Source Of Income Research Articles

Species diversity and conservation status of ornamental fish traded in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract. Usman Z, Hariyadi DR, Serihollo LGG. 2024. Species diversity and conservation status of ornamental fish traded in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 1116-1126. The high demand for ornamental fish native to Indonesia has the potential to be used as a source of foreign exchange income. In addition to increasing the national income, the ornamental fish trade must also be considered to preserve the population of the fish species being sold. The study aimed to determine ornamental fish diversity and conservation status in Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara. This research was conducted in Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, from August to September 2023. The research was conducted using survey (non-experiment) and observation methods. The survey method was carried out using a form to conduct interviews with sellers in 11 ornamental fish shops. At the same time, the observation method was used to identify the types of fish being traded. The study's results recorded 18 families, 39 genera, and 46 fish species (Include 1 species is hybrid fish). The highest species diversity came from the Cichlidae family with 9 species (1 species (Amphilophus citrinellus x Cichlasoma trimaculatum) is hybrid fish), followed by Cyprinidae with 7 species, whereas each species of the Characidae and Poecilidae families were 5 species. Conservation status shows 4 status groupings, namely Least Concern (LC), Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN), and Not Evaluated (NE). Based on these groupings, there were 32 species in the Least Concern (LC) category, 3 species in the Endangered (EN) category, 2 species in the Vulnerable (VU) category, and 8 species in the Not Evaluated (NE) and 1 unclassified category. There is only 1 species that is included in the Appendix I category, namely Scleropages formosus, and other species are Not evaluated. This is the first study conducted in Kupang City to reveal the types of ornamental fish species sold and their conservation status. The study will be useful information to the government, researchers, and other stakeholders on the potential extinction risk of each type of fish being traded.

A Time Series Analysis of Noninterest to Interest-Earning Dynamics Between 1984 to 2023 in the US Commercial Banking Sector

Both interest and noninterest earnings form the two critical components of the income stream of commercial banks. While interest earnings are tied to the lending volume and prevailing interest rates primarily dictated by the monetary policy and central bank interventions, noninterest earnings can come from diversified sources like income from fiduciary activities, trading revenue, service charges on deposit accounts, fee income, etc. Noninterest earnings can be unrelated to lending volume and prevailing interest rates and possibly uncorrelated with the monetary policies. Noninterest earnings may be a more robust source of income, especially during the low-interest rate regimes. Managing the noninterest to interest earnings is a critical component of income smoothing used by the banks. Noninterest earnings have become a significant component of banks’ overall earnings in the last four decades, and the ratio of noninterest to interest earnings has also grown significantly, raising questions about the primary role of the banking sector in financial intermediation as defined by the collection and disbursement of loanable funds throughout the economy. The rise in noninterest earnings also raises questions about the potential conflict of interest especially if banks earn significant consulting income from the same entities that borrow heavily from the banks. In this paper, I look at the time series dynamics of the ratio of noninterest-to-interest earnings spanning nearly four decades from 1984:Q1 to 2023:Q3 for the USA’s FDIC-insured commercial banking sector. Although the ratio has fluctuated over the period and risen from the baseline, it does not exhibit any non-stationarity. The presence of unit root cannot be found during the time period studied. In other words, the ratio of noninterest-to-interest earnings in the US commercial banking sector does not show any explosive and unstainable growth. In a nutshell, the rise in the ratio seems to be an outcome of the broader income diversification strategy used by the banks and not necessarily a dramatic change in the business model of US commercial banking industry.

Barriers to the adoption of multiple agricultural innovations: insights from Bt cotton, wheat seeds, herbicides and no-tillage in Pakistan

Barriers to the adoption of multiple agricultural innovations: insights from Bt cotton, wheat seeds, herbicides and no-tillage in Pakistan

Strategies for promoting sustainable aquaculture in arid and semi-arid areas – A review

Abstract Starvation and malnutrition are one of the most destructive problems faced by the poor and needy in the world. With the world population expected to increase by 9.7 billion by 2050, there are growing concerns about the long-term sustainability of many existing food production systems to meet future needs for food. Aquaculture is one of the important sources of food supply, the development of which is of great importance as an important weapon in the global fight against malnutrition and poverty, especially in developing countries and arid and semi-arid regions of the world. In recent decades, aquaculture has dominated all sectors of livestock production in terms of growth and increasingly contributes to food security, poverty reduction, job creation and sources of income. It is important to follow sustainable development goals to increase aquaculture production. Climate change is currently affecting food security through increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Food security is a global concern and access to affordable, nutritious, safe and properly cultivated food is one of the most important issues globally. The main emphasis in the development of aquaculture in arid and semi-arid areas is the use of new technologies based on water saving, such as biofloc technology (BFT), integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system (IMTA) and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). In this study, the importance of aquaculture as a sustainable source of food production in arid and semi-arid regions is discussed.

DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND FLOURISHING AMONG ELDERLY: A REVIEW

Flourishing is a state of optimal mental well-being associated with the experience of doing and living well across all aspects of life, including psychological and social. Flourishing is important and beneficial throughout a life span including late adulthood. Yet, studies on flourishing among elderly especially from a heterogeneous culture such as Malaysia are still limited. Socio-demographic variables (such as age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, source of income and education attainment) can be key variables that contribute to flourishing among elderly. This paper reviews previous studies on this topic and found that ethnicity, marital status, income, and education attainment are significantly related to well-being and flourishing. The implications of the review on future research and practice are discussed.

Labour supply responses to a negative income tax in Spain

One of the major drawbacks of a Basic Income proposal is that it could induce people to reduce their labour supply. The main aim of this paper is to put forward a financially viable alternative to the current Spanish system of social protection, based on a Negative Income Tax proposal and introducing several changes in the social protection system. Using EUROMOD, the labour behavioural responses to these new conditions are studied in detail, using a structural model of labour supply.The main result is that a reform as the one described in this work will not make people to abandon the labour market, as usually argued for Basic Income proposals. Under this scheme, on the contrary, we can observe a slightly increase in labour supply. This finding has strong implications for policy. Modifying the tax-benefit system, bringing it closer to a Basic Income scheme, will produce significant improvements in inequality and poverty without a significant change in labour supply.

Utilization of non-timber forest products as alternative sources of food and income in the highland regions of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

In developing countries, studies on sustainable preservation of forests (including non-timber forest products NTFPs) have been poorly carried out for promoting alternative income generating activities (IGA) to alleviate pressure on praised resources by local communities living close by protected areas. This study aimed at (1) inventorying NTFPs exploited by local communities around the Kahuzi Biega National Park (KBNP), (2) assessing their therapeutic values and nutritional contributions, and (3) analyzing their rural and urban market values to determine their potential as alternative income sources as well as the major constraints in their exploitation. Individual interviews were conducted with 790 rural and urban households in Kabare, Walungu, Kalehe, and Bukavu City, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) coupled with focus group discussions with key stakeholders around KBNP. Street vendors, restaurants, hotels, and market owners were also interviewed on uses, awareness of the nutritional and therapeutic values, and factors hindering NTFPs wide use in Bukavu urban environments. Physicochemical analyses were also conducted on main NTFPs to determine their nutritional values. Results showed that local populations around KBNP exploit at least 55 NTFPs, mainly for self-consumption as food, feed, and medicine. NTFPs represent the second most important income source around KBNP, accounting for 23.3 % of total households’ income after agriculture that generates 25.7 % of total households’ income. Income from NTFP trade was primarily used for food supply (29 %), investment in small businesses (19.6 %), children's education (17.7 %), and healthcare expenses (5.1 %). These NTFPs had varying nutritional values (in terms of proximate composition, essential minerals, and bioactive compounds). Solanum nigrum (24.9 %), Termitomyces robustus (18.0 %), Amaranthus viridis (17.6 %), and Piper nigrum (16.9 %) are valuable sources of proteins while Zingiber officinale (25.5 %), T. robustus (15.4 %) and P. nigrum (14.3 %) are rich in dietary fibres. Piper nigrum (37.0 and 128.3 mg/kg) and Basella alba (35.1 and 108.7 mg/kg) had the highest zinc and iron contents, respectively. Some of the most nutritious NTFPs, such as S. nigrum, Dioscorea spp., and P. nigrum had high contents in anti-nutritional elements and should be processed properly to maximize bioavailability. Besides, NTFPs created employment opportunities for collectors, vendors, supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants both in rural and urban areas. Though varying with rural communities, the main challenges in the NTFP value chain were low market values (48.6 %), short shelf life (22.5 %), and excessive taxation (19.1 %) while in urban areas, seasonality (36.9 %), scarcity (17.7 %), and prohibiting high prices (17.7 %) were the major limiting factors. This study highlights the significant role played by NTFPs in providing healthy and nutritious food and income for households surrounding the KBNP, and thus emphasizes the necessity for their promotion as alternative income sources and healthy diets to alleviate poverty and hidden hunger around the KBNP.

Morels as a source of Food, Medicine and Income in Himachal Pradesh - A North West Himalayan Region, India

Himachal Pradesh is situated in north India between 300 22’ to 330 12’ N latitudes and 750 47’’ to 790 04’ E longitudes within the Western Himalayas in northern India. The elevation varies from 450 meters to more than 7,026 meters above the mean sea level. Tribal and indigenous communities of Himachal Pradesh are associated with collection of wild mushrooms for edible, medicinal and sale purpose. The Morels (Morchella spp.) are fungi belong to family Morchellaceae commonly known as Guchhi in Himachal Pradesh. The traditional people of Himachal Himalayan Region (HHR) cooked it as food and used in medicine and health care system. Traditionally, it has been used for gastric problems, as a tonic, to cure cuts and wounds, and reduce joint pain. The native people gather it from the forest regions and sold it to nearby merchants after drying it at home. Presence of nutrients like amino acids, vitamins and minerals, the Guchhi mushrooms are in high demand not only in India but also in various foreign markets such as Switzerland, France, the USA, Italy etc. Commercial cultivation of Guchhi mushrooms will help rural masses and farmers obtain benefits due to their high demand.

The Role of Root and Tuber Crops on Food Diversification Facing the Climate Change in East Java Indonesia

Root and tuber crops consisting of cassava, sweet potato, potato, taro and others root and tubers have the important roles as the source of food, nutrition and cash income for many farmers in Indonesia. These crops also as a source of carbohydrates beside rice, corn, cereals, wheat etc. Root and tuber crops are the second most important group of crop plants after the cereals. The government of Indonesia accelerate food diversification based on local food resources, especially facing the climate change. The objective of this study was to estimate the role of root and tuber crops on food diversification and to estimate the household root and tuber crops demand in East Java Indonesia. The research used SUSENAS (Indonesian National Socio-Economic Survey) 2020 data with 31.990 household respondents in East Java Indonesia. Demand for food was estimated by AIDS (Almost Ideal Demand System) model. The results show that the average consumption for root and tuber crops was 0,69 kg/household/week (11,23% from carbohydrates foods), whereas rice consumption amount 4,86 kg/household/week (79,68 %), maize amount 0,25 kg/household/week (4,13%) and cereals amount 0,3 kg/household/week (4,96%). The expenditure elasticity of root and tuber crops was 1,36, while the expenditure elasticity of rice amount 0,78 (normal food), maize (1,41) and cereals (1,27). The expenditure elasticity more than 1 means that root and tuber crops as a superior food, also for maize and cereals. People no longer considers that root and tuber crops to be an inferior food. The root and tuber crops consumptions have the highest proportion after rice. It can be mean that root and tuber crops have the important role on food diversification in East Java Indonesia. Facing the climate change, root and tuber crops development be a right decision, moreover, root and tuber crops can be planted on dry land which is still widely available in Indonesia.

Experiences with pre-graduate research among Danish medical students and doctors.

Pre-graduate research is popular among medical students. Concerns about time constraints and lack of mentorship have been raised in international studies. The extent to which these issues affect Danish medical students remains unclear. We therefore aimed to assess the conditions and outcomes of pre-graduate research among medical students from the University of Copenhagen. A descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey on experiences from pre-graduate research was distributed to medical students and recently graduated medical doctors from the University of Copenhagen who had engaged in full-time pre-graduate research. The survey covered 1) working hours and income, 2) publications and authorship and 3) work environment and well-being. A total of 437 pre-graduate researchers participated in the survey. Pre-graduate research often involved a period outside of medical school (88%) and typically lasted a year (56%), with clinical research being the most common focus (68%). Almost a third worked longer hours (29%) than agreed and additional hours were commonly provided after the research period. Scholarships of 10,000 DKK a month were the primary source of income (72%). Most participants achieved their publication goals (62%) and experiences on work environment and well-being were generally positive. Pre-graduate research provides a conducive environment for medical students to engage in scientific research. Hovewer, engaging in pre-graduate research entails long working hours, is inadequately remunerated and often requires students to take leave from medical school. None. Not relevant.

Content creators at a crossroads with decentralized social media

Social media have become an important channel and source of income for content creators. However, the owners of centralized social media platforms may engage in practices and make decisions related to (1) monetization, (2) content moderation, and (3) privacy and security, which may be detrimental to content creators’ earning potential and long-term success. This paper investigates the extent to which new types of social media platforms may address those three challenges due to their decentralized nature. Specifically, we analyze the potential and limitations of federated vs. blockchain-based social media platforms as platforms for content creators and provide recommendations for content creators. Given the role of user-generated content in the success of social media platforms, we also provide directions for research and development of decentralized social media to increase their relevance for content creators.

Pharmaceutical cost savings from the treatment of oncology patients in clinical trials

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was twofold: to assess the annual pharmaceutical savings associated with the treatment of cancer patients at Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital and to estimate the cost of innovative antineoplastic therapies that patients receive as experimental treatment, both during clinical trials throughout 2020. Material and methodsAn observational and financial analysis of the drug cost related to clinical trials was applied. Direct cost savings to the Regional Health System of Cantabria and the cost of innovative therapies used as an experimental treatment in clinical trials were quantified. ResultsThis study includes 38 clinical trials with a sample of 101 patients. The clinical trials analyzed provide a total cost savings of €603,350.21 and an average cost saving of €6,630.22 per patient. Furthermore, the total investment amounts to €789,892.67, with an average investment of €15,488.09 per patient. ConclusionsClinical trials are essential for the advancement of science. Furthermore, clinical trials can be a significant source of income for both hospitals and Regional Health Systems, contributing to their financial sustainability.

Resilience of The Sumberwuluh Village Community in Facing Semeru Disaster

Resilience of The Sumberwuluh Village Community in Facing Semeru Disaster

Estimating the aboveground biomass of the Hulunbuir Grassland and exploring its spatial and temporal variations over the past ten years

In the past 10 years, extreme weather phenomena have increased, and global warming has markedly advanced; moreover, the intensity of human activity has gradually increased. These have an impact on the growth of global vegetation. Related studies have focused on the Tibetan Plateau and some northern provinces of China to estimate grassland AGB at a large scale but a low resolution. Hulunbuir Grassland is an important supplier of livestock products, and therefore, it is important to precisely map AGB and explore the response of Hulunbuir Grassland AGB to climate change and human activities at a high resolution to identify complex spatial details. In this study, we selected vegetation indices from Landsat 8 OLI and topographic indices and used multiple linear regression and machine learning algorithms to estimate the spatial distribution of AGB from 2013 to 2022. Then, we analyzed the correlations between AGB and cumulative precipitation and daily average temperature in summer and between population density and livestock density at the pixel level. Our results demonstrated that the RF model performed well, with an RMSE of 28.23 and R2 value of 0.74; the AGB was positively correlated with the cumulative precipitation in summer in 94.45 % of the area and negatively correlated with the daily average temperature in summer in 96.32 % of the area. We suggest that it is necessary to reduce grazing activities in future warm and drought years and to adjust sources of income to adapt to the decrease in AGB under global warming conditions. This study will provide reference for the countries or regions that depend on temperate grasslands for husbandry.

Comparison of time series temperature prediction with auto-regressive integrated moving average and recurrent neural network

The region of Beni Mellal, Morocco is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector as its primary source of income. Accurate temperature prediction in agriculture has many benefits including improved crop planning, reduced crop damage, optimized irrigation systems and more sustainable agricultural practices. By having a better understanding of the expected temperature patterns, farmers can make informed decisions on planting schedules, protect crops from extreme temperature events, and use resources more efficiently. The lack of data-driven studies in agriculture impedes the digitalization of farming and the advancement of accurate long-term temperature prediction models. This underscores the significance of research to identify the optimal machine learning models for that purpose. A 22-year time series dataset (2000-2022) is used in the study. The machine-learning model auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and deep learning models simple recurrent neural network (SimpleRNN), gated recurrent unit (GRU), and long short-term memory (LSTM) were applied to the time series. The results are evaluated based on the mean absolute error (MAE). The findings indicate that the deep learning models outperformed the machine-learning model, with the GRU model achieving the lowest MAE.

Agriculture crop yield prediction using inertia based cat swarm optimization

Crop yield prediction is among the most important and main sources of income in the Indian economy. In this paper, the improved cat swarm optimization (ICSO) based recurrent neural network (RNN) model is proposed for crop yield prediction using time series data. The inertia weight parameter is added to position equation that is selected randomly, and a new velocity equation is produced which enhances the searching ability in the best cat area. By using inertia weight, the ICSO enhances performance of feature selection and obtains better convergence in minimum iteration. The RNN is applied to produce direct graph using sequence of data and decides current layer output by involving all other existing calculations. The performance of the model is estimated using coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean squared error (MSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) on the yield from the years 2011 to 2021 with an annual prediction for 120 records of approximately 8 million nuts. The evaluated result shows that the proposed ICSO-RNN model delivers metrics such as R2, MAE, MSE, and RMSE values of 0.99, 0.77, 0.68, and 0.82 correspondingly, which ensures accurate yield prediction when compared with the existing methods which are hybrid reinforcement learning-random forest (RL-RF) and machine learning (ML) methods.

Semendo Coffee Development and Partnership Strategy to Enhance Governance for Food Security and Climate Change Mitigation

Semendo coffee is a major income source for agricultural households in the Semendo region. Agroforestry is commonly employed practice at numerous Semendo coffee plantations. Timber and Multipurpose Tree Species widely cultivated to provide shade. This study examines Semendo coffee’s governance-enhancing development and collaboration methods. SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) and AHP (analytic hierarchy process) analysis are used to determine the most suitable governance strategies and policies for Semendo coffee development. The data was gathered from key persons who possess expertise and serve as representatives for pertinent stakeholders and commercial entities throughout the Semendo coffee supply chain. SWOT analysis shows that the Strength-Opportunity (SO) strategy could improve Semendo coffee governance. High-quality coffee production, relevant party cooperation, and marketing network expansion are the proposed strategies. The AHP says mutual need drives partnership decision-making the most. Plasma-core partnerships are best for creating a strong sense of mutual need. Integration of the SO strategy with the core-plasma partnership is proposed to improve Semendo coffee governance. Agroforestry in Semendo coffee production can produce fruits and sequester carbon, reducing climate change. Agroforestry-based Semendo coffee management is expected to improve food supply, distribution, and consumption. This development is expected to maintain environmental integrity, notably in climate change mitigation.

Traditional gold mining in the highlands of Ethiopia: Its effect on soil loss and possible reclamation measures

Traditional gold mining (TGM) is among the off-farm income sources of smallholder communities in the highlands of Ethiopia. However, information on their impact on land degradation, taking soil loss as a key indicator, was scant. Hence, this study aimed at i) analyzing local communities’ attitudes toward TGM practice, ii) TGM impact on soil loss, and iii) possible restoration measures for the degraded gold-mined landscapes. For the evaluation of community perceptions, 96 beneficiaries were selected from three gold mining sites following stratified random sampling techniques. Soil loss measurement was done through measurement of i) the mass of soil excavated and transported to the river (TR) from 96 individuals and ii) soil volume excavated in 45 excavated soil pits (EP). Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze soil loss data, while community perception was analyzed qualitatively. The survey results indicated that the average soil loss from TR and EP were 6,075.97±8.9 t ha-1 yr-1 and 32,549.99±753.68 t ha-1, respectively. The magnitude of soil loss also showed a significant (p<0.001) difference among the three sites. Due to a lack of awareness and hiding the reality, most of the gold miners believe that TGM practice has no negative impact on the soil resource, and no post-mined reclamation strategy is implemented. It can be concluded that the existing TGM practices are not done in an environmentally friendly approach and result in adverse soil loss. Hence, stabilizing the topography of the mined sites via backfilling of mined pits and topsoil conservation and amendment measures can be suggested.

Beekeeping as a Tool for Sustainable Rural Development

The symbiotic relationship between bees and the environment underscores the potential of apiculture as a sustainable practice. Bees, as pollinators, play a crucial role in ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation. Their pollination services are essential for the reproduction of numerous plant species, including many crops that constitute the backbone of agricultural economies. Beekeeping can diversify income sources, reducing dependence on single crops and enhancing household resilience to economic shocks. The aim of this paper is to explore the multifaceted role of apiculture as a tool for sustainable rural development. In conclusion, apiculture holds immense promise as a tool for sustainable rural development, offering a pathway towards economic prosperity, social inclusion, and environmental stewardship. By harnessing the synergies between bees, biodiversity, and community development, beekeeping has the potential to transform rural landscapes and livelihoods. However, realizing this potential requires concerted efforts to address the challenges and barriers that hinder the widespread adoption of beekeeping practices. Through collaborative action and integrated approaches, it can unlock the transformative power of apiculture and build resilient, vibrant, and sustainable rural communities for generations to come.

Impact of Income Diversification on Capital Market Investment Decision: A Study on Indian Public Sector Banks

Income diversification strategy is one of the useful tools of risk management technique. Banks have identified different sources of income apart from their traditional source of income. Capital market is one of such source of income identified by the banks today. Every year banks invest a large volume of fund in capital market. In this study it is attempted to observe the impact of income diversification on the capital market investment decision of the public sector banks in India. For this purpose data are collected from 12 public sector banks for 5 years period from 2017 to 2021. Variants of panel data regression analysis are applied in this study. The result revealed that there is a significant impact of income diversification on the capital market investment of Indian public sector banks.