Alternative Index Research Articles

Multisource data-based integrated drought monitoring index: Model development and application

In this study, we proposed a new integrated remote sensing drought monitoring indices, i.e. Multiple Remote Sensing Drought Index integrated by Principal Component Analysis (PSDI), Multiple Remote Sensing Drought Index integrated by multiple linear regression (MRSDI) and Multiple Remote Sensing drought index integrated by gradient boosting method (GBMDI), based on the Precipitation Condition Index (PCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), and Soil Moisture Condition Index (SMCI). The monitoring performance of PSDI, MRSDI and GBMDI was compared and verified based on the real-world observed droughts during 2002 to 2016. We also evidenced drought monitoring performance of the PSDI MRSDI and GBMDI by comparison between PSDI, MRSDI, GBMDI and SPEI, SPI and PDSI based on the in situ observed meteorological data. We found that the spatiotemporal characteristics of droughts monitored by the PSDI, MRSDI and GBMDI were generally in good agreement with those by the SPI and SPEI. The GBMDI performs better than PSDI and MRSDI in describing drought processes and spatial patterns of droughts of different drought intensities. Comparison between the real-world observed drought-affected croplands and those monitored by PSDI, MRSDI and GBMDI indicated better drought monitoring performance of GBMDI than PSDI and MRSDI in monitoring droughts across widespread drought-affected regions. Besides, the trend of GBMDI is in good agreement with standardized crop yield. Therefore GBMDI should be the first choice in drought monitoring practice. The GBMDI developed in this study can help to provide an alternative drought monitoring index for large-scale drought monitoring across China and also in other regions of the globe.

Aggressive-like behaviour and neurocognitive impairment in alcohol herbal mixture-fed mice are associated with increased neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis in the prefrontal cortex.

Alcohol-induced aggression and related violence is a serious and common social problem globally. Alcohol use is increasingly found in the form of alcoholic herbal mixtures (AHM) with indiscriminate and unregulated alcohol content. This study investigated the effects of AHM on aggressive-like, neurocognitive impairment and brain biochemical alteration in mice. Thirty-two male resident mice were paired housed with female mice for 21 days in four groups (n = 8). Resident mice were treated orally with normal saline, AHM, ethanol and AHM + ethanol daily for 14 days. Aggressive-like behaviour was scored based on the latency and frequency of attacks by the resident mouse on the intruder. Neurocognitive impairment was determined using the Y-maze test (YMT) and novel object recognition test (NORT). Acetylcholinesterase, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters were determined in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Neuronal morphology, cytochrome c (Cyt-c) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ĸB) expressions were determined. AHM and in combination with ethanol showed an increased index of aggression typified by frequency of attack and reduced latency to attack when compared to normal saline-treated animals. Co-administration of AHM and ethanol significantly reduced cognitive correct alternation (%) and discrimination index in the YMT and NORT, respectively. AHM and ethanol increased acetylcholinesterase, Pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters while they reduced GAD. There were significantly reduced neuronal counts and increased expression of Cyt-c and NF-ĸB, respectively Alcoholic herbal mixture increased aggressiveness and caused neurocognitive impairment via increased oxido-inflammatory stress in the prefrontal cortex.

ALTERNATE BEARING IN FRUIT PLANTS

Fruit trees exhibit a characteristic called "alternate bearing," which means that some fruit trees have fewer flowers in years when they have a lot of fruit. Pollination, temperature, carbohydrate concentration, family, cultivator, fruit load, and environmental pressures are physiological and biochemical factors contributing to alternate bearing in trees. Phytohormones are also considered very important for fruit production, both in good years and in bad ones. The alternate bearing index (I) determines how often crops grow in different places. When done right, trimming, thinning, and controlling when flower buds start to grow can lead to normal fruiting. Also, genetics, management practices, and biotic and abiotic stresses can cause a bird to change how it bears its young. To reduce the effects of alternate bearing, it's important to use good management techniques and choose types that are less likely to do this

Index of Cashless Transaction

The promotion of cashless transaction is a policy priority for the Indian economy. The government of India has adopted various policy measures to promote financial services and cashless transaction starting with the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ (PMJDY) in 2014 and controversial measure of demonetisation in November 2016. While the importance of cashless transaction is widely recognised, a proper yardstick is required to measure the extent and effectiveness of the policies for promoting the cashless transaction in an economy, which is absent. In the present article, we attempt to fill the gap by adopting the multidimensional index developed by UNDP for this purpose. This article constructs three alternative indices of the cashless transaction from 2012 to 2018 by aggregating different components of the cashless transaction. It also analyses the effectiveness of policies to promote cashless transaction separately on the trend of the overall cashless transaction of the economy and also on the different components of cashless transaction. It has been found that while demonetisation and post-demonetisation policies had a temporary effect on the overall value of the cashless transaction there is an increase in volume of the cashless transaction after the adaptation of PMJDY.JEL: E42, G18, G21

Regional static diversification and relatedness between industries

Abstract Relatedness has often been shown to have a central role in regional diversification. Knowledge flows between related industries are an important source of innovation, leading to industry growth and the establishment of new industries. Earlier studies have focused on dynamic diversification into new industries, but in this study, we emphasize static diversification, that is, changes in the balance between existing industries in a region. We use linked employer–employee data from Denmark and construct a range of measures at the level of regional industries. The role of relatedness in static diversification 2008–2013 is then analyzed based on industry characteristics in 2008. We find that relatedness plays a more important role in regions that are either spatially peripheral or economically non-peripheral, while relatedness has no relationship to static diversification on average. In addition to the empirical result, we contribute by comparing indices of relatedness, suggesting an alternative employment-weighted index, and conceptualizing relatedness as itself a disparity dimension of diversity. We finally ask how static and dynamic diversification affect disparity. We find that human capital intensity plays an important role in the link between diversification and the evolution of disparity.

Comparison of taxonomic and size-based approaches to determine the effects of environment and disturbance on invertebrate communities in coastal Chile

• Disturbance from land use change and tsunamis impact Chilean invertebrates. • Aquatic and terrestrial communities respond differently to wetland disturbance. • Coastal wetland invertebrate communities vary with latitudinal gradients. • Disturbance impacts on size vary according to salinity. • Taxonomic diversity and size-based metrics detect different disturbance impacts. The frequency and intensity of extreme events in coastal wetlands is increasing due to climate change. These, in combination with other threats such as habitat loss, can have strong effects on the biodiversity and ecosystem services of coastal wetland ecosystems. Here we examined how traditional (community composition and taxonomic diversity) and alternative indices based on body size (size diversity and the slope of size spectra) respond to single and combined effects of anthropogenic disturbances, extreme event disturbances, and key environmental drivers, for both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates in Mediterranean coastal wetlands in Chile. We studied 18 coastal wetlands over more than 500 km along the Chilean coast. We applied both univariate (GLMMs and GAMMs) and multivariate statistics (RDA and variation partitioning) to identify additive and non-additive effects on invertebrates. We also examined latitudinal trends, and tested the potential of alternative metrics to detect interactions between disturbances. We found latitude-specific vulnerability to disturbances in Chilean coastal wetlands. Non-additive effects were more important for aquatic invertebrates, while additive effects were more important for terrestrial invertebrates. In many cases, disturbance effects depended on the environmental conditions of study sites, especially salinity. This study suggests that size-based metrics may be better than taxonomic metrics at detecting interactions among different disturbances, especially for aquatic invertebrates.

Journal N-Pact Factors From 2011 to 2019: Evaluating the Quality of Social/Personality Journals With Respect to Sample Size and Statistical Power

Scholars and institutions commonly use impact factors to evaluate the quality of empirical research. However, a number of findings published in journals with high impact factors have failed to replicate, suggesting that impact alone may not be an accurate indicator of quality. Fraley and Vazire proposed an alternative index, the N-pact factor, which indexes the median sample size of published studies, providing a narrow but relevant indicator of research quality. In the present research, we expand on the original report by examining the N-pact factor of social/personality-psychology journals between 2011 and 2019, incorporating additional journals and accounting for study design (i.e., between persons, repeated measures, and mixed). There was substantial variation in the sample sizes used in studies published in different journals. Journals that emphasized personality processes and individual differences had larger N-pact factors than journals that emphasized social-psychological processes. Moreover, N-pact factors were largely independent of traditional markers of impact. Although the majority of journals in 2011 published studies that were not well powered to detect an effect of ρ = .20, this situation had improved considerably by 2019. In 2019, eight of the nine journals we sampled published studies that were, on average, powered at 80% or higher to detect such an effect. After decades of unheeded warnings from methodologists about the dangers of small-sample designs, the field of social/personality psychology has begun to use larger samples. We hope the N-pact factor will be supplemented by other indices that can be used as alternatives to improve further the evaluation of research.

ANALYZING PRIORITY VECTORS: GOING BEYOND INCONSISTENCY INDEXES

A great concern when utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is how the final priority vector, resulting from the inconsistent analysis, behaves when compared with the original priority ranking, resulting from the consistent analysis. The AHP utilizes an inconsistency index to predict rank reversal. In addition to the original inconsistency index of the AHP, several authors have worked on developing alternative inconsistency indexes, with the goal of improving the predictability of rank reversal. However, inconsistency indexes do not help clarify whether a rank reversal is a rejectable outcome or, to some extent, the correct answer. A rank reversal may express the correct priority, particularly when some positions in the original priority rank have small weight differences among them. Therefore, it is very important to develop a method to allow a clear and definitive analysis on how disturbed the weights and ranking of the final priority vectors are when compared to their original consistent rankings. Such a method is developed here and its utilization is demonstrated by analyzing a corporate governance scenario.

Learning the Treatment Impact on Time-to-Event Outcomes: The Transcarotid Artery Revascularization Simulated Cohort.

Proportional hazard Cox regression models are overwhelmingly used for analyzing time-dependent outcomes. Despite their associated hazard ratio is a valuable index for the difference between populations, its strong dependency on the underlying assumptions makes it a source of misinterpretation. Recently, a number of works have dealt with the subtleties and limitations of this interpretation. Besides, a number of alternative indices and different Cox-type models have been proposed. In this work, we use synthetic data, motivated by a real-world problem, for showing the strengths and weaknesses of some of those methods in the analysis of time-dependent outcomes. We use the power of synthetic data for considering observable results but also utopian designs.

Mid upper arm circumference as screening tool of overweight or obesity among adult employees of Mizan Tepi University, Southwest Ethiopia

BackgroundOverweight or obesity is an excessive fat accumulation that impairs the health and wellbeing of the adult population throughout the world. Recently Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) was suggested as a screening index for overweight or obesity among adolescents, but its utilization for the assessment of overweight or obesity in the adult population is not clear yet. In addition, little is known about the screening ability of MUAC for overweight or obesity in the adult population of Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the utility of MUAC for screening overweight or obesity among adult employees of Mizan Tepi University, Southwest Ethiopia. MethodA Facility -based cross-sectional study was carried out from February 21 to March 20, 2020, at Mizan Tepi University. About 585 study participants were selected by gender-based stratified sampling technique. Anthropometric data like weight, height, and MUAC were collected. Pearson's correlation between MUAC, body mass index (BMI), and age was calculated to see a relationship between them. The Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was calculated to identify the screening ability of MUAC for overweight or obesity. The appropriate MUAC cutoff point for both men and women established using the Youden index. Additionally, sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values were calculated. ResultThe prevalence of overweight and obesity among the study participants was 18.1% and 4.8%, respectively. MUAC had a strong positive correlation with BMI, r = 0.65 (95% CI; 0.56–0.69). According to ROC analysis, MUAC is an excellent screening tool for male and female employees with excellent accuracy (AUC = 0.9 with 91.4% sensitivity and 76.4% specificity) and good accuracy (AUC = 0.83 with 67.2% sensitivity and 83.5% specificity), respectively. Based on the youden index, the cutoff point of MUAC to screen overweight or obesity among male and female employees was 26.91cm. ConclusionMid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) has an equal ability with BMI to screen overweight or obesity among adults. Therefore, MUAC can be utilized as an alternative index to screen overweight and obesity in resource-limited setups.

A Placebo-Controlled Study to Assess the Sensitivity of Finger Tapping to Medication Effects in Parkinson's Disease.

Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Rating Scale Part III (MDS-UPDRS III) is the gold standard for assessing medication effects in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, short and rater-independent measurements would be ideal for future trials. To assess the ability of 3 different finger tapping tasks to detect levodopa/carbidopa-induced changes over time and to determine their correlation and compare their discriminatory power with MDS-UPDRS III. This was a randomized, double-blind, crossover study in 20 patients with PD receiving levodopa/carbidopa and placebo capsules after overnight medication withdrawal. Pre- and up to 3.5 hours postdose, MDS-UPDRS III and tapping tasks were performed. Tasks included 2 touchscreen-based alternate finger tapping tasks (index finger versus index-middle finger tapping) and a thumb-index finger task using a goniometer. In the alternate index finger tapping task, levodopa/carbidopa compared with placebo resulted in significantly faster (total taps: 12.5 [95% confidence interval, CI, 6.7-18.2]) and less accurate tapping (total spatial error: 240 mm [95% CI, 123-357 mm]) with improved rhythm (intertap interval standard deviation [SD], -16.3% [95% CI, -29.9% to 0.0%]). In the thumb-index finger task, tapping was significantly faster (mean opening velocity, 151 degree/s [64-237 degree/s]), with a higher mean amplitude (8.4 degrees [3.7-13.0 degrees]) and improved rhythm (intertap interval SD, -46.4% [95% CI, -63.7% to -20.9%]). The speed-related endpoints showed a moderate-to-strong correlation with the MDS-UPDRS III (r=0.45-0.70). The effect sizes of total taps and spatial error in the alternate index finger tapping task and opening velocity in the thumb-index finger task were comparable with the MDS-UPDRS III. In contrast, the MDS-UPDRS III performed better than the alternate index-middle finger task. The alternate index finger and the thumb-index finger tapping tasks provide short, rater-independent measurements that are sensitive to levodopa/carbidopa effects with a similar effect size as the MDS-UPDRS III.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of dry‐wet abrupt alternation events in China during 1960–2018

AbstractThe dry‐wet abrupt alternation (DWAA) can lead to consecutive drought–flood hazards with high socioeconomic losses. Over the past decades, China has suffered huge economic losses of more than $15 billion due to drought and flood hazards. With the rapid socio‐economic development, the damages caused by DWAA are expected to be more serious. However, the spatiotemporal patterns of DWAA were poorly known at the continental scale. In this study, DWAA was identified by the short‐cycle dry‐wet abrupt alternation index (SDWAI) across eight eco‐regions of China from 1960 to 2018. Results showed that DWAA mainly occurred in humid/semihumid region (III), subtropical humid region (V), and tropical humid region (VI). Seasonally, DWAA is mostly concentrated in summer, with the highest frequency in June and July. Meanwhile, 67% of the total DWAA events were observed in nonsummer seasons. From 1960 to 2018, the intensity of dry to wet (DTW) events has increased by 0.015/10 year. The north and west of China (except region III, V, VI, and VII) experienced an increasing trend in DTW intensity, but a decreasing trend in WTD intensity. DWAA events in some parts of China were frequently observed, which was related to the variability in precipitation patterns caused by climate change. The identification of local hotspots and seasonal distribution of DWAA will support decision‐making for warning and mitigating the drought and flood hazards.

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Relation with Diet Quality and Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italy.

Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been the focus of major attention due to their potential effects on human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the intake of UPFs in a sample of southern Italian individuals and assess its relationship with nutrient profile and dietary quality parameters. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1936 individuals older than 18 years randomly selected from the general population. A total of 110 food times have been categorized based on the level of processing using the NOVA classification. The average daily energy intake of the sample was 2091.1 kcal, 38.7% of which were from the NOVA group of unprocessed/minimally processed foods, 5.7% from processed culinary ingredients, 38.3% from processed foods, and 17.9% from the UPFs group. UPFs were more consumed among young, unmarried individuals, with high cultural level, smokers, and often eating out of home. The mean energy share of UPFs varied from 6.3% of total daily energy intake for individuals in the lowest quintile of UPF consumption to 34.2% for those in the upper quintile. Within the UPF group, the highest energy contribution was provided by fast foods and sweets. Compared to the lowest quintile of UPF consumption, individuals in the highest quintile consumed, on average, additional 300 kcals per day and less fiber. Some plant-derived vitamins, such as vitamin A and vitamin C showed an inverse trend toward increasing shares of UPF consumption, while sodium intake increased. A significant higher intake of UPFs in individuals meeting the European and Italian dietary recommendations for carbohydrates, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin E was found, while UPFs were less consumed among those meeting the recommendations for total fats, fiber, sodium, potassium, and vitamin C. Finally, individuals displaying a “healthier” dietary profile, such as higher adherence to either the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, the Alternate Diet Quality Index, and the Diet Quality Index-International, consumed less UPFs and more unprocessed/minimally processed foods, with minor variation in the other NOVA food categories. In conclusion, consumption of UPF in southern Italy is in line with those reported in some other Mediterranean countries, although it negatively impacted the nutrient profile. It is important to monitor the consumption of UPFs before their availability and popularity put the grounds on younger generations’ dietary habits.

Comment on “How Inequality Affects Trust in Institutions: Evidence from Indonesia”

Suryahadi et al. (2022) address the challenging task of identifying how income inequality affects trust in others, organizations, and institutions through a cross-section analysis of Indonesia. As previous studies have suggested, the extent of trust is considered an important factor for economic development, for example, by reducing transaction costs. This has led many social scientists to analyze the determinants of trust, but few studies have shed light on the impact of inequality on trust (Gustavsson & Jordahl, 2008; Barone & Mocetti, 2016). The importance of the topic seems to be even greater under the current Covid-19 pandemic. It has been noted that low trust in governments may lead to vaccine hesitancy (SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy, 2014), which might have lowered the coverage of Covid-19 vaccination in many countries. In order to identify the effects of income inequality on various aspects of trust, Suryahadi et al. construct an impressive dataset comprising various surveys, such as the World Value Survey, the National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas), Village Census (PODES), and village-level data on estimated poverty and inequality (PovertyMap). Using the informative dataset, Suryahadi et al. reveal statistically significant negative correlations between district-level inequality and trust in political and state institutions. On the other hand, they also find that higher village-level inequality has a negative effect on trust in strangers. The estimation results are intuitively consistent, and Suryahadi et al. provide a useful perspective on the relationship between inequality and trust in Indonesia, though there appear to be some issues that still need to be cleared up. First, their cross-section analysis might induce an endogeneity problem. Suryahadi et al. employ ordinary least squares results with reference to endogeneity test outcomes (Suryahadi et al.'s table A.2), which depend on the assumption that their instrumental variable is valid and strong. As Suryahadi et al. are cautious about the results of their analysis, I am still afraid that the inequality variables correlate with the error term (endogeneity). For example, I am concerned that Suryahadi et al. do not control for ethnic diversity among villages in the empirical specifications, while ethnic heterogeneity displays a strong negative correlation with the extent to which people trust each other (Gustavsson & Jordahl, 2008; Jordahl, 2009). Second, in line with the literature, Suryahadi et al. assume that respondents are well acquainted with the objective level of income inequality in their districts and villages. In other words, this means that the subjective perception of inequality is supposed to coincide with, or at least be proportional to, the objective inequality index, but it seems questionable to make such a simple assumption. Hu (2017) suggests that objective inequality and subjective inequality are not correlated and shows a statistically significant nonlinear relationship between subjective inequality and general trust. Third, linked to the above comment, it appears that there is room for consideration as to which inequality index is appropriate for the analysis. Previous studies have used inequality indices such as the percentile ratio, top income shares, and the standard deviation of logs in addition to the Gini coefficient, and it is suggested that the estimation results may be sensitive to the choice of indicators (Gustavsson & Jordahl, 2008). If such alternative inequality indices are available for Indonesia, it may be worth trying them to check the robustness of the estimation results. Fourth, Suryahadi et al. show that while Indonesia's Gini ratio increased at the national level in the 2000s, trust in government organizations and institutions remained flat or increased slightly over the same period (Suryahadi et al.'s figure 3). This simple relationship between disparity and trust seen in the time series data seems to contrast with the results of their cross-sectional analysis, which shows a negative correlation between inequality and trust. It would be useful if Suryahadi et al. could explain the reason for this. Fifth, in contrast to Zmerli and Castillo (2015) who explore Latin American cases, Suryahadi et al. find a negative correlation between higher inequality and trust in the central government rather than trust in political parties (Suryahadi et al.'s figure 5). This may be brought about by differences in model specifications, but it would be helpful if Suryahadi et al. can elaborate on the possible reason behind the differences. Finally, one of their main challenges for the future will be the search for another appropriate instrumental variable that will allow them to reveal causal relationships between inequality and trust. The information-rich dataset they have constructed will make it possible to identify the causal inference and contribute to the literature.

Triglyceride glucose index and its combination with the Get with the Guidelines-Heart Failure score in predicting the prognosis in patients with heart failure.

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is associated with generalized insulin resistance (IR). Recent studies demonstrated that triglyceride glucose (TyG) is an effective alternative index of IR. However, the relationship between the TyG index and in-hospital mortality in patients with HF is unclear. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the association between the TyG index and in-hospital mortality in patients with HF.MethodsA retrospective study consisting of 4,411 patients diagnosed with HF from 2015 to 2018 was conducted. All-cause mortality during hospitalization was the primary endpoint. The association between the TyG index and in-hospital mortality was assessed using the logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe risk of in-hospital mortality was significantly associated with increased TyG index (OR: 1.886, 95% CI: 1.421–2.501, p < 0.001) under logistic regression with multivariable adjustment. When divided into three groups based on the TyG index, Tertile 3 demonstrated significantly higher in-hospital mortality than the other two Tertiles (OR: 2.076, 95% CI: 1.284–3.354, p = 0.001). Moreover, the TyG index improved the prediction efficiency of the Get with the Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) score (absolute integrated discrimination improvement = 0.006, p < 0.001; category-free net reclassification improvement = 0.075, p = 0.005). In subgroup analysis, the TyG index exhibited similar predictive performance of in-hospital mortality when groups were stratified based on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD).ConclusionTyG is a potential index for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with HF, independent of T2DM or CAD status. The TyG index may be combined with the GWTG-HF score to further improve its predictive efficacy.

The impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on corporate financial performance: an empirical study on shipping

ABSTRACT Corporate social responsibility (CSR) attracts steaming attention in global maritime business, stimulated by critical priorities, such as the IMO 2020 regulations for environmental compliance and initiatives including the Poseidon Principles and ESG practices. The CSR implications for shipping corporate performance and value creation deserve updated empirical investigation. Based on international standards and ISO 26000 regulations, the paper proposes and sets up an innovative Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Index. This challenging metric tool is incorporated on a sample of 50 listed shipping companies in NYSE, NASDAQ, and Oslo markets, covering broadly all major shipping business sectors (bulks, tankers, containers, LNGs, cruises), over 2010–2019. The proposed CSR Index integrates 17 CSR components based on the ISO 26000 standard, as an alternative empirical index of the CSR impact on shipping company financial performance and value. The empirical results support the hypothesis of a significant positive correlation between CSR and shipping corporate performance and value and underline the preference of investors for shipping companies with established good CSR practices.

Historical population dynamics of the Adélie penguin in response to atmospheric-ocean circulation patterns at Beaufort Island, Ross Sea, Antarctica

Changes in sea ice extent and polynya size and productivity associated with climate conditions in the Ross Sea region have an important role on the ecological responses of Adélie penguins ( Pygoscelis adeliae ). Nevertheless, there have been few studies that elaborate on the effects of atmospheric and oceanic circulation on their populations. Here, we reconstructed the population dynamics of Adélie penguins on Beaufort Island during the past 350 years using various alternative geochemical indices and Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). We explored the effects of atmospheric-ocean circulation patterns, including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL), on the population ecology of penguins. The results indicated that their population on the island has been growing with fluctuations since ~1650 AD, and there were three significant increases, corresponding to 1650–1750, 1825–1900 and after 1950 AD. It was revealed that climate warming in this region was not a necessary factor for penguin population growth, since their populations maintained an increasing trend during the Little Ice Age (LIA) when relatively colder climate conditions prevailed. The present results indicated that atmospheric-ocean circulation patterns likely impose prominent influences on the historical change of penguin populations on Beaufort Island. • Historical penguin population was reconstructed by Generalized Additive Models. • Sea ice extent, polynya and temperature affect the penguin population directly. • Atmospheric-ocean circulation patterns may play a key role on penguins' ecology. • Warming in the Ross Sea region is not mandatory for larger penguin population.

COVID-19, clean energy stock market, interest rate, oil prices, volatility index, geopolitical risk nexus: evidence from quantile regression

PurposeThe outbreak and the spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the global financial sector, including the alternative clean and renewable energy sector. This paper aims to assess the impact of the pandemic, COVID-19 on the stock market indices of the clean energy sector using quantile regression methods.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized daily data sets on the four major categories of stocks: (1) Morgan Stanley Capital International Global Alternative Energy Index, (2) WilderHill Clean Energy Index, (3) Renewable Energy Industrial Index (RENIXX) and (4) the S&amp;P 500 Global Clean Index. The study adopts a multifactor capital asset pricing model.FindingsClean and alternative energy stocks are powerful instruments for diversification. However, the impact of the volatility index induced by infectious disease is negative and significant across quantiles.Practical implicationsFor investors and policymakers, considering how the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and the geopolitical index influences renewable energy markets is of great practical importance. For investors, it throws insights into portfolio diversification. For policy makers, it helps to devise strategies to reboot the economy along the lines of the deployment of renewables. This study sheds light on a global green-energy transition and has practical implications for renewable energy resilience in post-pandemic times.Originality/valueThis paper can be considered as a pioneer that explores the nexus between oil prices, interest rates, volatility index, and geopolitical risk upon the stock indices of clean and alternative sources of (renewable) energy in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The results have important insights into the area of energy and policy decision-making. Additionally, the paper's novelty lies in using the explanatory variables associated with the Covid 19 pandemic.

Welfare Index for Western Visayas, Philippines

This paper suggests an alternative welfare index for Western Visayas, Philippines. It composes the latest Human Development Index (HDI), and the recent figures on employment and underemployment rate, agricultural production and gross regional domestic product rate, Consumer Price Index, and inflation rate, purchasing power, Gini-coefficient ratio, poverty incidence, temperature, and population growth. The study collects these pieces of information on October 5-25, 2021. Using the arithmetic averaging, and following the scales of the HDI, the results show that Western Visayas’ welfare is within ‘Safe’ condition and is slightly far from its goal of reaching the ‘Secure’ classification

Linking inherent anisotropy with liquefaction phenomena of granular materials by means of DEM analysis

The liquefaction phenomena of sands have been studied by many researchers to date. Laboratory element tests have revealed key factors that govern liquefaction phenomena, such as relative density, particle size distribution, and grain shape. However, challenges remain in quantifying inherent anisotropy and in evaluating its impact on liquefaction phenomena. This contribution explores the effect of inherent anisotropy on the mechanical response of granular materials using the discrete element method. Samples composed of spherical particles are prepared which have approximately the same void ratio and mean coordination number (CN), but varying degrees of inherent anisotropy in terms of contact normals. Their mechanical responses are compared under drained and undrained triaxial monotonic loading as well as under undrained cyclic loading. The simulation results reveal that cyclic instability followed by liquefaction can be observed for loose samples having a large degree of inherent anisotropy. Since a sample having initial anisotropy tends to deform more in its weaker direction, leading to lower liquefaction resistance, a sample having an isotropic fabric potentially exhibits the greatest liquefaction resistance. Moreover, the effective stress path during undrained cyclic loading is found to follow the instability and failure lines observed for static liquefaction under undrained monotonic loading. From a micromechanical perspective, the recovery of effective stress during liquefaction can be observed when a threshold CN develops along with the evolving induced anisotropy. Realising that the conventional index of the anisotropic degree (a) is not effective when the CN drops to almost zero during cyclic liquefaction, this contribution proposes an alternative index, effective anisotropy (a×CN), with which the evolution of induced anisotropy can be tracked effectively, and common upper and lower bounds can be defined for both undrained monotonic and cyclic loading tests.