Search Results (47)

Beef fat injection technology, used to enhance the perceived quality of lower-grade meat, often results in artificially marbled beef that mimics the visual traits of Wagyu, characterized by dense fat distribution. This practice, driven by the high cost of Wagyu and the affordability of fat-injected beef, has led to the proliferation of mislabeled “Wagyu-grade” products sold at premium prices, posing potential food safety risks such as allergen exposure or consumption of unverified additives, which can adversely affect consumer health. Addressing this, this study introduces a smart sensing system integrated with handheld mobile devices, enabling consumers to capture beef images during purchase for real-time health-focused assessment. The system analyzes surface texture and color, transmitting data to a server for classification to determine if the beef is artificially marbled, thus supporting informed dietary choices and reducing health risks. Images are processed by applying a region of interest (ROI) mask to remove background noise, followed by partitioning into grid blocks. Local binary pattern (LBP) texture features and RGB color features are extracted from these blocks to characterize surface properties of three beef types (Wagyu, regular, and fat-injected). A support vector machine (SVM) model classifies the blocks, with the final image classification determined via majority voting. Experimental results reveal that the system achieves a recall rate of 95.00% for fat-injected beef, a misjudgment rate of 1.67% for non-fat-injected beef, a correct classification rate (CR) of 93.89%, and an F1-score of 95.80%, demonstrating its potential as a human-centered healthcare tool for ensuring food safety and transparency. Full article

Sulfur (S) fertilizer is routinely applied together with other macronutrients by farmers across all regions to improve grain yield and quality, but its distinct effects on grain yield and aroma intensity in fragrant rice remain inadequately studied, especially when applied under varying existing soil S levels. This study aimed to determine the effects of S fertilizer application on grain yield and aroma intensity (2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline, 2AP) in fragrant rice grown under varying soil S levels (very low, low, and medium). The premium Thai fragrant rice cultivar KDML105 was grown under field conditions during two cropping seasons in 2021 and 2022 in Surin province, northeastern Thailand. Sulfur fertilizer in the form of (NH4)₂SO₄ was applied at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg S ha⁻¹ at one time with the basal fertilizers phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) under varying soil S levels, using the same protocol in both cropping seasons. Plant growth parameters were evaluated at the tillering stage, and grain samples were harvested at maturity to evaluate grain yield and aroma intensity. The results showed that applying S at rates between 60 and 90 kg ha⁻¹ to soils with very low and low S increased grain yield from 4 to 20% compared to no S application, while no effect of S application was observed for the medium soil S level. The results were primarily attributed to the number of tillers and panicles per hill and the 1000-grain weight in both cropping seasons. Dissimilar effects of S application rates and soil S level were found for grain 2AP content. There was a higher grain 2AP content in the low and medium soil S levels compared to very low S, but the pattern varied according to the S application rate. Applying the appropriate rate of S fertilizer can significantly improve rice productivity, especially when cultivated under S-deficient soil, and higher soil S levels can promote the grain 2AP content of fragrant rice. Full article

Holders of life insurance policies can exercise various options that lead to contract modifications, e.g., full surrender, partial surrender, and paid-up and dynamic premium increase options. Transitions between these contract states materially affect (current and future) cash flows and thus represent a serious source of uncertainty for an insurance company. It is common practice to determine best-estimate assumptions for these transitions independently, i.e., without considering joint determinants of the different aspects of policyholder behaviour. The recent literature also incorporates multistate classical statistical models. Our paper shows how consistent best-estimate transition rates for multiple status transitions can be derived using data science methods. More specifically, we extend existing multivariate approaches based on established statistical models (generalised linear models) with the Lasso method, such that the key drivers for each transition can be identified automatically. We discuss the performance, the complexity and the practical applicability of the different modelling approaches based on data from a European insurer. Full article

This study investigates a risk-based approach to evaluate the effectiveness of sprinklers in residential buildings to offset the risk premium imposed by combustible cladding (expanded polystyrene and aluminium composite panels) installed on such buildings in Victoria, Australia. This approach builds upon the Initial Fire Spread in Cladding Assessment Number (IF-SCAN), a concept pioneered by Cladding Safety Victoria as a triage tool in their rectification program. The analysis uses published data from real fires in buildings with and without sprinkler systems installed. It considers three criteria: death rates, injury rates, and construction cost. The construction cost was determined using an existing costing model currently employed in Victoria. The results of this study suggest a higher risk tolerance can be accepted for combustible cladding on buildings equipped with sprinkler systems over that set out in government policy. More specifically, it was found that a building fully protected by sprinklers can generally counterbalance the fire risk posed by combustible cladding spanning up to seven apartments, while a span of up to ten apartments could be considered for buildings without balconies or a private courtyard. Full article

(1) Background: The Hanwoo cattle industry, valued for its premium beef, faces economic challenges due to fluctuating market prices, rising production costs, and profitability disparities based on calf sex, with male calves fetching higher prices and creating income imbalances for breeding farms. (2) Methods: This study assessed the economic impact of ultrasonographic fetal sex determination, a technology enabling fetal sex identification between 55 and 100 days of gestation, using 107 pregnant Hanwoo cows, of which 104 were successfully assessed with a 96.1% accuracy rate across all gestational stages. (3) Results: Economic analysis revealed that farms employing this technology achieved higher profitability by adjusting prices based on calf sex, with male calves significantly enhancing asset value; however, the technology’s financial benefits were influenced by market dynamics, implementation costs, and sex ratios. (4) Conclusions: These findings underscore the potential of ultrasonographic fetal sex determination to improve Hanwoo farm profitability and sustainability, provided its adoption is accompanied by careful consideration of costs and market conditions. Full article

The frequency and economic damage of natural disasters have increased globally over the last two decades due to climate change. This increase has an impact on the disaster insurance field, particularly in the calculation of premiums. Many regions have a shortcoming in employing insurance because the premium is too high compared with their budget allocation. As one of the solutions, the premium calculation can be developed by applying the cross-subsidies mechanism based on economic growth. Therefore, this research aims to develop premium models of natural disaster insurance that uniquely involve two new variables of an insured region: cross-subsidies and the economic growth rate. Another novelty is the development of the Black–Scholes model, considering the two new variables, and it is used to formulate the premium model. Following the modeling process, this study uses the model to estimate the premiums for natural disaster insurance in each province of Indonesia. The estimation results show that all new variables involved in the model novelties significantly affect the premiums. This research can be used by insurance companies to determine the premium of natural disaster insurance, which involves cross-subsidies and economic growth. Full article

Premium tea holds a significant place in Chinese tea culture, enjoying immense popularity among domestic consumers and an esteemed reputation in the international market, thereby significantly impacting the Chinese economy. To tackle challenges associated with the labor-intensive and inefficient manual picking process of premium tea, and to elevate the competitiveness of the premium tea sector, our research team has developed and rigorously tested a premium tea-picking robot that harnesses deep learning and computer vision for precise leaf recognition. This innovative technology has been patented by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (ZL202111236676.7). In our study, we constructed a deep-learning model that, through comprehensive data training, enabled the robot to accurately recognize tea buds. By integrating computer vision techniques, we achieved exact positioning of the tea buds. From a hardware perspective, we employed a high-performance robotic arm to ensure stable and efficient picking operations even in complex environments. During the experimental phase, we conducted detailed validations on the practical application of the YOLOv8 algorithm in tea bud identification. When compared to the YOLOv5 algorithm, YOLOv8 exhibited superior accuracy and reliability. Furthermore, we performed comprehensive testing on the path planning for the picking robotic arm, evaluating various algorithms to determine the most effective path planning approach for the picking process. Ultimately, we conducted field tests to assess the robot’s performance. The results indicated a 62.02% success rate for the entire picking process of the premium tea-picking robot, with an average picking time of approximately 1.86 s per qualified tea bud. This study provides a solid foundation for further research, development, and deployment of premium tea-picking robots, serving as a valuable reference for the design of other crop-picking robots as well. Full article

Greening the environment cannot be achieved satisfactorily, considering that the private sector lags behind the public sector in participation levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons behind the gap in green finance between the two sectors using numerically derived outcomes. Six-year data in the form of total shareholder returns, comprising capital gains and dividends paid from the largest banks in China, the USA, and Europe involved in financing fossil fuels, were extracted from Yahoo.com finance and Macrotrends public forums. Equity premiums were calculated from the total shareholder returns and risk-free rates. A 95% confidence interval was established to determine the lower and upper limits of the equity premiums. The resulting upper limits were used to project premiums that could attract the private sector by 2030. Equity premiums averaged 2.73%, 9.73%, and 4.31% for China, the USA, and Europe, respectively, indicating the substantial task in the USA of attracting the private sector compared to Europe and China. The projections of total shareholder returns showed the same patterns in equity premiums among China, the United States (USA), and Europe. To bridge the gap, the significant need for economic benefits for the private sector should ideally be addressed through green bonds, tailored to green financing projects that are earmarked for revenue generation. Full article

Green pit viper bites induce mild toxicity with painful local swelling, blistering, cellulitis, necrosis, ecchymosis and consumptive coagulopathy. Several bite cases of green pit vipers have been reported in several south-east Asian countries including the north-eastern region of India. The present study describes isolation and characterization of a haemostatically active protein from Trimeresurus erythrurus venom responsible for coagulopathy. Using a two-step chromatographic method, a snake venom serine protease erythrofibrase was purified to homogeneity. SDS-PAGE of erythrofibrase showed a single band of ~30 kDa in both reducing and non-reducing conditions. The primary structure of erythrofibrase was determined by ESI LC-MS/MS, and the partial sequence obtained showed 77% sequence similarity with other snake venom thrombin-like enzymes (SVTLEs). The partial sequence obtained had the typical 12 conserved cysteine residues, as well as the active site residues (His57, Asp102 and Ser195). Functionally, erythrofibrase showed direct fibrinogenolytic activity by degrading the Aα chain of bovine fibrinogen at a slow rate, which might be responsible for causing hypofibrinogenemia and incoagulable blood for several days in envenomated patients. Moreover, the inability of Indian polyvalent antivenom (manufactured by Premium Serum Pvt. Ltd., Maharashtra, India) to neutralize the thrombin-like and plasmin-like activity of erythrofibrase can be correlated with the clinical inefficacy of antivenom therapy. This is the first study reporting an α-fibrinogenase enzyme erythrofibrase from T. erythrurus venom, which is crucial for the pathophysiological manifestations observed in envenomated victims. Full article

This study delves into a critical examination of the Size of Loss distribution patterns in the context of auto insurance during pre- and post-pandemics, emphasizing their profound influence on insurance pricing and regulatory frameworks. Through a comprehensive analysis of the historical Size of Loss data, insurers and regulators gain essential insights into the probabilities and magnitudes of insurance claims, informing the determination of precise insurance premiums and the management of case reserving. This approach aids in fostering fair competition, ensuring equitable premium rates, and preventing discriminatory pricing practices, thereby promoting a balanced insurance landscape. The research further investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these Size of Loss patterns, given the substantial shifts in driving behaviours and risk landscapes. Also, the research contributes to the literature by addressing the need for more studies focusing on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on pre- and post-pandemic auto insurance loss patterns, thus offering a holistic perspective encompassing both insurance pricing and regulatory dimensions. Full article

In the current study, matrices of losartan potassium were formulated with two different polymers (Ethocel 10 premium and Ethocel 10FP premium), along with a filler and a lubricant, at different drug-to-polymer w/w ratios (10:3, 10:4, and 10:5). The matrices were tested by the direct compression method, and their hardness, diameter, thickness, friability, weight variation, content uniformity, and in vitro dissolution tests were assessed to determine 24-h drug release rates. The matrices with Ethocel 10 FP at a 10:4 ratio exhibited pseudo-zero-order kinetics (n-value of 0.986), while the dissolution data of the test matrices and reference tablets did not match. The new test-optimized matrices were also tested in rabbits, and their pharmacokinetic parameters were investigated: half-life (11.78 ± 0.018 h), Tmax (2.105 ± 1.131 h), C_max (205.98 ± 0.321 μg/mL), AUC_o (5931.10 ± 1.232 μg·h/mL), AUC_o-inf (7348.46 ± 0.234 μg·h/mL), MRT_o-48h (17.34 ± 0.184 h), and Cl (0.002 ± 0.134 mL/min). A correlation value of 0.985 between the in vitro and in vivo results observed for the test-optimized matrices was observed, indicating a level-A correlation between the percentage of the drug released in vitro and the percentage of the drug absorbed in vivo. The matrices might improve patient compliance with once-a-day dosing and therapeutic outcomes. Full article

The study focuses on the selected aspects of investment measurement and management for the support of financial and economic decision-making of investors in wood-processing sectors. The aim of the study was to analyze the indicators for the structure and cost of capital of furniture and paper/forest branches in Slovakia, quantify the actual expected return on investment based on the selected methodology, and consequently find out the fundamental differences resulting from the specific conditions of given sectors. Methodologically, the study uses procedures for the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), capital asset pricing model (CAPM) for determining the cost of equity, and calculation of the beta coefficient considering the risk premium. The results of the study demonstrated a similar levered beta in both analyzed sectors (1.17 in furniture, 1.20 in paper/forest), but in each sector for a different reason. The expected rate of return is higher in furniture (7.84%) compared to paper/forest products at the level of 6.04%. The findings provide the possibility of comparing the required and expected rate of return on invested capital and making the appropriate long-term investment decisions. Full article

Natural disasters are increasing due to climate change, which is causing economic losses for countries affected by them. Disaster management funds need to be provided, including through purchasing insurance. Determining natural disaster insurance premiums needs to involve consideration of the geographical conditions of the country. The aim of this research was to develop a model for determining natural disaster insurance premiums using the jumping processes method and a cross-subsidy system. The model takes into account the level of economic growth and the natural disaster potential index. The data analyzed relate to cases of natural disasters and losses that occurred in each province in Indonesia. From the results of the analysis, it was found that through a cross-subsidy system, the principle of mutual cooperation can be applied in managing natural disasters. Regions with a high level of economic growth and a low natural disaster potential index need to provide subsidies to regions with a low economic growth rate and a high natural disaster potential index. It was also found that the cost of insurance premiums was influenced by the size of losses and the frequency of natural disasters in the province. The greater the potential for disasters and economic losses experienced by a province due to disasters, the greater the premium burden that must be borne, and vice versa. Based on these conditions, insurance premiums vary in each province in Indonesia. It is hoped that the results of this research can provide a reference for the government in determining policies for providing funds for natural disaster management using a cross-subsidy system. In addition, this research can provide a reference for insurance companies in determining natural disaster insurance premiums in Indonesia. Full article

This paper investigates the optimal private health insurance contract design problem, considering the joint interests of a policyholder and an insurer. Both the policyholder and the insurer jointly determine the premium of private health insurance. In order to better reflect reality, the illness expenditure is modelled by an extended compound Poisson process depending on health status. Under the mean–variance criterion and by applying dynamic programming, control theory, and leader–follower game techniques, analytically time-consistent private health insurance strategies are derived, optimal private health insurance contracts are designed, and their implications toward insurance are analysed. Finally, we perform numerical experiments assuming that the policyholder and the insurer calculate their wealth every year and they deposit their disposable income into the Bank of China with the interest rate being $r=0.021$. The values of other model parameters are set by referring to the data in the related literature. We find that the worse the policyholder’s health, the higher the premium that they pay for private health insurance, and buying private health insurance can effectively reduce the policyholder’s economic losses caused by illnesses. Full article

Crop insurance is a crucial way to avoid disaster losses and to guarantee farmers’ basic production income in China and abroad. Securing agricultural production is a critical way to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty and an essential means to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. How to pay out more quickly and fairly after a disaster has become an urgent issue for agricultural insurance. The standard domestic crop insurance rate is determined based on the statistical data of the entire administrative unit and ignores the spatial risk difference of disasters inside the administrative unit. Therefore, obtaining a pure premium based on crops inside the administrative unit is a key problem. Based on remote sensing data and insurance actuarial models, we studied and determined the fair premium rates to insure winter wheat at the farmer level in Heze, Shandong, China. Our study shows that remote sensing data can provide data security for determining a pure premium rate at the level of individual farms, and provide the primary reference for determining farmer-level crop insurance premium rates. The use of remote sensing for determining those rates can improve the customization of crop insurance and reduce farmers’ lower incomes due to exposure to natural disasters, improve farmers’ resilience to risk, and prevent a return to poverty due to disasters, ultimately reaching the UN Sustainable Development goals of eradicating hunger and reducing poverty. Full article