Search Results (87)

Bank operations are contingent upon investor confidence, particularly during periods of economic distress. If investor confidence drops, a bank faces difficulties obtaining money, higher borrowing costs, and lower stock values. Non-performing loans (NPLs) potentially jeopardize a bank’s long-term viability and short-term profitability, and investors are naturally wary of institutions that pose a high credit risk. The purpose of the study was to explore how non-performing loans influence investor confidence in banks. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify 253 New York Stock Exchange banks in the Thomson Reuters Eikon DataStream that satisfied all the inclusion and exclusion selection criteria. The Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) models were used to analyze the data, providing insight into the relationship between the variables. The study discovered that NPLs had a negative and significant influence on price–earnings (P/E) and price-to-book value (P/B) ratios. Furthermore, the bank’s age was found to have a positive and significant relationship with the P/E and P/B ratio. The moderating relationship between NPLs and bank age was found to have a negative and significant influence on price–earnings (P/E) and price-to-book value (P/B) ratios. The findings underscore the importance of asset quality and institutional reputation in influencing market perceptions. Bank managers should focus on managing non-performing loans effectively and leveraging institutional credibility to sustain investor confidence, particularly during financial distress. Full article

This study empirically examines the impact of 30% alternative fuel (AF) adoption on the emission of CO₂ to the environment in the UAE cement industry. The researchers employed a quantitative method to robustly analyze secondary data obtained from the 12 cement manufacturing units of the UAE, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and peer-reviewed published papers. The researcher’s main focus was on data from 2018 to 2024 and aligned that with the UAE Green Agenda 2030. The data analysis was conducted through a well-known software, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and tests like descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression were employed. The correlation analysis showed that there is a strong negative relationship between AF adoption and CO₂ emissions. The test also showed that the relationship is inverse, that is, increasing the adoption rate of AF lowers CO₂ emissions and thus positively impacts the environment. The Pearson correlation analysis (r = −0.82) showed a strong inverse relationship between the independent and dependent variables. This strong relationship was further revealed and confirmed by the regression analysis, and AF as an individual independent variable explained a 67% reduction in CO₂ emission (R² = 0.67), while a combination with mediating variables, such as economic incentives and the integration of advanced technologies, further increased the impact to 83%, where the explanatory power jumped to R² = 0.83 (p < 0.001). As the relationship is strongly inverse between the independent and dependent variables, this reinforces the hypothesis that AF adoption is a good strategy to decarbonize the production of cement and make the operations sustainable. Full article

The notion of charisma has been an important, albeit mysterious, aspect of leadership research for decades. Traditionally, its definition has centered on an individual who, by virtue of possessing certain traits, skills, or behaviors, is considered a natural leader. More recently, however, there has been increasing recognition that charisma is an experience that is actually felt by followers, and therefore perhaps the charisma experience could be better understood by taking a follower’s perspective. This theoretical article addresses this question. It takes the perspective of a follower who reports a charismatic experience and asks the following: What are the benefits and risks to the follower who, by assigning “charisma” to the influence of another, effectively surrenders a measure of individual autonomy by becoming a follower of a leader? This article uses ideas from mathematical category to explore and demystify the notion of charisma in leadership theory and practice. By doing so, it argues that the choice to follow what is considered to be a charismatic other is essentially a decision-making heuristic that carries benefits and risks. A benefit is decreased cognitive load. A risk is the possibility that the leader’s influence will push against a follower’s own interests. Thus, this paper argues that the charisma heuristic should be considered as cognitive bias about which both followers and leaders should be wary. Eight propositions are discussed to inform future research. Full article

Wariness is increasing about resident times of microplastics (MPs) in soils; however, limited knowledge is available on ultraviolet (UV) light exposure of MPs to soil fauna. This study investigated the effects of virgin and photoaged polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs) on soil mesofauna (enchytraeids and collembolans) at environmentally relevant concentrations in a microcosm incubation experiment. Ten individuals of each Enchytraeus crypticus and Folsomia candida and twenty Proisotoma minuta were exposed separately to virgin and photoaged PE MPs (40–48 μm) admixed in agricultural soil (0.2–2000 mg/kg) to evaluate reproduction and survival. After 28 d of exposure to photoaged PE MPs, there was a moderate survival reduction but reproduction promotion of E. crypticus. Contrastingly, F. candida exhibited an opposite trend, with survival enhancement and reproduction depression rates when exposed to both PE MP contaminated soils. However, P. minuta was the only species with significant apical endpoint changes after PE MP exposure; at 20 mg/kg photoaged and 2000 mg/kg virgin PE MP exposure, there was a 34% and 31% decrease in survival, respectively, and at 200 mg/kg photoaged PE MP exposure, an increase of 39% for reproduction. PE MPs had contrasting impacts on soil mesofauna species, which highlights the need to account for these variable results when understanding the repercussions of MP pollution on community assemblage and population dynamics in soils. Full article

Conservation biological control (CBC) is the application of agricultural practices that utilize insectary plants to conserve and enhance natural enemies, thereby increasing their efficiency to suppress pests. Most of the insectary plants used in CBC are non-native invasive insectary plants, which are costly and pose threats to the local ecosystems and biodiversity. Alternative to non-native insectary plants, the use of native plants is proposed. Hence, the aim of this study is to identify native plant species that can be used as alternatives to non-native insectary plants to conserve and promote indigenous natural enemies (INEs) for sustainable pest management. To achieve this, first, we bio-prospected the surrounding habitats of organic fields in the western region of Japan (i.e., Hiroshima Prefecture) to identify native plant species as prospective native insectary plants. As a result, among various Japanese native plants surveyed, Polygonaceae plant species seem to host a variety of INEs, showing potential as a native insectary plant. We then conducted open field experiments to test the role of Polygonaceae plants in promoting INEs, thereby indirectly suppressing pest densities on vegetable crops such as eggplants. Results show that significantly high densities of INEs (green lacewing, p = 0.024; Orius spp., p = 0.001: GLM) were observed on eggplants with Polygonaceae plants compared to eggplants without Polygonaceae plants, leading to a significant reduction in pest densities (thrips, p = 0.000; whiteflies, p = 0.002: GLM) on the eggplants with Polygonaceae plants. Furthermore, molecular analysis revealed that Orius spp., as a representative INE in this study, migrated from Polygonaceae plants to eggplants, suggesting that Polygonaceae plants may conserve and promote INEs to vegetable crops, resulting in pest suppression. Here, we discuss the roles of Polygonaceae plants (and other native plants) in regulating pest densities on crops. Full article

The excavation of residential areas is a growing focus of research in Andean archaeology. Studies reveal that interpreting household remains from some prehispanic societies can be complex because of the nature of abandonment ritual, which may involve burnt offerings, the placement of valuables on floors, or the purposeful destruction of ceramic vessels that are distributed in patterned ways. The goods that constitute these offering practices can be confused with post-occupation refuse, especially when excavation units are relatively small. In this paper, I discuss the importance of assessing site formation processes in residential spaces and illustrate how different modes of household abandonment can make comparative analysis a complex exercise. I describe and compare several examples from Wari-affiliated residences at the sites of Cerro Baúl and Cerro Mejía, located in the department of Moquegua, Peru, to show how ritual depositions corresponding to house abandonment might affect the interpretation of daily domestic life. In particular, I examine how ritual assemblages have been interpreted as evidence of feasting to support propositions regarding the Wari political economy. I advocate that archaeologists interested in domestic areas, lifeways, and the political economy engage in large-scale horizontal excavations to ensure they can correctly distinguish between the remains of quotidian practices, the goods associated with ritual depositions, and refuse resulting from feasting, which is best substantiated with features and facilities to host empowering events. Full article

Food spoilage is a natural process that influences the quality and safety of food products, negatively affecting their nutritional and organoleptic composition. In these regards, traditional industrial food preservation processes often rely on the use of traditional preservation techniques to extend food shelf life, while ensuring microbiological and chemical stability without compromising the product’s sensory characteristics. However, in recent years, consumers have become increasingly wary of chemical food additives; they often associate their use with potential health risks and negative impact on product appeal. In addition, this is compounded by an increasingly compellent European regulatory framework, as well as efforts in the search of natural and sustainable alternatives for food preservation. In this context, this review explores the potential of natural additives, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants, derived from agro-industrial waste, including fruit peels, vegetable by-products, and seeds. These compounds exhibit strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which not only extend the shelf life of food products but also enhance their safety and quality. Considering vegetable wastes (i.e., pomegranate peels, olive leaves, olive mill wastewater, and grape pomace) as the main by-products from which natural additives can be extracted, this study provides an overview of their efficacy in preventing lipid oxidation and reducing microbial growth, while maintaining sensory properties. This could represent an opportunity both for maintaining food quality and prolonging food shelf life by valorizing by-products to be otherwise disposed of, and also contribute to mitigating the environmental impact associated with the food industry and to optimize food preservation processes. In addition, it highlights the possibility of employing sustainable alternatives to synthetic additives, capable of extending the shelf life of food products while ensuring their safety for human consumption. Full article

The agricultural machinery operation services (AMOS) market and the farmland transfer market are regarded by policymakers as complementary goals for promoting agricultural development in China. Nonetheless, the farmland transfer market in China is confronted with the threat of sustainable development. The relationship between AMOS and farmland transfer is not always complementary. To analyze the relationship between the AMOS market and the sustainability of the farmland transfer market, methods such as conditional mixed process, the Heckman two-step method, and the Sobel test were employed to explore the influence of AMOS on farmland transfer and its underlying mechanisms. The empirical results show the following: (i) AMOS inhibits farmland transfer-out but promotes farmland transfer-in, which will intensify the market competition of farmland transfer. This result remains valid after correcting for the potential endogenous bias and selective bias and is consistent across different variables and samples. This conclusion suggests that AMOS has emerged as a factor restricting the sustainable development of the farmland transfer market in China. (ii) The heterogeneity analysis results indicate that AMOS has a greater inhibitory effect on the farmland transfer-out of small-scale farmers, part-time farmers, and elderly farmers, and a greater incentive effect on the farmland transfer-in of large-scale farmers, professional farmers, and non-elderly farmers. (iii) Labor allocation and agricultural capital allocation are the potential mechanisms for AMOS to affect farmland transfer. AMOS indirectly inhibits farmland transfer-out and promotes farmland transfer-in by farmland operation ability of labor force and benefits of farmland operation. These results imply that there is a complementary relationship and substitution relationship between the AMOS market and the farmland transfer market. The substitution relationship may sometimes frustrate policies aimed at stimulating the farmland transfer market. The Chinese government is required to be wary of the potential menace that AMOS brings to the sustainability of China’s farmland transfer market. Full article

Forests are both an irreplaceable natural resource and a vital economic asset for all humankind. Based on the data of counties in mainland China from 2007 to 2020, the article explores the direct impact and spatial spillover effects of the policy implementation on the economic growth of counties with the help of the forest city pilot policy and the policy evaluation model. The results reveal that policy implementation can have a positive economic growth effect on the pilot counties, which, in turn, can significantly increase the size of the county’s GDP, the level of GDP per capita, and the total amount of nighttime lighting brightness. The implementation of forest city construction can bring about 2.74% of total GDP size, about 2.63% of per capita GDP development level, and about 7.25% of nighttime light brightness to the county on average. Cost–benefit analysis also indicates that forest city construction can bring about a comprehensive economic benefit of approximately CNY 686.453 million (approximately USD 96.82 million) to the counties. The rapid improvement in labor productivity, significant influx of high-end factors, and continuous expansion of market potential are important mechanisms through which policy implementation promotes economic growth in pilot counties. While promoting economic growth in the pilot counties, forest city construction can also have positive spatial spillover effects on neighboring areas in the pilot counties. Furthermore, when the deficits in atmospheric vapor pressure and annual evapotranspiration are used as instrumental variables for forest city construction, the empirical estimates are not significantly altered. In the process of building forest cities, county governments should be wary of issues such as the high cost of forest maintenance. This study provides a Chinese model and policy reference for other countries and regions in the world to deal with the relationship between forest city construction and county economic growth. Full article

The incidence of colorectal cancer and colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) is increasing globally due to an interaction of environmental and genetic factors. A minority of patients with CRLM have surgically resectable disease, but for those who have resection as part of multimodal therapy for their disease, long-term survival has been shown. Precision surgery—the idea of careful patient selection and targeting of surgical intervention, such that treatments shown to be proven to benefit on a population level are the optimal treatment for each individual patient—is the new paradigm of care. Key to this is the understanding of tumour molecular biology and clinically relevant mutations, such as KRAS, BRAF, and microsatellite instability (MSI), which can predict poorer overall outcomes and a poorer response to systemic therapy. The emergence of immunotherapy and hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pumps show potential to convert previously unresectable disease to resectable disease, in addition to established systemic and locoregional therapies, but the surgeon must be wary of poor-quality livers and the spectre of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). Volume modulation, a cornerstone of hepatic surgery for a generation, has been given a shot in the arm with the advent of liver venous depletion (LVD) ensuring significantly more hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR). The optimal timing of liver resection for those patients with synchronous disease is yet to be truly established, but evidence would suggest that those patients requiring complex colorectal surgery and major liver resection are best served with a staged approach. In the operating room, parenchyma-preserving minimally invasive surgery (MIS) can dramatically reduce the surgical insult to the patient and lead to better perioperative outcomes, with quicker return to function. Full article

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a stigmatizing disease that disproportionately affects African Americans and Latinos among people living with HIV (PLWH). Researchers are increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze large amounts of data such as social media data and electronic health records (EHR) for various HIV-related tasks, from prevention and surveillance to treatment and counseling. This paper explores the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI for HIV with a focus on acceptability, trust, fairness, and transparency. To improve acceptability and trust towards AI systems for HIV, informed consent and a Federated Learning (FL) approach are suggested. In regard to unfairness, stakeholders should be wary of AI systems for HIV further stigmatizing or even being used as grounds to criminalize PLWH. To prevent criminalization, in particular, the application of differential privacy on HIV data generated by data linkage should be studied. Participatory design is crucial in designing the AI systems for HIV to be more transparent and inclusive. To this end, the formation of a data ethics committee and the construction of relevant frameworks and principles may need to be concurrently implemented. Lastly, the question of whether the amount of transparency beyond a certain threshold may overwhelm patients, thereby unexpectedly triggering negative consequences, is posed. Full article

Piper betle leaf powder is increasingly utilised as a health supplement. In this study, P. betle leaves were subjected to four different drying methods: convective air-drying, oven-drying, sun-drying, and no drying, with fresh leaves as control. Their antioxidant properties were then evaluated using colourimetric assays and GC-MS. Results showed that the sun-dried leaves had the highest (p < 0.05) total antioxidant capacity (66.23 ± 0.10 mg AAE/g), total polyphenol content (133.93 ± 3.76 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content (81.25 ± 3.26 mg CE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (56.48 ± 0.11%), and the lowest alkaloid content (45.684 ± 0.265 mg/gm). GC-MS analysis revealed that major constituents of aqueous extracts of fresh and sun-dried P. betle leaves were hydrazine 1,2-dimethyl-; ethyl aminomethylformimidate; glycerin; propanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, methyl ester, (+/−)-; and 1,2-Cyclopentanedione. In conclusion, sun-dried leaves exhibited overall better antioxidant properties, and their aqueous extracts contained biologically active phytoconstituents that have uses in various fields. Full article

Pregnant women must be wary of using traditional medicines due to the possibility of their having oxytoxic effects. Indonesia is rich in plants containing antioxidants. One of these plants is Phyllanthus emblica L. This study aims to determine the phytochemical constituents of Phyllanthus emblica L. fruit nanoherbals by LC-HRMS analysis and their antimutagenic activity and teratogenic effects. The study commenced by producing nanoherbal extracts from P. emblica fruit. The phytochemical composition of these extracts was then analyzed using LC-HRMS. The nanoherbal extracts were also tested for their ability to prevent mutations, as indicated by a reduction in micronuclei observed in mouse femur bone marrow smear preparations. The teratogenicity test involved administering the P. emblica fruit nanoherbal at 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg BW doses. The data were analyzed using SPSS. The phytochemical constituents of the P. emblica fruit nanoherbal include flavonoids, phenols, vitamins, and alkaloids. The P. emblica fruit nanoherbal exhibits antimutagenic activity, as evidenced by a statistical analysis that indicated a significant decrease in the quantity of micronuclei per 200 PCE compared to the negative control (p < 0.05). The administration of the P. emblica fruit nanoherbal at a dosage of 1000 mg/kg BW resulted in a teratogenic impact during the organogenesis stage, as shown by hemorrhage and anomalies in the sternum. Full article

In order to cope with global climate warming, measurement of the low-carbon utilization efficiency (LCUE) of cultivated land, considering carbon sink and carbon emission effects, is proposed. To address this, based on the data of 30 provinces in China, this study conducts a LCUE evaluation system by the MinDS-U-M productivity index model in order to analyze the spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of LCUE with the geographic detector model and GTWR model. The results show the following: (1) Over the past 20 years, the average LCUE value exhibits a slow increasing trend from 2001 to 2021, which ranges from 0.9864 to 1.0272. Provinces with mid-level LCUE ranging from 1.0000 to 1.0990 account for the highest proportion in each period. (2) The annual growth rate of LCUE in the central region is the highest, where the promotion of green technology and farmland protection policies have played important roles. (3) According to the Geodetector analysis, urbanization rate (UR), irrigation index (IR), grain output value (GOV), precipitation (PR), arable land area (ALA), and environmental pollution control (EPC) are important drivers of the spatial difference of LCUE. (4) The GTWR model shows that the positive effects of ALA and SRT have always been concentrated in the main grain-producing areas over time. UR and PR have strong explanatory power for the space/time differentiation of LCUE, especially in eastern coastal regions. IR has an increasing effect on LCUE in the Western region, and the positive effect of EPC on the LCUE is concentrated in the central region. In order to coordinate regional LCUE contradictions, it is suggested to be wary of land resource damage caused by economic development, warn about the impacts of climate change, and strengthen the supervision of land remediation projects in order to achieve sustainable land management. Full article

Preschool years are a highly formative period in a child’s life and present a critical opportunity for the cultivation of enduring healthy eating habits. Trying new vegetables can be a challenge for young children as they can often be wary or even averse to the unfamiliar tastes, textures, smells, sights, and sounds posed by new foods. This study aimed to assess how engaging preschool children in growing food and playing with food influences their vegetable consumption and willingness to try new foods. Intervention studies were conducted with children aged 3–5 years in four Irish preschool classes across three different preschools, with two classes partaking in a vegetable-focused sensory learning intervention (n = 33), and two classes being involved in a gardening-based food education intervention (n = 57). The sensory learning intervention involved playing with three different foods, tomatoes, peas, and bell peppers, with the children’s consumption of these foods measured at baseline and after partaking in two interactive sensory learning classes. The gardening-based intervention centered around watercress and compared the effects of a hands-on planting activity versus a storytelling control activity on preschool children’s perceptions and reactions to tasting watercress. The sensory learning intervention was successful in encouraging preschool children to eat more vegetables, with children consuming on average 85% more peppers (p < 0.001), 24% more peas (p = 0.002), and 17% more tomatoes after the intervention. Children showed a greater willingness to try new foods after experiencing sensory learning, with over 50% of those who refused to try peas and peppers at baseline opting to try the vegetables after the intervention (p < 0.001). Involvement in the hands-on planting activity resulted in a slightly higher willingness to try what was a new vegetable for 79% of children, with 48% of the children in the planting group opting to taste the watercress compared to 32% in the storytelling group. This research indicates that providing preschool children with the opportunity for hands-on interaction with food aids in increasing their vegetable consumption and can make them more receptive to trying new foods. Use of these techniques can help to cultivate positive early food experiences that can have a lasting impact on lifelong food habits. Full article