Unleashing sustainability in uncertain times: Can we leverage economic complexity, uncertainty, and remittances to combat environmental degradation?

Rapid economic growth and human activities have seriously damaged the environment and hindered the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, this study aims to explore the impact of economic complexity, uncertainty, and remittance on environmental degradation in 134 countries from 2000 to 2022. In addition, it examines whether uncertainty moderates the relationship between remittance and environmental degradation. Two proxies (ecological footprint and CO2) were used to measure environmental degradation. The analysis was conducted using a cross-sectional dependency test, second-generation unit root test, and panel quantile regression. The results revealed that economic complexity significantly and positively impacted environmental degradation, while uncertainty and remittance significantly and negatively impacted environmental degradation. Furthermore, uncertainty weakened the negative relationship between remittance and environmental degradation. Accordingly, this paper discusses various recommendations and policy implications regarding economic complexity, uncertainty, remittance, and environmental degradation.

Comparison of Cyriax manipulation with traditional physical therapy for the management of cervical discogenic problems. A randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the clinical outcome of Cyriax manipulation and traditional physical therapy for the treatment of cervical discogenic problems in terms of pain, range of motion and disability. METHODS: The randomised controlled trial was conducted at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to June, 2018, and comprised patients having prolapsed intervertebral disc with neck or arm pain who were then randomly allocated into control and experimental groups using the sealed envelope method. The control group received cervical isometrics 10 repetitions ×1 set, 4 days/week and targeted muscle strechings 10 repetition × 1 set/day for 4 days/week. The experimental group received 10 min pre-manipulative massage and Cyriax manipulation protocol. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 40 subjects, there were 20(50%) in each of the two groups. The experimental group showed significance difference in terms of numeric pain rating scale, range of motion and the neck disability index (p<0.05 each). CONCLUSIONS: Cyriax manipulation was found to be significantly better than the traditional treatment of physiotherapy for cervical discogenic pain.