Search Results (340)

Drylands cover approximately 41% of Earth’s land surface, supporting about 500 million people and 45% of global agriculture. Groundwater is essential in drylands and is crucial for maintaining ecosystem services and offering numerous benefits. This article, for the first time, analyses and valuates the hydrological ecosystem services (HESs) provided by groundwater in a region of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico, an area with uncertain economic impact due to water scarcity. The main water sources are the Colorado River and groundwater from the Mexicali and San Luis Rio Colorado valley aquifers, both of which are overexploited. Valuation techniques include surrogate and simulated market methods for agricultural, industrial, urban, and domestic uses, the shadow project approach for water conservation and purification cost avoidance, and the contingent valuation method for recreation. Data from 2013 to 2015 and 2020 were used as they are the most reliable sources available. The annual value of HESs provided by groundwater was USD 883,520 million, with water conservation being a key factor. The analyzed groundwater uses reflect differences in efficiency and economic value, providing key information for decisions on governance, allocation, conservation, and revaluation of water resources. These results suggest reorienting crops, establishing differentiated rates, and promoting payment for environmental services programs. Full article

The continued migration of physicians from independent practice to affiliation with larger entities has garnered significant scrutiny. These affiliation models include hospitals and health systems, payers and corporate entities, and management services organizations, which may or may not be private equity (PE)-backed. Data on the impact of different physician affiliation models on cost of care is limited. We examined the relationship between provider affiliation model, site of care (SOC), and cost of care for certain high-volume procedures in procedure-intensive specialties for both Medicare and commercial insurance. We found that hospital-affiliated physicians are least likely—and PE-affiliated physicians are most likely—to provide care in lower-cost settings. For both Medicare and commercial insurance, SOC contributes meaningfully to procedure unit price, which is consistently greater in hospital-based settings. These findings suggest that the physician affiliation model and associated SOC cost differentials contribute materially to healthcare expenditures. As the Medicare cost differentials are set by statute and regulations, strategies such as site-neutral payments are needed to mitigate the monetary impact of historical and future physician practice migration. Full article

Research on ecosystem carbon sequestration services and ecological compensation is crucial for advancing carbon neutrality. As a public good, ecosystem carbon sequestration services inherently lead to externalities. Therefore, it is essential to consider externalities in the flow of sequestration services. However, few studies have examined intra- and inter-regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows, making regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows less comprehensive. Against this background, the research objectives of this paper are as follows. The flow of carbon sequestration services between Henan Province and out-of-province regions is studied. In addition, this study clarifies the beneficiary and supply areas of carbon sink services in Henan Province and the neighboring regions at the prefecture-level city scale to obtain a more systematic, comprehensive, and actual flow of carbon sequestration services for scientific and effective eco-compensation and to promote regional synergistic emission reductions. The research methodologies used in this paper are as follows. First, this study adopts a meta-coupling framework, designating Henan Province as the focal system, the Central Urban Agglomeration as the adjacent system, and eight surrounding provinces as remote systems. Regional carbon sequestration was assessed using net primary productivity (NEP), while carbon emissions were evaluated based on per capita carbon emissions and population density. A carbon balance analysis integrated carbon sequestration and emissions. Hotspot analysis identified areas of carbon sequestration service supply and associated benefits. Ecological radiation force formulas were used to quantify service flows, and compensation values were estimated considering the government’s payment capacity and willingness. A three-dimensional evaluation system—incorporating technology, talent, and fiscal capacity—was developed to propose a diversified ecological compensation scheme by comparing supply and beneficiary areas. By modeling the ecosystem carbon sequestration service flow, the main results of this paper are as follows: (1) Within Henan Province, Luoyang and Nanyang provided 521,300 tons and 515,600 tons of carbon sinks to eight cities (e.g., Jiaozuo, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng), warranting an ecological compensation of CNY 262.817 million and CNY 263.259 million, respectively. (2) Henan exported 3.0739 million tons of carbon sinks to external provinces, corresponding to a compensation value of CNY 1756.079 million. Conversely, regions such as Changzhi, Xiangyang, and Jinzhong contributed 657,200 tons of carbon sinks to Henan, requiring a compensation of CNY 189.921 million. (3) Henan thus achieved a net ecological compensation of CNY 1566.158 million through carbon sink flows. (4) In addition to monetary compensation, beneficiary areas may also contribute through technology transfer, financial investment, and talent support. The findings support the following conclusions: (1) it is necessary to consider the externalities of ecosystem services, and (2) the meta-coupling framework enables a comprehensive assessment of carbon sequestration service flows, providing actionable insights for improving ecosystem governance in Henan Province and comparable regions. Full article

This study examines how contract structures influence coordination and innovation incentives in dual-channel telecommunications supply chains. We consider a setting where a mobile network operator (MNO) supplies services both directly to consumers and indirectly through a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which competes in the retail market. Using a game-theoretic framework, we evaluate how different contracts—single wholesale pricing, revenue sharing, and quantity discounts—shape strategic decisions, particularly in the presence of investment spillovers between parties. A key coordination problem emerges from the externalized gains of innovation, where one party’s investment generates value for both participants. Our results show that single wholesale and revenue sharing contracts often lead to suboptimal investment and profit outcomes. In contrast, quantity discount contracts, especially when combined with appropriate transfer payments, improve coordination and enhance the total performance of the supply chain. We also find that innovation led by the MVNO, while generally less impactful, can still yield reciprocal benefits for the MNO, reinforcing the value of cooperative arrangements. These findings emphasize the importance of contract design in managing interdependence and improving efficiency in decentralized supply chains. This study offers theoretical and practical implications for telecommunications providers and policymakers aiming to promote innovation and mutually beneficial outcomes through well-aligned contractual mechanisms. Full article

Electronic payments are becoming increasingly popular in Taiwan; however, there is a lack of studies examining the factors affecting user satisfaction with electronic payments in Taiwan. This study focuses on Android phone users to identify key factors influencing their experiences based on user reviews of electronic payment mobile applications. It analyzes which factors contribute to positive satisfaction and which lead to negative experiences. The study employed BERTopic for topic modeling, which flexibly accommodates multiple languages, enabling effective examination of reviews written in Chinese. Additionally, we utilized the semantic understanding capabilities of large-scale language models to preliminarily name the generated topics with the help of ChatGPT Plus. These preliminary names were then manually refined to determine the final topic titles. The findings reveal that for Android phone users, electronic payment services that enhance user convenience and offer discounts tend to foster positive satisfaction. Conversely, the instability of electronic payment applications results in many user complaints. These research results can provide valuable insights for specialized electronic payment institutions in Taiwan to enhance their services. Full article

Background and Objectives: Healthcare payment systems face challenges such as fraud and overbilling, which often require costly and resource-intensive detection tools. In response, the utility of simple statistical tests was explored in this study as a practical alternative for identifying irregularities in dermatology service payments within the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (HIIS). Materials and Methods: Ten-year-old anonymized billing data from 30 dermatology providers in Slovenia (with a population of 2 million) were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology while aiming to avoid reputational harm to current providers. The dataset from 2014 included variables such as the “number of services charged”, “total number of points charged” (under Slovenia’s point-based tariff system at the time), “number of points per examination”, “average examination values (EUR)”, “number of first examinations”, and “total number of first/follow-up examinations”. Data credibility was assessed using Benford’s Law (for calculating χ² values and testing null hypothesis rejection at the 95% level), and Grubbs’ test, Hampel’s test, and T-test were used to identify outliers. Results: An analysis using Benford’s Law revealed significant deviations for the “number of services charged” (p < 0.005), “total number of points charged” (p < 0.01), “number of points per examination” (p < 0.0005), and “average examination values (EUR)” (p < 0.005), suggesting anomalies. Conversely, data on the numbers of “first” (p < 0.7) and “total first/follow-up examinations” (p < 0.3) were found to align with Benford’s Law, indicating authenticity. Outlier detection consistently identified two institutions with unusually high values for points per examination and average examination monetary value. Conclusions: Simple statistical tests can effectively identify potential irregularities in healthcare payment data, providing a cost-effective screening method for further investigation. Identifying outlier providers highlights areas needing detailed scrutiny to understand anomaly causes. Full article

This paper examines the concepts, technologies, and services of various types of electronic wallets and compares and analyzes their security features. Additionally, it presents specialized security threats through cases of breaches of key information that need to be managed according to the type of electronic wallet. One of the main contributions of this paper is that, unlike existing studies, it provides explanations and discussions encompassing both traditional e-wallets and cryptocurrency-based wallets. It identifies and insightfully examines the functions of electronic wallets according to the type of digital asset while also incorporating scenario-based quantitative analysis to assess how effectively certain security requirements mitigate identified risks. In particular, the classification of wallet types in this paper is based on an analysis of the existing literature that has studied the services, functionality, and security of each wallet. Through this, we suggest a future direction for universal wallets by highlighting critical security requirements that may arise when identity (ID), payment, and cryptocurrency services converge in a single interface. Rather than proposing an exhaustive universal wallet architecture, this paper focuses on key technical elements that future e-wallet environments should consider to withstand the multifaceted threat landscape posed by integrated digital asset management. Full article

Pet tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years, reflecting changes in the perception of pets as family members. This research examines the factors influencing attitude, travel intention, and payment intention in pet tourism in Chile, specifically analyzing the role of emotional attachment, perceived benefits, prestige, and novelty. Using a quantitative methodology, data were collected through an online survey of pet owners in Chile. The results reveal that perceived benefits and novelty positively influence attitudes toward traveling with pets, while prestige and perceived benefits directly impact travel intention. Surprisingly, emotional attachment did not show a significant influence, which contrasts with previous studies in other cultural contexts. This research also confirms that attitude and travel intention are relevant predictors of willingness to pay more for pet-friendly tourism services. These findings contribute to the literature on pet tourism in Latin America and provide practical implications for developing tourism services tailored to the Chilean market. This study concludes that marketing strategies in the tourism sector should emphasize tangible benefits and novel elements rather than emotional aspects to attract this growing market segment. Full article

Background: Rural communities in the United States experience significant barriers in accessing healthcare, including inadequate numbers of providers and local healthcare facilities. These barriers are exacerbated during seasons with high rates of respiratory diseases when rural clinics and providers may be overwhelmed. When mild, many of these respiratory diseases may be managed effectively in alternate settings, including community pharmacies. Investigators interviewed pharmacists in Washington State to explore the capacity of pharmacists and pharmacies to provide test-to-treat services for COVID-19, influenza, and strep throat. Methods: A qualitative study design was used to conduct key informant interviews with pharmacists who precepted student pharmacists from a local university. Twenty interviews were conducted, transcribed, and qualitatively evaluated to identify themes. The 5 A’s of Access were utilized as a theoretical framework. This framework describes five domains of access, including affordability, availability, accessibility, accommodation, and acceptability. Results: Qualitative analysis identified several themes that described the benefits of offering test-to-treat services in rural communities, such as reducing geographical barriers to accessing care, reducing wait times for patients, and reducing the number of patients seeking higher levels of care for basic treatments. Barriers to offering test-to-treat services identified by pharmacist participants included difficulties with receiving payment for services, challenges with adequate staffing, and the lack of awareness among many people in rural communities that pharmacies offer test-to-treat services. Conclusions: Rural communities experience challenges with the limited capacity of healthcare providers to meet the needs of patients in their communities. The results of this qualitative analysis may be useful to pharmacists in U.S. states where collaborative drug therapy agreements or collaborative practice agreements allow the provision of test-to-treat services. By providing test-to-treat services, pharmacists can increase access to care for rural patients and alleviate the burden of offering these services from other healthcare providers. Full article

The proliferation of digital platforms and interactive technologies has transformed the way service providers engage with their customers, particularly in emerging economies, where digital inclusion is an ongoing process. This study explores the relationship between omnichannel strategies and customer satisfaction, conceptualized here as a proxy for Quality of Experience (QoE), within a smart service station located in a digitally underserved region. Grounded in customer journey theory and the expectancy–disconfirmation paradigm, the study investigates how data integration, digital payment systems, and logistical flexibility—key components of intelligent e-service systems—influence user perceptions and satisfaction. Based on a correlational design with a non-probabilistic sample of 108 customers, the findings reveal a moderate association between overall omnichannel integration and satisfaction (ρ = 0.555, p < 0.01). However, a multiple regression analysis indicates that no individual dimension significantly predicts satisfaction (adjusted R² = 0.002). These results suggest that while users value system integration and interaction flexibility, no single technical feature drives satisfaction independently. The study contributes to the growing field of intelligent human-centric service systems by contextualizing QoE and digital inclusion within emerging markets and by emphasizing the importance of perceptual factors in ICT-enabled environments. Full article

Balancing ecological conservation with development pressures remains a critical challenge in regions hosting mega-events like the Winter Olympics. This study evaluates the ecological impacts of pre-Olympic construction in Chongli, China (2016–2021), through the integrated analysis of ecosystem service value (ESV) and landscape ecological risk (LERI). Using Sentinel-2 imagery and spatial statistics, we quantified land-use changes, applied benefit transfer methods for ESV assessment, and calculated the LERI using landscape pattern indices. The results revealed a 4.6% increase in the total ESV (266.4 to 278.7 million CNY), which was driven by afforestation initiatives that expanded the area of shrub-grassland and forests. Concurrently, the proportion of high/moderate LERI areas decreased by 12.3%, indicating reduced ecological vulnerability. Spatial correlation analysis demonstrated significant negative relationships between the ESV and LERI, particularly in zones that were undergoing ecological restoration. However, urban expansion weakened these synergies locally. The findings of this study highlight that strategic greening effectively enhanced ecosystem services while mitigating landscape risks during preparations for the Olympics. We propose an adaptive zoning framework that emphasizes dynamic ESV-LERI monitoring, tourism carrying capacity regulation, and payment for ecosystem service mechanisms to optimize post-event management. This integrated approach provides a transferable model for ecological governance in ecologically sensitive areas facing rapid development pressures, demonstrating the value of dual assessment methodologies in sustainable spatial planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pediatric postoperative respiratory failure in the United States is increasingly considered a significant adverse event due to the increased risk of co-morbidities, suffering, and cost of healthcare. This study investigates associations between pediatric adverse events (PAEs) and hospital and patient characteristics within the inpatient hospital setting, focusing solely on the framework of pediatric quality indicators (PDIs) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Specifically, the study focuses on PDI 09-Postoperative Respiratory Failure (PORF). Methods: This quantitative research analyzed the inpatient discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids’ Inpatient Databases (KID) for 2019. We performed multivariate logistic regression to analyze patient-level encounters with PORF. Results: The results indicate that smaller, rural, and non-teaching hospitals exhibit significantly lower odds of PDI 09 than large, urban, and urban teaching hospitals, reflecting a concentration of operative procedures. In comparison, the Western United States exhibits higher odds of PDI 09. Various individual factors such as gender, age, race, service lines, payment sources, and major operating room procedures demonstrate differing levels of significance concerning PDI 09, warranting further investigation into confounding factors. In contrast, hospital ownership consistently shows lower odds of PORF risk for private, investor-owned hospitals. Conclusions: This study provides contextual expansion on the findings and offers valuable insights into PAEs in the inpatient hospital setting. It highlights areas for developing evidence-based interventions and guidelines for clinicians and policymakers. Ultimately, the findings contribute to the growing understanding of factors influencing PORF and emphasize the importance of targeted strategies for improving pediatric patient safety. Full article

Achieving the mainstream adoption of circular packaging is essential for mitigating the environmental impacts of plastic waste. Its widespread adoption, however, remains hindered by significant user barriers. This study investigates the barriers to user adoption of upstream packaging solutions in Indonesia with the aim of reducing plastic packaging waste. Through a mixed-methods approach including case studies, expert workshops, and focus group discussions, nine key barriers were identified and analysed. These include inconvenience, resistance to changing habits and behaviours, higher costs and deposit schemes, contamination and hygiene concerns, wear and tear, functional and performance limitations, a lack of awareness about the environmental impacts, limited availability and variety, and a lack of trust. This research advances the literature by offering a detailed analysis of these barriers, categorising them into sociocultural, economic, contextual, and regulatory aspects. Additionally, barriers specific to Indonesia were identified such as a shift from being served to self-service refilling, some people not having smartphones, poor cellular signals in rural areas, a preference for plastic packaging due to its resale value, and a preference for cash payments due to limited access to credit or bank cards. The findings highlight the need for tailored, multidisciplinary strategies to overcome these barriers and promote the adoption of circular packaging solutions. This research provides valuable insights for researchers studying circular design, businesses seeking to innovate upstream packaging solutions, and policymakers aiming to develop regulations that support the adoption of circular packaging practices. Full article

This study explores how system-based and cognitive-based factors affect platform trust and its role in the actual use of PayLater services (buy now, pay later or BNPL) in Indonesia and Malaysia. PayLater, a fintech innovation, provides fast and convenient payment options through online platforms. By incorporating platform trust into the technology acceptance model (TAM), the research investigates whether borrowing intention acts as a mediator between platform trust and actual usage. Utilizing a quantitative approach with purposive sampling, data were gathered from 106 respondents in Indonesia and 169 in Malaysia, with 62 and 85 respondents meeting the criteria, respectively. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis indicates notable differences in how Indonesian and Malaysian users perceive platform trust, while the effect of platform trust on borrowing intention remains consistent across both nations. Borrowing intention emerges as a crucial factor influencing the actual use of PayLater services. The results offer important insights into the adoption of fintech services in emerging markets, highlighting the significance of platform trust in shaping user behavior. This research provides practical suggestions for fintech providers to improve platform trust and user engagement in cross-country scenarios. Full article

In recent years, technological advancements have significantly transformed the public sector, with many institutions embracing digital solutions to enhance service delivery. Romanian city halls are actively incorporating digitalization into their sustainable development strategies, aiming to improve service efficiency and accessibility. This study examines the adaptability of Romanian city halls in the face of technological changes. By evaluating the official web portals of all 103 municipalities in Romania using 23 indicators, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state (mid 2024) of e-services delivered via the web portals of the respective municipality. Even though the study findings are indicating a certain degree of maturity in digitalization, with most municipalities offering online services such as property tax payments, public transportation information, and civil status documents, it also reveals significant disparities in the quality and availability of these services across the country, underscoring the need for more standardized digitalization efforts. This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers and public institutions aiming to enhance service delivery through digital means and highlights the crucial role of technology in public sector transformation. The conclusions emphasize the importance of the adaptability of public institutions to ensure continuity and efficiency in service delivery. Full article