Base Region Research Articles

Delve deep: Seismic revolution in acquisition and model building for exploration

Sparse-node acquisition is the latest approach to improve the earth model through the inclusion of ultra-long offsets and low-frequency generating sources. The new designs of node data collections with simultaneous shooting can be deployed on a regional basis, covering thousands of square miles in a cost-effective manner. In complex geologic settings such as salt environments, salt interpretation has a direct impact on subsalt imaging. However, salt interpretation can be quite time intensive and challenging. Full-waveform inversion (FWI), as a data-driven optimization algorithm with full-wavefield modeling, has become an essential tool for earth model building. However, its use in salt tectonic contexts, especially with streamer data collection, is limited because the frequencies acquired are not sufficiently low and the offsets are not sufficiently long. The recent advancement of the objective function enables the application of an FWI workflow, coupled with sparse-node acquisition in the deepwater settings of the Gulf of Mexico, to refine the salt geometry, correct the background velocity error in subsalt, and uncover a basin's structural framework. The increased frequency content of the FWI-updated fields enables us to extract the FWI-derived reflectivity (FDR), which is an image created by the FWI nonlinear iterative process with the full wavefield. Additionally, the classic extraction of amplitude-versus-angle/amplitude-variation-with-offset parameters employs the elastic Zoeppritz formulation to obtain rock-physics volumes and explain the amplitude on the prestack image gathers, which are typically generated by Kirchhoff or reverse time migration (RTM) depth migration. The next step is to substitute these migrations with FWI and output not only the poststack FDR but use it in a prestack mode to aid amplitude analysis at an early stage of model building.

Potential water‐related risks to the electric power industry associated with changing surface water conditions

AbstractThis study identifies and summarizes potential risks to operations, regulatory compliance, supply chains, and infrastructure of the electric power industry from changing surface water conditions resulting from global climate change. The results help inform companies/utilities seeking to incorporate climate change risk in their planning and decision‐making processes by ranking risk severity and likelihood of occurrence on both a regional basis and by risk receptor. The assessment includes identification of potential risks to: (1) thermal generating, (2) hydroelectric, (3) land‐based renewable generating, and (4) transmission and distribution assets. These risks may result from such projected changes as reduced water availability (e.g., for hydroelectric or once‐through cooling), increased water temperatures (e.g., decrease in cooling efficiency, inability to meet discharge permit conditions), increased flood severity (e.g., increased streambank erosion and/or damage to river‐adjacent infrastructure), and decreased water quality (e.g., from increased transport of sediment and dissolved solids). The potential risks identified from this qualitative risk‐assessment are documented in a graphical format depicting both severity and likelihood. This approach allows for comparison of risks across a portfolio and for future prioritization of adaptation strategies. A total of 32 risks were identified in the study, including nine risks to infrastructure, six risks to operations, four risks to supply chain, and 13 environmental/regulatory risks.

Mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering in the Middle East compared to Europe and North America.

Parents play a central role in the treatment of childhood stuttering. Addressing parental attitudes toward stuttering is helpful therapeutically. The extent to which differences in attitudes toward stuttering exist on the basis of sex, geographical region and parental status (e.g., parent of a stuttering child, parent of a nonstuttering child, nonparent) is unclear. Many studies investigating such factors have used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire. A large POSHA-S database has collected responses from over 20000 people from 49 countries. The aim of this study was to use the POSHA-S database to examine the extent to which the following variables influence attitudes toward stuttering: (a) parents' sex (mothers vs. fathers), (b) geographic region (Middle East vs. Europe and North America), (c) parents' children (stuttering vs. nonstuttering) and (d) parental status (parents versus nonparents). Data used in this study were extracted from selected, relevant studies that administered the POSHA-S to respondents. The Overall Stuttering Scores were compared on the basis of sex and parent status (i.e., mothers and fathers; nonparent women and men) and were then compared within and across the two geographical areas. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of variance followed by independent t tests, and Cohen's d was calculated to determine effect sizes. Statistically significant differences were observed upon the basis of geographical region. In general, male parents and nonparents tend to have more positive stuttering attitudes among the Middle Eastern samples while female parents and nonparents tend to show more positive attitudes in European and North American samples in the POSHA-S database. Effect sizes were small for all comparisons. The effect of geographic region and culture may predict sex-based differences among mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering; however, the clinical significance is unclear. Additional research is needed to better understand how children who stutter are affected by their parents' attitudes toward stuttering. What is already known on this subject The research clearly indicates that attitudes toward stuttering vary according to geographical region. Less clear is whether mothers and fathers from geographically diverse backgrounds hold different attitudes toward stuttering and the extent to which parental status (being a parent, parent of a child who stutters or nonparent) affects attitudes toward stuttering. What this study adds This study's findings confirm that geographical differences do influence attitudes toward stuttering. Male parents and nonparents tend to have equal or more positive attitudes toward stuttering in Middle Eastern samples, whereas non-Middle Eastern female parents and nonparents tend to show hold more positive attitudes. What are the clinical implications of this work? In addition to being culturally sensitive when working with parents of children who stutter, clinicians should also consider that mothers and fathers may have some differences in attitudes and behaviours toward their child's stuttering. These differences should be considered when designing treatment plans. It should also be noted that, despite statistical significance, the effect sizes in this study were low, suggesting that further research as well as close collaboration with parents of children who stutter is warranted.

Extraction and geospatial analysis of the Hersek Lagoon shoreline with Sentinel-2 satellite data

In this study, the coastal changes in Hersek Lagoon, have occurred in the 5 years (2015 to 2020) were examined. With the Modified Normalised Difference Water Index (MNDWI), the water areas in the lagoon were determined by object-based classification. When the changes are examined on a regional basis, it is seen that there are erosion and accretion areas were observed. Pearson's r value was examined between End Point Rate (EPR) and Linear Regression Rate (LRR) and a high correlation such as r = 0.921 was obtained. The maximum coastal change was observed as 18.74 m/year with EPR and 18.62 m/year with LRR.

The antecedents and outcome of foreign direct divestment for developing economies

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the drivers of foreign direct divestment (FDD), how it relates to foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and stocks and its implications for developing countries. While divestment occurs for various reasons, it can be explained by reversing the propositions implied by FDI theories.Design/methodology/approachThe authors combine FDI data and FDI theories to provide theoretical explanations for FDD and what it means for developing countries. FDI stock and flow data are used to derive inferences on trends in FDD and examine the implications of FDI theories on FDD.FindingsChanges in the modes of global production and the rise of COVID-19 have reinforced the trend of stagnant or diminishing FDI flows observed since the global financial crisis, with implications for FDD. The authors demonstrate how the various FDI theories can be used to explain FDD, except for the currency areas hypothesis. By reviewing the costs and benefits of FDI, it is concluded that shrinking FDI flows and stocks may not be as detrimental for developing economies as it is typically portrayed.Originality/valueThe paper uses two original approaches to measure and explain the motives for FDD. The first is a reassessment of FDI theories in a way that makes them valid theories for FDD. The second original approach is to interpret data on FDI flows and stocks to imply the trends governing FDD, which is useful, as data on foreign divestment are not available on a country or regional basis.

A Comprehensive Study of Assessing Sustainable Agricultural Water Management under Changing Climate Scenarios—A Regional Basis Study in the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats (WG) in South India is a biological hotspot with a cluster of small river basins and heterogeneous climate and vegetation patterns, and it is categorized under the water stress region by Central Water Commission (CWC). This study aims to evaluate the effects of climate change and land use/land cover (LULC) transformations on water balance components and irrigation water demand (IWD) across different regions of WG for a future period (2020–2050). The variable infiltration capacity model has been calibrated separately for the upper, middle, and lower regions of WG. Further, climate projections from the CMIP6 experiment (SSP2 45/SSP5 85) have been used for future projections of water balance components. The land use change shows an increase in built-up (5.79%) and a decrease in cultivable land (1.24%) by the end of 2030 from 1995. The combined impact due to climate and LULC change shows that the future rainfall/runoff increases in the lower regions of the basin by 100/36.5 mm/year through SSP 4.5. However, the summer months show an increasing water requirement in the future for the Ghats and Nilgiri regions of the basin. The present regional-based study will be useful for future agriculture water management practices in the region for sustainable development and the study can be extended to other similar regions.

Stability Control on Ro-Ro Passenger Ships as the Main Factor of Ship’s Safety

On Ro-Ro passenger ship the wide spectrum of captain’s responsibilities should be taken into consideration. One of the important responsibilities is the ship’s stability examination. The other measures as the ship’s condition, wind on ship with large windage area, rolling characteristics, severe seas etc., are important for ensuring the safe operating of ship, to minimize the risk to the ship, to the personnel and passengers on board, and to the environment. The international convention for the Safety of Life At Sea – (SOLAS 90) make into fact the continual development of safety standards in the 111 years since the sinking of the Titanic. Important enhancement stability, operational requirements and damage stability requirements were made as a consequence of several disasters at sea: “Torrey Canyon” in 1967, “Herald of Free Enterprise” in 1987 (183 dead), “Exon Valdez” in 1989, “Braer” in 1993, “Estonia” in 1994 (892 dead). In particular the dramatic loss of the Ro-Ro/Passenger vessels M/F “Herald of Free Enterprise” in 1987, and M/F “Estonia” in 1994, respectively, has resulted in the international regulation requiring enhanced damage stability requirements for this type of vessels, and in more stringent damage stability criteria adopted on a regional basis by Northern European countries (Stockholm Agreement, 1977).

Analyzing National Red List data of East Asia

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List aims to assess global species distribution rather than specific regional or national distribution units. Most conservation activities are carried out on a national or regional basis; therefore, the demand for a national Red List is very high. This study analyzed the current status of the National Red List of six East Asian countries at a national level. A total of 12,462 taxa were evaluated in the Red List of six East Asian countries, in which China and Taiwan had the highest percentage of evaluated taxa, with more than 99% of native plants assessed in the country. In the threat category of the evaluated list, Japan received the highest rating at 82.8%, whereas China and South Korea received the lowest ratings at 10.9%. More than 85% of the taxa assessed on the Red List in six countries were not assessed on the IUCN Red List, and less than 10% were assessed redundantly in threat categories. The reason for the different evaluations of these two Red Lists is considered to be the setting of the distribution range. It is expected that the present study will serve as a foundation for future research.

Дієвість стратегії реінтеграції внутрішньо переміщених осіб: бачення та усвідомлення її інструментарію стратегічними лідерами

The article examines the results of original scientific and practical researches on the directions of the strategy for the reintegration of internally displaced persons in the context of armed conflict, based on the analysis of interview results with strategic leaders – heads of municipalities responsible for strategy and social security planning (Odesa City Council, territorial communities in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions). The survey results of strategic leaders are considered on a regional basis regarding awareness and involvement in addressing the issues of internally displaced persons in the conditions of armed conflict. An assessment is provided for the effectiveness and efficiency of state, local, and charitable support programs for internally displaced persons. The essential characteristics of vulnerability and its signs and features in the conditions of war are discussed. Based on the field researches and conducted SWOT analysis of support for internally displaced persons, prospects for improving support for them are identified.

The relationship between social capital and economic growth on provincial and regional basis in Turkey: panel causality analysis

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between economic growth and social capital on both a provincial and regional basis in Turkey during the period of 2007-2018. In the study, in which the social capital index was used as a current and comprehensive variable to represent social capital, the relations between the variables were analyzed with the panel Granger causality test. As a result of the empirical analysis, it was determined that there is a unilateral causality relationship from GDP to SOCAP in 16 provinces, from SOCAP to GDP in 9 provinces, and bilateral causality in 45 provinces. On the other hand, no significant relationship was found in 11 provinces.

The challenges to the mega infrastructure of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan

This article provides an argument for amending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. That will ensure accountability, reduce criticism of corruption, and secure Chinese investment in Pakistan. The study’s main question is why CPEC does not have constitutional protection in Pakistan, which is more investment than Pakistan’s annual budget. CPEC should reduce the sense of deprivation and inequality within Pakistan and ensure its transparency in various aspects. The CPEC Amendment can establish parliamentary oversight and reduce the deprivations of the provinces by electing members on a National Economic Council (NEC) formula and a regional basis. Furthermore, it can provide some basic constitutional framework for upcoming governments regarding heavy investment in infrastructure. The constitutional provisions of the flagship project can serve as an example for BRI member countries.

Understanding farmer views of precision agriculture profitability in the U.S. Midwest

Precision Agriculture (PA) technologies are well known to be useful in addressing field heterogeneities and enabling informed site-specific management decisions. While profitability is the foremost factor considered by farmers when making PA adoption decisions, information in this regard is lacking from the farmers' perspective. This paper analyzed 1119 farmer responses from a 2021 survey conducted in four states along the western margins of the U.S. Midwest. Our findings show that while most (around 60%) non-adopters indicate that they are unaware of PA profit change, adopters are likely to rate a major profit increase. About two thirds of adopters rated at least a 5% increase in profitability towards variable rate (VR) fertilizer application (72%), VR seed application (68%), and automatic section control (66%). We modeled farmers' profit change subsequent to PA adoptions. Our regression results demonstrate that the profits from PA usage increase over time and that use of conservation practices likely influences PA profitability in a positive way. As soil quality and weather factors also affect profit ratings, it would be beneficial to compare and demonstrate profitability potential of various PA technologies on a regional basis and tailor the promotion efforts to farmers most likely to benefit from them.

Start-ups formation in Italy: the role of regional innovation systems

ABSTRACT What is the role of regional innovation systems in start-up formation? To explain regional variation in start-up rates, we conducted a mixed-methods study based on data from Italy. Through in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs, we assessed the role of RIS in the start-up process. Next, we estimated a multivariate OLS regression model. We found that in Italian regions start-up formation depends on the knowledge generation and diffusion subsystem: quality of research, entrepreneurial education, networking opportunities and access to resources. The innovativeness of regional industrial bases has a limited effect on start-up formation. We interpret the results as an effect of an institutional setting that creates limited incentives for innovative entrepreneurship. Overall, we find that the innovation performance of Italian regions is not associated with start-up formation rates.

Sparse‐node acquisition for data fitting velocity model building

AbstractThe salt interpretation can be quite time‐intensive and challenging. Full‐waveform inversion, as a data‐driven optimization algorithm with full wavefield modelling, has become one of the essential tools for earth model building. However, full‐waveform inversion application in the complex salt geology, especially with streamer data collection, is limited, whereas the ocean‐bottom node with ultra‐long offsets and low frequencies unleashes the power of full‐waveform inversion. Sparse ocean‐bottom node acquisition has become a standard approach to improve the earth model building by the addition of ultra‐long offsets and possibly low frequencies. The new survey designs with ocean‐bottom node coupled with simultaneous shooting can be deployed on a regional basis covering thousands of square kilometres in a cost‐effective manner. In complex geological settings, including irregular salt geometry, salt interpretation has a direct impact on subsalt imaging. The recent development of robust objective functions allows full‐waveform inversion work with sparse ocean‐bottom node surveys in the deep‐water environment as the Gulf of Mexico to build and refine the salt geometries and correct the background velocity error in subsalt, uncovering the structural configuration of the basin that has not been seen before. Although full‐waveform inversion mostly employs the acoustic wave equation, we know that the high velocity boundaries in the earth model may require elastic wavefield propagation. Increased physics in full‐waveform inversion allows us to interrogate the power of elastic full‐waveform inversion versus acoustic full‐waveform inversion, and here, we demonstrate that elastic full‐waveform inversion has an advantage over acoustic full‐waveform inversion despite the extra cost associated with implementing the more complete physics.

A Regional Analysis of Airlines: The Impacts of South Korean won

ABSTRACT The airline world is a little bit complex, especially on a regional, national, and continental basis. It is aimed to make a comprehensive analysis of Asia-Pacific Airlines’ financial structure in this analysis. If the reality of South Korea’s development in the last two decades is accepted, this development also should have an impact on the airline world. As it is expected, the impact of the South Korean won–USD exchange rate changed the hypothetical financial structure of the Asia-Pacific Region during the COVID-19 period. This change is shown with three models and six analyses.

Public service motivation research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: A systematic review of progress and implications for public administration theory and practice

The research on public service motivation (PSM) has seen a growing internationalization, necessitating efforts to organize and systematize its findings to assess research progress and enhance the value of PSM theory in various contexts, including public administration. This paper aims to review the progress of PSM research in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region over the past decade. The primary methodology employed is a systematic literature review, where a total of 20 papers published between 2013 and 2020 were located and analyzed. The assessment of these papers includes an examination of their country of origin, publication source, underlying theory, research design, and lines of study. A critical evaluation of the findings is conducted, focusing on their theoretical and practical contributions to PSM scholarship. The key conclusion drawn from this review is that while PSM research in the MENA region is advancing, it reveals certain methodological limitations and underexplored themes that need to be addressed. Consequently, this paper significantly contributes to public administration research and PSM-specific studies by providing the long-awaited organization, systematization, and integration of regional research. The outcomes of this review enable the identification of relevant contextual factors that can enrich the conceptualization and operationalization of PSM on a regional basis. Additionally, this paper offers a comprehensive overview of existing PSM knowledge in the MENA region, thereby guiding future research in this domain. By acknowledging both the methodological strengths and weaknesses, as well as the thematic aspects of the reviewed studies, specific suggestions are put forth to enhance the quality and depth of future PSM research in the MENA region. This paper thus serves as a valuable resource for researchers seeking to further develop the understanding of PSM within the context of the MENA region.

Low-Cost Carriers route network development

Low-Cost Carriers achieve economies of scale by deploying large, single-model fleets across an expanding set of regional bases. The addition of new bases and routes is bound by profitability and operational aspects, both posing limitations to the travel demand that can be served. We explored the evolution of Ryanair's network and discussed the factors that influence the airline's choices. We used highly detailed information on the evolution of the fleet and routes and calculated suitable indicators for the quantification of the trends. Based on these observations, we explored the implications for travel and tourism. The analysis was supported by interviews with industry experts. The main conclusion is that there is bi-directional causality between airline network evolution and travel demand.

Characteristics of Nonylphenol and Octylphenol Discharge from Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Southern Gyeonggi-do

This study aimed to evaluate the discharge characteristics of nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) in the effluent of wastewater treatment facilities in the southern Gyeonggi-do. The detection rates of NP and OP were found to be 39.3% and 43.1%, respectively, with median values ranging from 1 to 3 μg/L across all industries. The industries that showed a detection rate of 50% or more were car wash, chemical experiment, fabric leather, paper wood, and plating facilities, with rates ranging from 50% to 75%, while other industries had detection rates of 21.7% to 36.8%. In terms of facility size, small-size establishments such as Type 4 and Type 5 showed higher detection rates in the "Na" region where somewhat relaxed standards are applied on a regional basis. This is because the proportion of Type 4 and Type 5 industries, including various concentration distributions of chemical experiments, research facilities, car washes, petrochemical, and plating industries, is higher than 77.7% overall and concentrated at a rate of 55.6% or higher in the “Na” region. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient (R) between NP and OP exhibited moderate association with values of 0.45 and 0.60 for car washes and plating industries, respectively. Chemical experiments, paper and wood, electrical and electronic, and medicine and hospital facilities showed strong association with correlation coefficients of 0.83, 0.82, 0.82, and 0.79, respectively. The findings in this study can be expected to serve as fundamental data for NP and OP in the establishment of water quality pollutants designation and discharge standards (draft) currently being pursued.

Analysis of spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and peak forecast of provincial carbon emissions under the dual carbon goal: Considering nine provinces in the Yellow River basin of China as an example

At present, China is facing substantial pressure to reduce carbon emissions (CE). In the context of China's dual carbon goals, the accounting and peak prediction of CE in provinces along the Yellow River Basin (YRB) are crucial to China's carbon reduction strategy. In this study, the IPCC inventory method was used to calculate the CE of the provinces in the YRB, and the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of CE are described. The Tapio decoupling model was used to explore the decoupling relationship between CE and economic growth. By establishing the stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology (STIRPAT)-ridge model, based on the impacts of CE drivers, the carbon peak of each province is predicted, and a differentiated carbon peak path is proposed. The results indicated that from 2005 to 2020, the total CE amount in the YRB continued to rise, but the growth rate continued to decline. Provinces experienced many changes involving strong decoupling, and the decoupling state varied. Factors such as the permanent resident population, economic level, technological level, urbanization level, industrial structure, and energy intensity drove CE changes, of which population was the main CE driving force. CE in the YRB will peak between 2030 and 2044, and the cumulative emissions will be in the range of 6913.96–16248.6 Mt CO2eq, while 2030 is suggested as the best year to peak. The research results provide a scientific basis for different regions to formulate differentiated carbon emission reduction plans.

Studies of cause and effect relationships in the accounting system

The article deals with the study of cause-and-effect relationships in the accounting system. A new concept is given to the study of cause-and-effect relationships in the accounting system. Recommendations have been developed on the organization of studies of cause-and-effect relationships in the accounting system. The methodology for analyzing the state and assessing the prospects for the development of the agricultural economy and agricultural organizations on the basis of a separate region of the Udmurt Republic is substantiated.