in Nigeria. GDP per capita showed a positive but insignificant impact on maternal mortality, while adjusted net national income had a significant negative relationship with maternal mortality. Broad money supply reduced under-five survival in Nigeria, while social inclusion causes a reduction in under-5 mortality with 32 deaths per 1,000 live births in Nigeria. Hence, to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria, policy and programmes that will be socially inclusive for women and children should be implemented in the country.
L\'objectif de cette étude était d\'examiner l\'influence des facteurs socio-économiques des ménages sur la mortalité maternelle et la survie des moins de cinq ans au Nigeria. Par conséquent, les données de 2005 à 2021 ont été collectées à partir des indicateurs de développement dans le monde, et les moindres carrés entièrement modifiés et la régression canonique de cointégration ont été utilisés pour mettre en oeuvre l\'étude. Les résultats ont montré que pour 100 000 naissances vivantes, au moins 1 097 mères meurent au Nigeria. Le PIB par habitant a montré un impact positif mais insignifiant sur la mortalité maternelle, tandis que le revenu national net ajusté avait une relation négative significative avec la mortalité maternelle. Une masse monétaire importante a réduit la survie des moins de cinq ans au Nigeria, tandis que l\'inclusion sociale entraîne une réduction de la mortalité des moins de cinq ans avec 32 décès pour 1 000 naissances vivantes au Nigeria. Par conséquent, pour réduire le taux élevé de mortalité maternelle au Nigeria, des politiques et des programmes socialement inclusifs pour les femmes et les enfants doivent être mis en oeuvre dans le pays.

A clear understanding of the neural circuit underlying emotion regulation (ER) is important for both basic and translational research. However, a lack of evidence based on combined neuroimaging and neuromodulation techniques calls into question (1) whether the change of prefrontal-subcortical activity intrinsically and causally contributes to the ER effect; and (2) whether the prefrontal control system directly modulates the subcortical affective system. Accordingly, we combined fMRI recordings with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to map the causal connections between the PFC and subcortical affective structures (amygdala and insula). A total of 117 human adult participants (57 males and 60 females) were included in the study. The results revealed that TMS-induced ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) facilitation led to enhanced activity in the VLPFC and ventromedial PFC (VMPFC) as well as attenuated activity in the amygdala and insula during reappraisal but not during nonreappraisal (i.e., baseline). Moreover, the activated VLPFC intensified the prefrontal-subcortical couplings via the VMPFC during reappraisal only. This study provides combined TMS-fMRI evidence that downregulating negative emotion involves the prefrontal control system suppressing the subcortical affective system, with the VMPFC serving as a crucial hub within the VLPFC-subcortical network, suggesting an indirect pathway model of the ER circuit. Our findings outline potential protocols for improving ER ability by intensifying the VLPFC-VMPFC coupling in patients with mood and anxiety disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Using fMRI to examine the TMS effect, we uncovered that the opposite neural changes in prefrontal (enhanced) and subcortical (attenuated) regions are not a byproduct of emotion regulation (ER); instead, this prefrontal-subcortical activity per se causally contributes to the ER effect. Furthermore, using TMS to amplify the neural changes within the ER circuit, the \"bridge\" role of the VMPFC is highlighted under the reappraisal versus nonreappraisal contrast. This \"perturb-and-measure\" approach overcomes the correlational nature of fMRI data, helping us to identify brain regions that causally support reappraisal (the VLPFC and VMPFC) and those that are modulated by reappraisal (the amygdala and insula). The uncovered ER circuit is important for understanding the neural systems underlying reappraisal and valuable for translational research.

BACKGROUND: Promoting happiness has become increasingly important in old age for a wide range of reasons. In this study, we aim to examine the association between social inclusion (SI) and happiness among older adults in Ghana and identify the mediating factors.
METHODS: The study included 1201 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 (mean age = 66.4 ± SD 11.9 years; 63.3% female) from the 2016-2018 Ageing, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behaviour Study. We assessed happiness with a self-rated and cross-culturally validated item on a five-point scale. SI was operationalised using the modified Berkman-Syme Social Network Index. The hypothesised associations were evaluated by hierarchical regressions and bootstrapping techniques from Hayes\' PROCESS macro programme.
RESULTS: The prevalence of happiness was 24.3% (all of the time), 43.6% (most of the time), 28.3% (little of the time), and 3.7% (none of the time). After controlling for potential confounders, higher SI was associated with increased levels of happiness (odds ratio (OR) = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-2.51). Aside from family/friends contacts, all other SI domains positively influenced happiness (OR = 1.45-1.81). The link between SI and happiness was mediated by depressive symptoms (65.2%), generalised anxiety (30.1%), and sleep problems (9.5%).
CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that psychological factors may largely explain the positive SI-happiness link. Efforts should target these factors to promote happiness in old age. Longitudinal analysis may confirm our findings.

Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is a serious public health problem in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therapeutic programs are often considered the most effective solution to this problem. However, multiple social and structural factors challenge the social inclusion, sustainability, and effectiveness of such programs. In this article, we aim to explore how poor and remote households face structural inequities and social exclusion in accessing nutrition-specific programs in Pakistan. The study specifically highlights significant reasons for the low coverage of the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) program in one of the most marginalized districts of south Punjab. Qualitative data are collected using in-depth interviews and FGDs with mothers and health and nutrition officials. The study reveals that mothers\' access to the program is restricted by multiple structural, logistical, social, and behavioral causes. At the district level, certain populations are served, while illiterate, and poor mothers with lower cultural capital from rural and remote areas are neglected. The lack of funding for nutrition causes the deprioritization of nutrition by the health bureaucracy. The subsequent work burden on Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and the lack of proper training of field staff impact the screening of SAM cases. Moreover, medical corruption in the distribution of therapeutic food, long distances, traveling or staying difficulties, the lack of social capital, and the stigmatization of mothers are other prominent difficulties. The study concludes that nutrition governance in Pakistan must address these critical challenges so that optimal therapeutic coverage can be achieved.

Previous studies have shown that individuals with a history of childhood emotional neglect show impaired empathy. However, accurately identifying emotions in others is an essential aspect of empathic functioning. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of childhood emotional neglect on empathic accuracy. A total of 92 participants were recruited from a local university. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to the social exclusion context (SE), and the other 46 were assigned to the social inclusion context (SI). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was used to measure childhood emotional neglect. Participants observed real interpersonal communications in which their in-group members were either socially included or excluded and evaluated the extent of the emotion they felt for their in-group members. Results found participants empathized with a high level of positive emotion in the SI context (t = 8.13, p < .001) and negative emotion in the SE context (t = 10.76, p < .001) in general. Moreover, childhood emotional neglect decreased the empathic accuracy in both contexts (SI context: β = -0.42, SE = 0.04, p = .004; SE context: β = -0.38, SE = 0.04, p = .009). These results contribute to the current understanding of social functioning of childhood emotional neglect in specific contexts.

As research regarding the targets and initiators of workplace gossip is gaining traction, one perspective that remains overlooked is the gossip receiver. Organizational newcomers are a particularly relevant population to study the impact of receiving negative gossip on because they use social information to navigate an unfamiliar organizational terrain. We propose a parallel moderated mediation model in which receiving negative gossip has contradicting effects on newcomer job anxiety through perceived social inclusion and negative rumination, and agreeableness as a boundary condition of the effects of receiving negative gossip. We collected data from 202 newcomers using a four-wave time-lagged design and found that receiving negative gossip increased newcomer job anxiety via negative rumination but did not decrease job anxiety via perceived social inclusion. Further, agreeableness moderated the effect of receiving negative gossip on negative rumination (but not perceived social inclusion) such that the effect of receiving negative gossip on negative rumination was stronger for less agreeable newcomers. Lastly, the indirect effect of receiving negative gossip on job anxiety via negative rumination was stronger for less agreeable newcomers. Theoretical and practical implications specific to gossip and newcomers are discussed.

People with physical disability are chronically stigmatized. They might internalize ableist attitudes and behaviors that they perceive from others, which can negatively affect social participation and well-being. It is essential to explore potential risk and protective factors associated with stigma perceptions.
The present study proposed and tested the positive associations of perceived environmental inaccessibility and self-coldness with perceived stigma, and the negative associations of self-warmth with perceived stigma, respectively, among people with physical disability in Hong Kong.
A cross-sectional sample of 98 adults with physical disability (42.3% female, mean age = 36.4 years) from 10 nongovernmental organizations in Hong Kong participated in the study. They filled in a self-report questionnaire on perceived stigma, perceived environmental inaccessibility, self-compassion, basic activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and demographics.
Hierarchical multiple regression showed that ADL and IADL alone (Model 1) did not significantly predict perceived stigma. The full model of ADL, IADL, perceived environmental inaccessibility, self-warmth, and self-coldness to predict perceived stigma (Model 2) was significant and explained 53.9% variance in perceived stigma. Perceived environmental inaccessibility and self-coldness were significantly and positively associated with perceived stigma, respectively. Self-warmth was significantly and negatively associated with perceived stigma.
The findings supported the important associations of both external contexts (i.e., as environmental inaccessibility) and internal resources (i.e., as self-compassion) with perceived stigma among people with physical disability. The findings inform future research and three-pronged design approaches to stigma reduction programs for people with physical disability.