Mount Semeru,an active volcano in East Java,Indonesia,erupted on December 4,2021,following extreme rainfall that caused an avalanche of hot pyroclastic flows and lava.The tropospheric conditions and dominant particle ...Mount Semeru,an active volcano in East Java,Indonesia,erupted on December 4,2021,following extreme rainfall that caused an avalanche of hot pyroclastic flows and lava.The tropospheric conditions and dominant particle components in the atmosphere can be monitored using Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)technology and remote sensing satellites.GNSS signal propagation delay in Precise Point Positioning(PPP)processing can be used to determine Zenith Tropospheric Delay(ZTD)and Precipitable Water Vapor(PWV)variables so that atmospheric conditions can be generated.In addition,by using remote sensing satellite data,it is possible to obtain rainfall data with high temporal resolution as well as the dominant particle and gas content values during eruptions.During the eruption period,the high value of PWV was dominated by the high intensity of precipitation during the rainy season.High rainfall before the eruption caused activity inside the mountain to increase,which occurred in avalanche type eruption.Apart from that,the atmosphere around Semeru was also dominated by SO_(2)content,which spreaded for tens of kilometers.SO_(2)content began to be detected significantly by remote sensing sensors on December 7,2021.In this study,deformation and atmospheric monitoring were also carried out using low-cost GNSS at the Semeru Monitoring Station on September 9-15,2022.The results of the ZTD and ZWD values show the dominance of the wet component,which is directly proportional to rainfall activity in this period.展开更多
The literary review presented in the following paper aims to analyze the tracking tools used in different countries during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking apps that have been adopted in many countries to...The literary review presented in the following paper aims to analyze the tracking tools used in different countries during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking apps that have been adopted in many countries to collect data in a homogeneous and immediate way have made up for the difficulty of collecting data and standardizing evaluation criteria. However, the regulation on the protection of personal data in the health sector and the adoption of the new General Data Protection Regulation in European countries has placed a strong limitation on their use. This has not been the case in non-European countries, where monitoring methodologies have become widespread. The textual analysis presented is based on co-occurrence and multiple correspondence analysis to show the contact tracing methods adopted in different countries in the pandemic period by relating them to the issue of privacy. It also analyzed the possibility of applying Blockchain technology in applications for tracking contagions from COVID-19 and managing health data to provide a high level of security and transparency, including through anonymization, thus increasing user trust in using the apps.展开更多
Background: The rate of accidental dural puncture is particularly high during the period of training, especially in novices. The structured epidural teaching model (SETM) includes three standardized video lessons, the...Background: The rate of accidental dural puncture is particularly high during the period of training, especially in novices. The structured epidural teaching model (SETM) includes three standardized video lessons, the construction of a 3D epidural module by trainees and practical training by using an epidural simulator with and without the CompuFlo™ Epidural instrument. In this study we report the retrospective analysis of the accidental dural puncture rate of inexperienced trainees during their 6 months clinical practice rotation in obstetrics before and after the introduction of the SETM in our Institution. Method: We evaluated the incidence of accidental dural puncture before the introduction of the SETM methodology and afterwards by analyzing our departmental database from February 2019 to January 2023. All epidural blocks were executed by trainees who had never previously performed an epidural block and were about to begin their obstetrics rotation. Results: We analyzed 7415 epidurals: 3703 were performed before the introduction of the SETM methodology (control group) and 3712 afterwards (study group). The incidence of accidental dural puncture was 0.37% for the control group and 0.13% for the study group (p<.05). The probability of making an accidental dural puncture was 64% (OR: 0.36) lower for trainees who had the training than for those who did not. Conclusions: After the introduction of the structured teaching method, we observed a significant reduction of accidental dural puncture during the training period. We hope that our observation will encourage a constructive discussion among experts about the need to use standardized and validated tools as a valuable aid in teaching epidural anesthesia.展开更多
In the past decade,online Peer-to-Peer(P2P)lending platforms have transformed the lending industry,which has been historically dominated by commercial banks.Information technology breakthroughs such as big data-based ...In the past decade,online Peer-to-Peer(P2P)lending platforms have transformed the lending industry,which has been historically dominated by commercial banks.Information technology breakthroughs such as big data-based financial technologies(Fintech)have been identified as important disruptive driving forces for this paradigm shift.In this paper,we take an information economics perspective to investigate how big data affects the transformation of the lending industry.By identifying how signaling and search costs are reduced by big data analytics for credit risk management of P2P lending,we discuss how information asymmetry is reduced in the big data era.Rooted in the lending business,we propose a theory on the economics of big data and outline a number of research opportunities and challenging issues.展开更多
The extant literature has produced mixed evidence on the relationship between finan-cial development and ecological sustainability.This work addresses this conundrum by investigating financial development’s direct an...The extant literature has produced mixed evidence on the relationship between finan-cial development and ecological sustainability.This work addresses this conundrum by investigating financial development’s direct and indirect consequences on ecologi-cal quality utilizing the environmental Kuznets curve(EKC)methodological approach.Our empirical analysis is based on the novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag simulations approach for South Africa between 1960 and 2020.The results,which used five distinct financial development measures,demonstrate that financial develop-ment boosts ecological integrity and environmental sustainability over the long and short terms.In the instance of South Africa,we additionally confirm the validity of the EKC theory.More importantly,the outcomes of the indirect channels demonstrate that financial development increases energy usage’s role in causing pollution while attenuating the detrimental impacts of economic growth,trade openness,and foreign direct investment on ecological quality.Moreover,the presence of an inadequate financial system is a requirement for the basis of the pollution haven hypothesis(PHH),which we examine using trade openness and foreign direct investment variables.PHH for both of these variables disappears when financial development crosses specified thresholds.Finally,industrial value addition destroys ecological quality while tech-nological innovation enhances it.This research provides some crucial policy recom-mendations and fresh perspectives for South Africa as it develops national initiatives to support ecological sustainability and reach its net zero emissions goal.展开更多
A concept map is a diagram depicting relationships among concepts which is used as a knowledge representation tool in many knowledge domains. In this paper, we build on the modeling framework of Hui et al. (2008) in o...A concept map is a diagram depicting relationships among concepts which is used as a knowledge representation tool in many knowledge domains. In this paper, we build on the modeling framework of Hui et al. (2008) in order to develop a concept map suitable for testing the empirical evidence of theories. We identify a theory by a set of core tenets each asserting that one set of independent variables affects one dependent variable, moreover every variable can have several operational definitions. Data consist of a selected sample of scientific articles from the empirical literature on the theory under investigation. Our “tenet map” features a number of complexities more than the original version. First the links are two-layer: first-layer links connect variables which are related in the test of the theory at issue;second-layer links represent connections which are found statistically significant. Besides, either layer matrix of link-formation probabilities is block-symmetric. In addition to a form of censoring which resembles the Hui et al. pruning step, observed maps are subject to a further censoring related to second-layer links. Still, we perform a full Bayesian analysis instead of adopting the empirical Bayes approach. Lastly, we develop a three-stage model which accounts for dependence either of data or of parameters. The investigation of the empirical support and consensus degree of new economic theories of the firm motivated the proposed methodology. In this paper, the Transaction Cost Economics view is tested by a tenet map analysis. Both the two-stage and the multilevel models identify the same tenets as the most corroborated by empirical evidence though the latter provides a more comprehensive and complex insight of relationships between constructs.展开更多
The paper designs a quantum model of decision-making (QMDM) that utilizes neuroscientific evidence. The new model provides both normative and positive implications to economics. First, it enhances the study of decisio...The paper designs a quantum model of decision-making (QMDM) that utilizes neuroscientific evidence. The new model provides both normative and positive implications to economics. First, it enhances the study of decision-making which is an extension of the expected utility theory (EUT) in mathematical economics. Second, we demonstrate how the quantum model mitigates drawbacks of the expected utility theory of today.展开更多
The availability of better economic possibilities and well-connected transportation networks has attracted people to migrate to peri-urban and rural neighbourhoods,changing the landscape of regions outside the city an...The availability of better economic possibilities and well-connected transportation networks has attracted people to migrate to peri-urban and rural neighbourhoods,changing the landscape of regions outside the city and fostering the growth of physical infrastructure.Using multi-temporal satellite images,the dynamics of Land Use/Land Cover(LULC)changes,the impact of urban growth on LULC changes,and regional environmental implications were investigated in the peri-urban and rural neighbourhoods of Durgapur Municipal Corporation in India.The study used different case studies to highlight the study area’s heterogeneity,as the phenomenon of change is not consistent.Landsat TM and OLI-TIRS satellite images in 1991,2001,2011,and 2021 were used to analyse the changes in LULC types.We used the relative deviation(RD),annual change intensity(ACI),uniform intensity(UI)to show the dynamicity of LULC types(agriculture land;built-up land;fallow land;vegetated land;mining area;and water bodies)during 1991-2021.This study also applied the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory(DEMATEL)to measure environmental sensitivity zones and find out the causes of LULC changes.According to LULC statistics,agriculture land,built-up land,and mining area increased by 51.7,95.46,and 24.79 km^(2),respectively,from 1991 to 2021.The results also suggested that built-up land and mining area had the greatest land surface temperature(LST),whereas water bodies and vegetated land showed the lowest LST.Moreover,this study looked at the relationships among LST,spectral indices(Normalized Differenced Built-up Index(NDBI),Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI),and Normalized Difference Water Index(NDWI)),and environmental sensitivity.The results showed that all of the spectral indices have the strongest association with LST,indicating that built-up land had a far stronger influence on the LST.The spectral indices indicated that the decreasing trends of vegetated land and water bodies were 4.26 and 0.43 km^(2)/a,respectively,during 1991-2021.In summary,this study can help the policy-makers to predict the increasing rate of temperature and the causes for the temperature increase with the rapid expansion of built-up land,thus making effective peri-urban planning decisions.展开更多
Because the U.S.is a major player in the international oil market,it is interesting to study whether aggregate and state-level economic conditions can predict the subse-quent realized volatility of oil price returns.T...Because the U.S.is a major player in the international oil market,it is interesting to study whether aggregate and state-level economic conditions can predict the subse-quent realized volatility of oil price returns.To address this research question,we frame our analysis in terms of variants of the popular heterogeneous autoregressive realized volatility(HAR-RV)model.To estimate the models,we use quantile-regression and quantile machine learning(Lasso)estimators.Our estimation results highlights the dif-ferential effects of economic conditions on the quantiles of the conditional distribution of realized volatility.Using weekly data for the period April 1987 to December 2021,we document evidence of predictability at a biweekly and monthly horizon.展开更多
This study aims to shed light on the effects of financial development and accumula-tion of capital on the productivity of labor in the sub-Sahara African region within the period of 1990–2018.In this work,we used the...This study aims to shed light on the effects of financial development and accumula-tion of capital on the productivity of labor in the sub-Sahara African region within the period of 1990–2018.In this work,we used the(dynamic)common correlated effects estimator-mean group and additional techniques such as cross-section autoregressive distributed lag to calibrate the sample into the African subregion to ensure robustness.The findings reveal that financial progress in the region over time leads to an increase in productivity of labor and also the accumulation of capital.Furthermore,financial markets have a progressive impact on the productivity of labor within sub-Saharan African regions.We extend the very limited literature on the nexus between financial development and labor productivity by incorporating capital accumulation into our model which has not been previously studied.展开更多
The connectivity of information has changed many things but not the way economists model consumers, firms and government. Information is here newly modeled as a fundamental element of microeconomic choices and utility...The connectivity of information has changed many things but not the way economists model consumers, firms and government. Information is here newly modeled as a fundamental element of microeconomic choices and utility, cost and tax functions. The results are more clearly defined metrics for losses due to cyber breaches or productivity gains from cyber investments. The integration of information into standard microeconomics also allows use of econometric and other tools to analyze the empirics of the consumer and the firm. In particular, the results identify ways in which losses in the Gordon and Loeb [1] model can be specified in more detail.展开更多
The persistent environmental problems and the growing difficulty to achieve sustainable development require a re-evaluation of person’ sustainable knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. To go to where we want to go, we ...The persistent environmental problems and the growing difficulty to achieve sustainable development require a re-evaluation of person’ sustainable knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. To go to where we want to go, we must first assess where we are now. The study investigated the level of sustainability consciousness of students in India, and sustainability consciousness was expressed in sustainability knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. Sustainability consciousness was further examined using the three dimensions, such as environment, society, and economy. By drawing the perception map of students and studying the role of the locus of control, the reasons why sustainability knowledge does not appear in sustainability behaviour were analyzed. Quantitative analysis was conducted for a sample of 205 students from higher educational institutions across central India(Madhya Pradesh) from January to March in 2022. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 26 and Smart Partial Least Square(PLS) 3.0. The research revealed that sustainability attitude impacts sustainability behaviour more than sustainability knowledge. The results showed that respondents’ sustainability knowledge is higher than their sustainability attitude and behaviour. Moreover, it was discovered that economic concerns can lead to sustainability behaviour. In order to study respondents’ behaviour regarding sustainability consciousness, the study divided respondents into two groups according to the locus of control: the internal and external locus of control. It was found that most respondents thought whatever happened around them was beyond their control. Further, the locus of control influenced sustainability behaviour in groups with the internal locus of control. The study helps to explain why sustainability knowledge and attitude cannot translate into sustainability behaviour and provides a basis for achieving sustainable development. The conclusions of this study are crucial for governments, educational institutions, and organizations that empower youth to change their behaviour.展开更多
Using transaction-level tick-by-tick data of same-and next-day settlement of the Russian Ruble versus the US Dollar exchange rate(RUB/USD)traded on the Moscow Exchange Market during the period 2005–2013,we analyze th...Using transaction-level tick-by-tick data of same-and next-day settlement of the Russian Ruble versus the US Dollar exchange rate(RUB/USD)traded on the Moscow Exchange Market during the period 2005–2013,we analyze the impact of trading hours extensions on volatility.During the sample period,the Moscow Exchange extended trading hours three times for the same-day settlement and two times for the next-day settlement of the RUB/USD rate.To analyze the effect of the implementations,various measures of historical and realized volatility are calculated for 5-and 15-min intraday intervals spanning a period of three months both prior to and following trading hours extensions.Besides historical volatility measures,we also examine volume and spread.We apply an autoregressive moving average-autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity(ARMA-GARCH)model utilizing realized volatility and a trade classification rule to estimate the probability of informed trading.The extensions of trading hours cause a significant increase in both volatility and volume for further analyzing the reasons behind volatility changes.Volatility changes mostly occur after the opening of the market.The length of the extension has a significant positive effect on realized volatility.The results indicate that informed trading increased substantially after the opening for the rate of same-day settlement,whereas this is not observed for next-day settlement.Although trading hours extensions raise opportunities for more transactions and liquidity in foreign exchange markets,they may also lead to higher volatility in the market.Furthermore,this distortion is more significant at opening and midday.A potential explanation for the increased volatility mostly at the opening is that the trading hours extension attracts informed traders rather than liquidity providers.展开更多
World experience indicates the existence of significant imbalances in the development of countries.The problem of assessing the rational development of the regional and national economy is becoming urgent,since such a...World experience indicates the existence of significant imbalances in the development of countries.The problem of assessing the rational development of the regional and national economy is becoming urgent,since such assessments can prevent development imbalances across countries.The aim of this study is to elaborate a methodology to assess the countries’socio-economic development by integraring 12 modern indices of socio-economic development into the Composite Country Development Index(CCDI).The methodology of this research was based on a set of key indices that described socio-economic development level in four fields(social development,digital development,economic development,and environmental security)and then these indices were integrated into the CCDI.The study further applied factor analysis and R-Studio software to define the gaps of social and economic development in 59 selected countries using the trigonometric function of the angle sine.The correlation analysis confirmed the existence of a close interrelation among the studied countries.This paper noted that due to the emergence of new priorities,it is necessary to revise the assessment methodology of socio-economic development level and expand them to cover the decisive factors.This was confirmed by the results obtained,demonstrating various combinations of the development level in the four fields and their impact on the CCDI.The scientific contribution of this research is to form a methodology(e.g.,the CCDI)for evaluating the socio-economic development level of countries in the world.展开更多
Previous literature showed mixed results about the impact of CEOs’financial literacy(CFL)on small and medium-sized enterprises’(SMEs)innovation.This relationship can be motivated by relevant variables,which are miss...Previous literature showed mixed results about the impact of CEOs’financial literacy(CFL)on small and medium-sized enterprises’(SMEs)innovation.This relationship can be motivated by relevant variables,which are missing in the previous literature and make a difference as mediators.In this sense,based on the theoretical framework related to upper echelon theory and resource-based view,this study focuses on the mediating effect of risk-taking attitude and management control systems(MCS)varia-bles.Empirical data from 310 SMEs gathered using a qualitative research questionnaire are analyzed using structural equation modeling methodology.Specifically,estimations are carried out considering the partial least square method.Findings show that MCS and managers’risk attitudes fully mediate the relationship between financial literacy(FL)and innovation.Between these two mediating variables,the implementation of MCS stands out because it also enables the mediating effect of CEOs’risk-taking in the CFL–technological innovation relationship.As the results do not support the significant direct relationship between FL and risk attitude,they confirm an indirect effect through MCS.Furthermore,based on the study findings,SMEs’directors and owners,business associations,and public authorities can improve SMEs’technological innovation by implementing training programs and policies to foster CFL.They can also acknowledge the interdependency between organizational factors and individual characteristics to enhance SMEs’technological innovation.展开更多
The relationship between environmental degradation and poverty has increasingly become the focus of national strategic decision-making in recent years.However,despite several theoretical explorations on the nexus,a de...The relationship between environmental degradation and poverty has increasingly become the focus of national strategic decision-making in recent years.However,despite several theoretical explorations on the nexus,a dearth of empirical literature on the poverty-environmental degradation nexus,specifically on Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA),still exists.In this study,we investigated the poverty-environmental degradation nexus in SSA.We hypothesized that poverty is both a cause and effect of environmental degradation,and this relationship is explained as a vicious cycle.Unlike previous studies,we employed several alternative indicators of environmental degradation to examine the poverty-environmental degradation nexus in this study.We used data from 41 countries of SSA between 1996 and 2019 and employed the generalized method of moments(GMM)approach.The findings suggest a cyclical relationship between poverty and environmental degradation in SSA,which confirms that an increase in poverty leads to an increase in environmental degradation,especially in deforestation and PM2.5 emissions.Similarly,the increase in environmental degradation positively affects poverty in SSA.We also confirmed that exogenous conditioning factors such as population growth rate,education,industrialization,and income inequality,institutional quality indicators such as governance effectiveness,control of corruption,freedom ad civil liberty,and democracy,and endogenous factors including fossil fuel energy use,fuelwood energy use,household health expenditure,infant mortality rate,and agriculture productivity influence the nexus between poverty and environmental degradation.The findings on the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation in SSA are a testimonial evidence that both poverty and environmental degradation are significant issues in SSA.Hence,poverty alleviation policies in SSA should not lead to PM2.5 emissions and deforestation,which may as well force people into a poverty-environmental degradation trap.Instead,poverty reduction policies should simultaneously achieve environmental conservation.展开更多
Annual rings from 30 year old vines in a California rootstock trial were measured to determine the effects of 15 different rootstocks on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon scions.Viticultural traits measuring vegetativ...Annual rings from 30 year old vines in a California rootstock trial were measured to determine the effects of 15 different rootstocks on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon scions.Viticultural traits measuring vegetative growth,yield,berry quality,and nutrient uptake were collected at the beginning(1995 to 1999)and end(2017 to 2020)of the lifetime of a vineyard initially planted in 1991 and removed in 2021.X-ray Computed Tomography(CT)was used to measure ring widths in 103 vines.Ring width was modeled as a function of ring number using a negative exponential model.Early and late wood ring widths,cambium width,and scion trunk radius were correlated with 27 traits.Modeling of annual ring width shows that scions alter the width of the first rings but that rootstocks alter the decay of later rings,consistently shortening ring width throughout the lifetime of the vine.Ravaz index,juice pH,photosynthetic assimilation and transpiration rates,and instantaneous water use efficiency are correlated with scion trunk radius.Ultimately,our research indicates that rootstocks modulate secondary growth over years,altering physiology and agronomic traits.Rootstocks act in similar but distinct ways from climate to modulate ring width,which borrowing techniques from dendrochronology,can be used to monitor both genetic and environmental effects in woody perennial crop species.展开更多
This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-20...This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-2020.For this purpose,we establish export production function as based on endogenous growth theory in which role of FDI is considered as additional determinant of export.The Pedroni residual-based co-integration test and Error Correction Model(ECM)are applied for the long and short-run relationships.Pedroni residual based approach highlighted that human capitals,domestic capitals,foreign direct investments,exports,and domestic sales are co-integrated in the long run.According to results of ECM,coefficient of FDI appears to have statistical significant impact on exports and has a positive sign in the long run.Whereas,FDI does not contribute to export growth in the short run but it takes time to influence the growth patterns of the sector.On the basis of theoretical notion of endogenous growth theory,long-run coefficient of FDI may be interpreted as evidence in favour of the hypotheses that FDI has an impact on exports via export development.Thus,it can be concluded that“FDI-based endogenous growth theory”is valid in the case of Pakistan.展开更多
This paper is motivated by Bitcoin’s rapid ascension into mainstream finance and recent evidence of a strong relationship between Bitcoin and US stock markets.It is also motivated by a lack of empirical studies on wh...This paper is motivated by Bitcoin’s rapid ascension into mainstream finance and recent evidence of a strong relationship between Bitcoin and US stock markets.It is also motivated by a lack of empirical studies on whether Bitcoin prices contain useful information for the volatility of US stock returns,particularly at the sectoral level of data.We specifically assess Bitcoin prices’ability to predict the volatility of US composite and sectoral stock indices using both in-sample and out-of-sample analyses over multiple forecast horizons,based on daily data from November 22,2017,to December,30,2021.The findings show that Bitcoin prices have significant predictive power for US stock volatility,with an inverse relationship between Bitcoin prices and stock sector volatility.Regardless of the stock sectors or number of forecast horizons,the model that includes Bitcoin prices consistently outperforms the benchmark historical average model.These findings are independent of the volatility measure used.Using Bitcoin prices as a predictor yields higher economic gains.These findings emphasize the importance and utility of tracking Bitcoin prices when forecasting the volatility of US stock sectors,which is important for practitioners and policymakers.展开更多
Objective:To present an overview of the adverse effects of water pipe smoking on various aspects of reproduction and perinatal complications,covering all the most relevant studies,from descriptive findings to clinical...Objective:To present an overview of the adverse effects of water pipe smoking on various aspects of reproduction and perinatal complications,covering all the most relevant studies,from descriptive findings to clinical trials.Methods:We reviewed the literature and included full publications in English provided by international biomedical databases,including PubMed,Science Direct,EBSCO,Scopus,and Google Scholar,and Cochrane Library over the last 38 years(May 1985 to June 2023).Search terms(Water pipe,Narghile,Shisha,Dokha,etc.,and Reproduction,Fertility,etc.)were adopted from Medical Subheading(MeSH)and Boolean operators were utilized to improve sensitivity.Results:133 Papers were identified in the initial search,of which 29 were excluded due to duplication.Eliminating search overlap and irrelevant records by reviewing titles and abstracts reduced 42 papers.62 Full-publication articles met the inclusion criteria.We summarized the effects of waterpipe smoke exposure on reproductive health based on three main categories:male and female fertility,fetal and neonatal outcomes,and pregnancy complications.Conclusions:Water pipe smoking has potential adverse effects on different aspects of human reproductive health,including semen parameters,male and female fertility,and fetal and neonatal health,and contributes to many maternal complications and morbidities.展开更多
基金the Indonesian Collaborative Research(RKI)2022:598/IT2/T/HK.00.01/2022Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation of Indonesia for the data and financial support of this research。
文摘Mount Semeru,an active volcano in East Java,Indonesia,erupted on December 4,2021,following extreme rainfall that caused an avalanche of hot pyroclastic flows and lava.The tropospheric conditions and dominant particle components in the atmosphere can be monitored using Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)technology and remote sensing satellites.GNSS signal propagation delay in Precise Point Positioning(PPP)processing can be used to determine Zenith Tropospheric Delay(ZTD)and Precipitable Water Vapor(PWV)variables so that atmospheric conditions can be generated.In addition,by using remote sensing satellite data,it is possible to obtain rainfall data with high temporal resolution as well as the dominant particle and gas content values during eruptions.During the eruption period,the high value of PWV was dominated by the high intensity of precipitation during the rainy season.High rainfall before the eruption caused activity inside the mountain to increase,which occurred in avalanche type eruption.Apart from that,the atmosphere around Semeru was also dominated by SO_(2)content,which spreaded for tens of kilometers.SO_(2)content began to be detected significantly by remote sensing sensors on December 7,2021.In this study,deformation and atmospheric monitoring were also carried out using low-cost GNSS at the Semeru Monitoring Station on September 9-15,2022.The results of the ZTD and ZWD values show the dominance of the wet component,which is directly proportional to rainfall activity in this period.
文摘The literary review presented in the following paper aims to analyze the tracking tools used in different countries during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking apps that have been adopted in many countries to collect data in a homogeneous and immediate way have made up for the difficulty of collecting data and standardizing evaluation criteria. However, the regulation on the protection of personal data in the health sector and the adoption of the new General Data Protection Regulation in European countries has placed a strong limitation on their use. This has not been the case in non-European countries, where monitoring methodologies have become widespread. The textual analysis presented is based on co-occurrence and multiple correspondence analysis to show the contact tracing methods adopted in different countries in the pandemic period by relating them to the issue of privacy. It also analyzed the possibility of applying Blockchain technology in applications for tracking contagions from COVID-19 and managing health data to provide a high level of security and transparency, including through anonymization, thus increasing user trust in using the apps.
文摘Background: The rate of accidental dural puncture is particularly high during the period of training, especially in novices. The structured epidural teaching model (SETM) includes three standardized video lessons, the construction of a 3D epidural module by trainees and practical training by using an epidural simulator with and without the CompuFlo™ Epidural instrument. In this study we report the retrospective analysis of the accidental dural puncture rate of inexperienced trainees during their 6 months clinical practice rotation in obstetrics before and after the introduction of the SETM in our Institution. Method: We evaluated the incidence of accidental dural puncture before the introduction of the SETM methodology and afterwards by analyzing our departmental database from February 2019 to January 2023. All epidural blocks were executed by trainees who had never previously performed an epidural block and were about to begin their obstetrics rotation. Results: We analyzed 7415 epidurals: 3703 were performed before the introduction of the SETM methodology (control group) and 3712 afterwards (study group). The incidence of accidental dural puncture was 0.37% for the control group and 0.13% for the study group (p<.05). The probability of making an accidental dural puncture was 64% (OR: 0.36) lower for trainees who had the training than for those who did not. Conclusions: After the introduction of the structured teaching method, we observed a significant reduction of accidental dural puncture during the training period. We hope that our observation will encourage a constructive discussion among experts about the need to use standardized and validated tools as a valuable aid in teaching epidural anesthesia.
文摘In the past decade,online Peer-to-Peer(P2P)lending platforms have transformed the lending industry,which has been historically dominated by commercial banks.Information technology breakthroughs such as big data-based financial technologies(Fintech)have been identified as important disruptive driving forces for this paradigm shift.In this paper,we take an information economics perspective to investigate how big data affects the transformation of the lending industry.By identifying how signaling and search costs are reduced by big data analytics for credit risk management of P2P lending,we discuss how information asymmetry is reduced in the big data era.Rooted in the lending business,we propose a theory on the economics of big data and outline a number of research opportunities and challenging issues.
文摘The extant literature has produced mixed evidence on the relationship between finan-cial development and ecological sustainability.This work addresses this conundrum by investigating financial development’s direct and indirect consequences on ecologi-cal quality utilizing the environmental Kuznets curve(EKC)methodological approach.Our empirical analysis is based on the novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag simulations approach for South Africa between 1960 and 2020.The results,which used five distinct financial development measures,demonstrate that financial develop-ment boosts ecological integrity and environmental sustainability over the long and short terms.In the instance of South Africa,we additionally confirm the validity of the EKC theory.More importantly,the outcomes of the indirect channels demonstrate that financial development increases energy usage’s role in causing pollution while attenuating the detrimental impacts of economic growth,trade openness,and foreign direct investment on ecological quality.Moreover,the presence of an inadequate financial system is a requirement for the basis of the pollution haven hypothesis(PHH),which we examine using trade openness and foreign direct investment variables.PHH for both of these variables disappears when financial development crosses specified thresholds.Finally,industrial value addition destroys ecological quality while tech-nological innovation enhances it.This research provides some crucial policy recom-mendations and fresh perspectives for South Africa as it develops national initiatives to support ecological sustainability and reach its net zero emissions goal.
文摘A concept map is a diagram depicting relationships among concepts which is used as a knowledge representation tool in many knowledge domains. In this paper, we build on the modeling framework of Hui et al. (2008) in order to develop a concept map suitable for testing the empirical evidence of theories. We identify a theory by a set of core tenets each asserting that one set of independent variables affects one dependent variable, moreover every variable can have several operational definitions. Data consist of a selected sample of scientific articles from the empirical literature on the theory under investigation. Our “tenet map” features a number of complexities more than the original version. First the links are two-layer: first-layer links connect variables which are related in the test of the theory at issue;second-layer links represent connections which are found statistically significant. Besides, either layer matrix of link-formation probabilities is block-symmetric. In addition to a form of censoring which resembles the Hui et al. pruning step, observed maps are subject to a further censoring related to second-layer links. Still, we perform a full Bayesian analysis instead of adopting the empirical Bayes approach. Lastly, we develop a three-stage model which accounts for dependence either of data or of parameters. The investigation of the empirical support and consensus degree of new economic theories of the firm motivated the proposed methodology. In this paper, the Transaction Cost Economics view is tested by a tenet map analysis. Both the two-stage and the multilevel models identify the same tenets as the most corroborated by empirical evidence though the latter provides a more comprehensive and complex insight of relationships between constructs.
文摘The paper designs a quantum model of decision-making (QMDM) that utilizes neuroscientific evidence. The new model provides both normative and positive implications to economics. First, it enhances the study of decision-making which is an extension of the expected utility theory (EUT) in mathematical economics. Second, we demonstrate how the quantum model mitigates drawbacks of the expected utility theory of today.
文摘The availability of better economic possibilities and well-connected transportation networks has attracted people to migrate to peri-urban and rural neighbourhoods,changing the landscape of regions outside the city and fostering the growth of physical infrastructure.Using multi-temporal satellite images,the dynamics of Land Use/Land Cover(LULC)changes,the impact of urban growth on LULC changes,and regional environmental implications were investigated in the peri-urban and rural neighbourhoods of Durgapur Municipal Corporation in India.The study used different case studies to highlight the study area’s heterogeneity,as the phenomenon of change is not consistent.Landsat TM and OLI-TIRS satellite images in 1991,2001,2011,and 2021 were used to analyse the changes in LULC types.We used the relative deviation(RD),annual change intensity(ACI),uniform intensity(UI)to show the dynamicity of LULC types(agriculture land;built-up land;fallow land;vegetated land;mining area;and water bodies)during 1991-2021.This study also applied the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory(DEMATEL)to measure environmental sensitivity zones and find out the causes of LULC changes.According to LULC statistics,agriculture land,built-up land,and mining area increased by 51.7,95.46,and 24.79 km^(2),respectively,from 1991 to 2021.The results also suggested that built-up land and mining area had the greatest land surface temperature(LST),whereas water bodies and vegetated land showed the lowest LST.Moreover,this study looked at the relationships among LST,spectral indices(Normalized Differenced Built-up Index(NDBI),Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI),and Normalized Difference Water Index(NDWI)),and environmental sensitivity.The results showed that all of the spectral indices have the strongest association with LST,indicating that built-up land had a far stronger influence on the LST.The spectral indices indicated that the decreasing trends of vegetated land and water bodies were 4.26 and 0.43 km^(2)/a,respectively,during 1991-2021.In summary,this study can help the policy-makers to predict the increasing rate of temperature and the causes for the temperature increase with the rapid expansion of built-up land,thus making effective peri-urban planning decisions.
文摘Because the U.S.is a major player in the international oil market,it is interesting to study whether aggregate and state-level economic conditions can predict the subse-quent realized volatility of oil price returns.To address this research question,we frame our analysis in terms of variants of the popular heterogeneous autoregressive realized volatility(HAR-RV)model.To estimate the models,we use quantile-regression and quantile machine learning(Lasso)estimators.Our estimation results highlights the dif-ferential effects of economic conditions on the quantiles of the conditional distribution of realized volatility.Using weekly data for the period April 1987 to December 2021,we document evidence of predictability at a biweekly and monthly horizon.
文摘This study aims to shed light on the effects of financial development and accumula-tion of capital on the productivity of labor in the sub-Sahara African region within the period of 1990–2018.In this work,we used the(dynamic)common correlated effects estimator-mean group and additional techniques such as cross-section autoregressive distributed lag to calibrate the sample into the African subregion to ensure robustness.The findings reveal that financial progress in the region over time leads to an increase in productivity of labor and also the accumulation of capital.Furthermore,financial markets have a progressive impact on the productivity of labor within sub-Saharan African regions.We extend the very limited literature on the nexus between financial development and labor productivity by incorporating capital accumulation into our model which has not been previously studied.
文摘The connectivity of information has changed many things but not the way economists model consumers, firms and government. Information is here newly modeled as a fundamental element of microeconomic choices and utility, cost and tax functions. The results are more clearly defined metrics for losses due to cyber breaches or productivity gains from cyber investments. The integration of information into standard microeconomics also allows use of econometric and other tools to analyze the empirics of the consumer and the firm. In particular, the results identify ways in which losses in the Gordon and Loeb [1] model can be specified in more detail.
基金the funding of seed money from the Bhopal School of Social Sciences, India。
文摘The persistent environmental problems and the growing difficulty to achieve sustainable development require a re-evaluation of person’ sustainable knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. To go to where we want to go, we must first assess where we are now. The study investigated the level of sustainability consciousness of students in India, and sustainability consciousness was expressed in sustainability knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. Sustainability consciousness was further examined using the three dimensions, such as environment, society, and economy. By drawing the perception map of students and studying the role of the locus of control, the reasons why sustainability knowledge does not appear in sustainability behaviour were analyzed. Quantitative analysis was conducted for a sample of 205 students from higher educational institutions across central India(Madhya Pradesh) from January to March in 2022. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 26 and Smart Partial Least Square(PLS) 3.0. The research revealed that sustainability attitude impacts sustainability behaviour more than sustainability knowledge. The results showed that respondents’ sustainability knowledge is higher than their sustainability attitude and behaviour. Moreover, it was discovered that economic concerns can lead to sustainability behaviour. In order to study respondents’ behaviour regarding sustainability consciousness, the study divided respondents into two groups according to the locus of control: the internal and external locus of control. It was found that most respondents thought whatever happened around them was beyond their control. Further, the locus of control influenced sustainability behaviour in groups with the internal locus of control. The study helps to explain why sustainability knowledge and attitude cannot translate into sustainability behaviour and provides a basis for achieving sustainable development. The conclusions of this study are crucial for governments, educational institutions, and organizations that empower youth to change their behaviour.
文摘Using transaction-level tick-by-tick data of same-and next-day settlement of the Russian Ruble versus the US Dollar exchange rate(RUB/USD)traded on the Moscow Exchange Market during the period 2005–2013,we analyze the impact of trading hours extensions on volatility.During the sample period,the Moscow Exchange extended trading hours three times for the same-day settlement and two times for the next-day settlement of the RUB/USD rate.To analyze the effect of the implementations,various measures of historical and realized volatility are calculated for 5-and 15-min intraday intervals spanning a period of three months both prior to and following trading hours extensions.Besides historical volatility measures,we also examine volume and spread.We apply an autoregressive moving average-autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity(ARMA-GARCH)model utilizing realized volatility and a trade classification rule to estimate the probability of informed trading.The extensions of trading hours cause a significant increase in both volatility and volume for further analyzing the reasons behind volatility changes.Volatility changes mostly occur after the opening of the market.The length of the extension has a significant positive effect on realized volatility.The results indicate that informed trading increased substantially after the opening for the rate of same-day settlement,whereas this is not observed for next-day settlement.Although trading hours extensions raise opportunities for more transactions and liquidity in foreign exchange markets,they may also lead to higher volatility in the market.Furthermore,this distortion is more significant at opening and midday.A potential explanation for the increased volatility mostly at the opening is that the trading hours extension attracts informed traders rather than liquidity providers.
文摘World experience indicates the existence of significant imbalances in the development of countries.The problem of assessing the rational development of the regional and national economy is becoming urgent,since such assessments can prevent development imbalances across countries.The aim of this study is to elaborate a methodology to assess the countries’socio-economic development by integraring 12 modern indices of socio-economic development into the Composite Country Development Index(CCDI).The methodology of this research was based on a set of key indices that described socio-economic development level in four fields(social development,digital development,economic development,and environmental security)and then these indices were integrated into the CCDI.The study further applied factor analysis and R-Studio software to define the gaps of social and economic development in 59 selected countries using the trigonometric function of the angle sine.The correlation analysis confirmed the existence of a close interrelation among the studied countries.This paper noted that due to the emergence of new priorities,it is necessary to revise the assessment methodology of socio-economic development level and expand them to cover the decisive factors.This was confirmed by the results obtained,demonstrating various combinations of the development level in the four fields and their impact on the CCDI.The scientific contribution of this research is to form a methodology(e.g.,the CCDI)for evaluating the socio-economic development level of countries in the world.
文摘Previous literature showed mixed results about the impact of CEOs’financial literacy(CFL)on small and medium-sized enterprises’(SMEs)innovation.This relationship can be motivated by relevant variables,which are missing in the previous literature and make a difference as mediators.In this sense,based on the theoretical framework related to upper echelon theory and resource-based view,this study focuses on the mediating effect of risk-taking attitude and management control systems(MCS)varia-bles.Empirical data from 310 SMEs gathered using a qualitative research questionnaire are analyzed using structural equation modeling methodology.Specifically,estimations are carried out considering the partial least square method.Findings show that MCS and managers’risk attitudes fully mediate the relationship between financial literacy(FL)and innovation.Between these two mediating variables,the implementation of MCS stands out because it also enables the mediating effect of CEOs’risk-taking in the CFL–technological innovation relationship.As the results do not support the significant direct relationship between FL and risk attitude,they confirm an indirect effect through MCS.Furthermore,based on the study findings,SMEs’directors and owners,business associations,and public authorities can improve SMEs’technological innovation by implementing training programs and policies to foster CFL.They can also acknowledge the interdependency between organizational factors and individual characteristics to enhance SMEs’technological innovation.
文摘The relationship between environmental degradation and poverty has increasingly become the focus of national strategic decision-making in recent years.However,despite several theoretical explorations on the nexus,a dearth of empirical literature on the poverty-environmental degradation nexus,specifically on Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA),still exists.In this study,we investigated the poverty-environmental degradation nexus in SSA.We hypothesized that poverty is both a cause and effect of environmental degradation,and this relationship is explained as a vicious cycle.Unlike previous studies,we employed several alternative indicators of environmental degradation to examine the poverty-environmental degradation nexus in this study.We used data from 41 countries of SSA between 1996 and 2019 and employed the generalized method of moments(GMM)approach.The findings suggest a cyclical relationship between poverty and environmental degradation in SSA,which confirms that an increase in poverty leads to an increase in environmental degradation,especially in deforestation and PM2.5 emissions.Similarly,the increase in environmental degradation positively affects poverty in SSA.We also confirmed that exogenous conditioning factors such as population growth rate,education,industrialization,and income inequality,institutional quality indicators such as governance effectiveness,control of corruption,freedom ad civil liberty,and democracy,and endogenous factors including fossil fuel energy use,fuelwood energy use,household health expenditure,infant mortality rate,and agriculture productivity influence the nexus between poverty and environmental degradation.The findings on the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation in SSA are a testimonial evidence that both poverty and environmental degradation are significant issues in SSA.Hence,poverty alleviation policies in SSA should not lead to PM2.5 emissions and deforestation,which may as well force people into a poverty-environmental degradation trap.Instead,poverty reduction policies should simultaneously achieve environmental conservation.
文摘Annual rings from 30 year old vines in a California rootstock trial were measured to determine the effects of 15 different rootstocks on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon scions.Viticultural traits measuring vegetative growth,yield,berry quality,and nutrient uptake were collected at the beginning(1995 to 1999)and end(2017 to 2020)of the lifetime of a vineyard initially planted in 1991 and removed in 2021.X-ray Computed Tomography(CT)was used to measure ring widths in 103 vines.Ring width was modeled as a function of ring number using a negative exponential model.Early and late wood ring widths,cambium width,and scion trunk radius were correlated with 27 traits.Modeling of annual ring width shows that scions alter the width of the first rings but that rootstocks alter the decay of later rings,consistently shortening ring width throughout the lifetime of the vine.Ravaz index,juice pH,photosynthetic assimilation and transpiration rates,and instantaneous water use efficiency are correlated with scion trunk radius.Ultimately,our research indicates that rootstocks modulate secondary growth over years,altering physiology and agronomic traits.Rootstocks act in similar but distinct ways from climate to modulate ring width,which borrowing techniques from dendrochronology,can be used to monitor both genetic and environmental effects in woody perennial crop species.
文摘This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-2020.For this purpose,we establish export production function as based on endogenous growth theory in which role of FDI is considered as additional determinant of export.The Pedroni residual-based co-integration test and Error Correction Model(ECM)are applied for the long and short-run relationships.Pedroni residual based approach highlighted that human capitals,domestic capitals,foreign direct investments,exports,and domestic sales are co-integrated in the long run.According to results of ECM,coefficient of FDI appears to have statistical significant impact on exports and has a positive sign in the long run.Whereas,FDI does not contribute to export growth in the short run but it takes time to influence the growth patterns of the sector.On the basis of theoretical notion of endogenous growth theory,long-run coefficient of FDI may be interpreted as evidence in favour of the hypotheses that FDI has an impact on exports via export development.Thus,it can be concluded that“FDI-based endogenous growth theory”is valid in the case of Pakistan.
文摘This paper is motivated by Bitcoin’s rapid ascension into mainstream finance and recent evidence of a strong relationship between Bitcoin and US stock markets.It is also motivated by a lack of empirical studies on whether Bitcoin prices contain useful information for the volatility of US stock returns,particularly at the sectoral level of data.We specifically assess Bitcoin prices’ability to predict the volatility of US composite and sectoral stock indices using both in-sample and out-of-sample analyses over multiple forecast horizons,based on daily data from November 22,2017,to December,30,2021.The findings show that Bitcoin prices have significant predictive power for US stock volatility,with an inverse relationship between Bitcoin prices and stock sector volatility.Regardless of the stock sectors or number of forecast horizons,the model that includes Bitcoin prices consistently outperforms the benchmark historical average model.These findings are independent of the volatility measure used.Using Bitcoin prices as a predictor yields higher economic gains.These findings emphasize the importance and utility of tracking Bitcoin prices when forecasting the volatility of US stock sectors,which is important for practitioners and policymakers.
文摘Objective:To present an overview of the adverse effects of water pipe smoking on various aspects of reproduction and perinatal complications,covering all the most relevant studies,from descriptive findings to clinical trials.Methods:We reviewed the literature and included full publications in English provided by international biomedical databases,including PubMed,Science Direct,EBSCO,Scopus,and Google Scholar,and Cochrane Library over the last 38 years(May 1985 to June 2023).Search terms(Water pipe,Narghile,Shisha,Dokha,etc.,and Reproduction,Fertility,etc.)were adopted from Medical Subheading(MeSH)and Boolean operators were utilized to improve sensitivity.Results:133 Papers were identified in the initial search,of which 29 were excluded due to duplication.Eliminating search overlap and irrelevant records by reviewing titles and abstracts reduced 42 papers.62 Full-publication articles met the inclusion criteria.We summarized the effects of waterpipe smoke exposure on reproductive health based on three main categories:male and female fertility,fetal and neonatal outcomes,and pregnancy complications.Conclusions:Water pipe smoking has potential adverse effects on different aspects of human reproductive health,including semen parameters,male and female fertility,and fetal and neonatal health,and contributes to many maternal complications and morbidities.
