Cause-effect Relationship Research Articles

On the channels of “resource curse of the financial sector”

Aim. To identify the channels of the “resource curse of the financial sector”.Objectives. Systematization of the main approaches to describing the relationship between the state of the financial sector and resource dependence; classification of the identified channels of the “resource curse of the financial sector”.Methods. This article is based on the analysis and systematization of existing empirical and theoretical studies in the field of “resource curse of the financial sector” and related areas. The author used the methods of synthesis, generalization, classification and system analysis.Results. The description of possible channels of resource dependence influence on financial development has been carried out. The channels of “resource curse”, investment and savings, “Dutch disease”, volatility, human and social capital, “interest groups”, institutional channels are considered. The identified channels of the “resource curse of the financial sector” (or channels of the influence of resource dependence on the state of the financial sector) include a different set of chains of cause-effect relations. Some channels (the “resource curse” channel, channels related to the “Dutch disease”, etc.) involve explanations of the “resource curse” affecting the processes of economic growth and the resource curse hypothesis itself. Such channels are classified as specific. Depending on the nature of the impact of resource endowment on the state of the financial sector, three groups of channels are identified: “resource curse”, “conditional resource curse” and “resource blessing”.Conclusions. The hypothesis of “resource curse of the financial sector” can be considered as an element of a comprehensive approach to analyzing the peculiarities of the functioning of the economy under conditions of resource dependence. One of the formulations of this hypothesis assumes a relatively lower level of financial development, at which structural changes occur in the financial sector of countries specializing in the production and export of natural resources. The nature of the channels identified allows us to argue that only under a certain set of conditions the “resource curse of the financial sector” can occur, in which the fact of resource dependence of the economy or its consequences is a constraint for the development of the financial sector. The introduced channels need empirical verification. The developed classification of channels of “resource curse of the financial sector” can serve as a starting point for such an analysis.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 on university students in Oman: an examination of stress, resilience and meaning in life

PurposeThis cross-sectional online survey in Oman in April 2021 aimed to assess university students' resilience, stress levels and meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify characteristic profiles.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from full-time students at one University in Oman. Outcomes included sociodemographic information, the brief resilience scale, the perceived stress scale-4 and the meaning in life questionnaire to explore the students' profiles.FindingsA total of 964 students participated (response rate = 34.8%), of which 35% had low resilience scores. The average perceived stress, presence of meaning in life and search for meaning in life scores were 7.9 ± 2.3, 24.2 ± 6.9 and 24.9 ± 7.7, respectively. Cluster analysis identified three groups: low-risk and fewer impacts (cluster A, n = 503, 523%), moderate-risk and moderate impacts (cluster B, n = 160, 16.6%) and high-risk and more impacts (cluster C, n = 301, 31.2%). Cluster C students experienced more psychological problems and were at high risk during the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe respondents' honesty is a possible error that could influence the results. Low response rates limit its generalizability, and cause-effect relationships among mental health outcomes cannot be discerned.Practical implicationsThis study identified three distinct groups of students, each with different levels of severity in their health problems. There is an increased need for education and counseling to support students during this period, and university management should focus on implementing personal precautionary measures and providing high-tech, user-friendly platforms for students to enhance their learning.Originality/valueThese findings suggest that tailored strategies should be developed to address the unique psychological needs of each group. The study provides important information for university management to understand the pandemic's psychological impact on students and develop effective interventions to support their well-being.

PROJECTIVE LEAF COVER PREDICTS PLANT SPECIES RICHNESS IN THE SACRED FIR FORESTS OF MONTE TLÁLOC, STATE OF MEXICO

The establishment of relationships between the water balance coupled to the atmosphere and species richness, for a given ecosystem, allows characterizing the state of vegetation under stable conditions. The proposal by Specht and colleagues of the water relationship between actual evapotranspiration/potential evapotranspiration (Ea/Eo), mediated by the evaporative coefficient k, allows to establish empirical relationships, without implying a cause-effect relationship, between the projective leaf cover (CPF) and the richness of plant species in relation to k. These relationships were reviewed with information from sampling sites established in sacred fir [Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham.] forests of the warm temperate climatic region of Mount Tlaloc, State of Mexico. Species richness and CPF of the upper stratum of the forests were measured, and the aboveground biomass was estimated. The patterns of the relationship between the CPF of the upper stratum and the total number of species showed variations within the limits of Specht’s equilibrium relationship, even though the levels of disturbing agents in the sites showed a greater dispersion of the data. Establishing a relationship between projective leaf cover and species richness facilitates estimates in plant diversity conservation projects.

Exploring the barriers in medical additive manufacturing from an emerging economy

Sustainable medical additive manufacturing (SMAM) is becoming the next Industry 4.0 technology to revolutionise the medical industry. The adoption of SMAM offers several advantages and brings a paradigm shift in complex manufacturing geometry with improved quality, speed, cost, and sustainability in medical sectors. This research aims to identify the adoption barriers of SMAM in the Indian context. The research design involves two-step procedures: First, a literature review was conducted to determine the barriers to SMAM technology adoption. Later, these were validated by a panel of experts from industry and academia. Second, a hybrid ISM-DEMATEL methodology was deployed to establish and evaluate the cause-effect relationship between the validated barriers. Our findings suggest that among the identified barriers, infrastructural barriers were the most important for adopting SMAM in India, followed by a lack of long-term planning, operational barriers, and supply-demand barriers. Further, it also identified net cause driving barriers, including financial barriers, legal and policy barriers, technological barriers, and management barriers to SMAM adoption. As the adoption of SMAM offers several advantages, including a shift in complex manufacturing geometry with improved quality, speed, cost, and sustainability in medical sectors, these findings assume significance and will help decision-makers overcome complex barriers to SMAM adoption.

Abstract 14349: Relationship Between Obesity and Youth Athletes’ Physical Activity and Exercise-Related Symptoms

Introduction: Pediatric obesity has significant impacts on the development of many medical comorbidities into adulthood. While studies have identified the negative effects of obesity on exercise performance and cardiovascular health, the effects of obesity on youth athletes are less studied. Hypothesis: Obesity in youth athletes is associated with decreased activity levels and increased exertional cardiac symptoms. Methods: The HeartBytes National Youth Database produced by Simon’s Heart, a nonprofit organization that organizes sports pre-participation examinations (PPEs) of adolescents, was used for this study. This database contains demographic, exercise-related symptoms, and electrocardiogram data obtained during Simon’s Heart PPEs. BMI values were converted to age- and gender-adjusted percentiles, with obesity defined in accordance with CDC definition BMI ≥ 95th percentile. A chi-squared test with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate obesity outcomes. Results: Of the 7363 patients in the HeartBytes database with BMI data, the majority were male (60.7%) and White (83.3%). The median age was 15.0 years old (interquartile range 13.5-16.5). Youth athletes within the normal weight range (5th-85th percentile) had higher exercise participation rates in comparison to those who were underweight, overweight, or with obesity (p<0.0001 for each). Athletes with obesity were more likely to have exertional symptoms (OR: 1.63 [CI: 1.36-1.96]; p<0.0001), specific symptoms of easily fatigued (OR: 3.00 [CI: 2.38-3.79]; p<0.0001) and dyspnea (OR: 1.69 [CI: 1.37-2.10]; p<0.0001), compared to those without obesity. Athletes with obesity were more likely to have hypertension (OR: 5.35 [CI: 2.00-14.30]; p=0.0002), high cholesterol (OR: 3.84 [CI: 2.51-5.86]; p<0.0001), and ECG T-wave inversion changes (OR: 2.19 [CI: 1.10-4.33]; p=0.022) than those without obesity. No association was found between obesity and diabetes. Conclusions: In this dataset from a national registry of PPEs, obesity in youth athletes is associated with decreased physical activity and exertional symptoms. Further study is needed to elucidate the cause-effect relationship of these findings.

Green Procurement Nexus Performance of Manufacturing Firms: Empirical Reflections

Purpose: This literature-based study assessed green procurement practices as a strategic tool for protecting the environment in favour of the performance of manufacturing firms.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: A systematic qualitative scrutiny aided by nomothetic content analysis from the published papers centred on green procurement as a global strategic approach to protecting the environment was employed.
 Findings: Green procurement practices are documented as useful for the performance of firms. Moreover, little has been pronounced on relevant practices in Tanzania. Manufacturing firms are charged for environmental compliance and hence call for a related conceptual study.
 Research Limitation/Implication: The study limited itself to the literature alone out of no cause-effect relationship testing of green procurement practices against performance hence calling for the quantitative study guided by hypothesis testing. 
 Practical Implications: The practical implications of the green procurement nexus on the performance of manufacturing firms are significant and can influence various aspects of a company's operations, sustainability efforts, and overall success.
 Social Implications: The study contributes to the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) agenda by highlighting the green procurement practices to be taken on board for the social wellbeing of the delivery of materials to manufacturing firms in consistency with the governance mechanisms.
 Originality/Value: Suggestion: The novelty of the study on the green procurement nexus and manufacturing firm performance lies in its empirical, multidimensional, and forward-looking approach to understanding how sustainable procurement practices can impact various facets of a manufacturing firm's operations and long-term sustainability. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the intersection of sustainability and business performance.

A FRAM-based Case Study on Leakage Accidents in Cathode Material Manufacturing Process

In this study, the interrelationships among accident prevention functions targeting leakage accidents in cathode material manufacturing process were analyzed using the FRAM (Functional Resonance Analysis Method) method. 17 system functions of accident prevention were derived from the target accidents. Each function was connected and developed into six aspects such as input, output, prerequisites, resources, control, and time. And, the causes of leakage accidents in complex interactions were analyzed in detail. Results showed that the complex interaction and ripple effects of functional variability were analyzed as the cause of the accident unlike the existing root cause analysis (RCA) that deals with simple cause-effect relationships. Specific response plans were derived, including systematic management of operation plans, continuous monitoring of facilities, and strengthening of worker training and information sharing mechanisms. The FRAM method confirmed that it can serve as an effective tool for accident prevention in considered new chemical processes. It is expected to be used as an important tool that can significantly reduce human casualties, property damage, and environmental accidents in the cathode active material manufacturing process.

Epigenetic Mechanisms in Obesity: Broadening Our Understanding of the Disease.

Now recognized as more than just the result of overeating or the consumption of poor-quality foods, obesity is understood to be a multifactorial disease, strongly correlated with a variety of environment-gene interactions. In addressing the complex public health issue of obesity, medical practitioners, along with their allied healthcare counterparts, face the challenge of reducing its prevalence by utilizing and sharing with patients the current, yet incomplete, scientific knowledge concerning the disease.While continued research is required to strengthen direct cause-effect relationships, substantial evidence links post-translational modifications such as DNA methylation and histone modifications of several candidate "obesity" genes to the predilection for obesity. Additional evidence supports the influence of maternal diet during the gestational period, individual diet, and other lifestyle and genetic factors in obesity. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the current information concerning epigenetic modifications that appear to support, or result from, the development of obesity. Such mechanisms may serve as therapeutic targets for developing novel prevention and/or treatment strategies for obesity or as epigenetic biomarkers for monitoring recovery.

Pyrrhic victory? Towards a decision support system for simulation projects in industrial practice based on Fuzzy cognitive mapping

Simulation has become a popular methodology to solve complex non-linear problems in research and practice. Yet, particularly in industrial practice, assessing the individual applicability of simulation projects remains an intricate, time-consuming and precarious challenge. This paper models simulation applicability by tapping into expert knowledge of simulation engineers with multiple years of simulation project experience. We decompose simulation applicability into a number of interconnected concept variables, which ultimately control the likelihood of project success and failure. The system is modeled in the form of a Fuzzy Cognitive Map, in which the nodes represent positive or negative project influencers in variables and link their interconnectedness. In doing so, this paper is the first to exceed the scope of simulation success factors or systemic risk assessment by addressing the need to provide holistic decision support on the context-dependent applicability of simulation projects. We contextualize organizational, environmental and methodology-related cause-effect relationships to develop a Fuzzy Decision Support System (FDSS) prototype that can guide scholars and practitioners when planning to adopt a simulation project for industrial purposes. The approach is illustrated using three applications, where the assessment has been conducted for (1) a large, (2) a medium-sized, as well as (3) a small organization, and evaluated through sensitivity analyses and a comparative survey. Ultimately, our study contributes to existing knowledge on success and risk factors for simulation projects, extends the realms of FCM to the case of simulation projects and sets a starting point for additional research on the context-specific applicability of the simulation methodology.

SOLUNUM YOLU ÖRNEKLERİNDE İNSAN BOCAVİRUS'Ü SAPTANMASI

Objective: The aim of this study was to retrospectively examine the patients who presented with the complaints of respiratory tract infection and were found to have Human Bocavirus in the samples studied with the respiratory tract pathogens panel.
 Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients of all age groups who were diagnosed with Human Bocavirus by PCR in the respiratory tract pathogens panel between January 2019 and November 2022.
 Results: Human Bocavirus was detected in 36 (3.64%) of 989 patients whose samples were studied with the respiratory tract pathogens panel. Fifteen of the patients (n:36) were under three years old. While Human Bocavirus was detected alone in 18 (50%) of the patients (n: 36), it was detected together with another factor in 18 (50%) patients.
 Conclusion: Human Bocavirus can be detected alone and/or as co-, infection in children with acute respiratory tract infection. The cause-effect relationship between Human Bocavirus and respiratory tract infection is not clearly known.

Examination of Matching Methods, Sparse Effects, and Limitations in a Nationwide Database Study on Alzheimer's Disease.

Akada et al. conducted a nationwide database study on patients with Alzheimer's disease, examining risk factors and outcomes over 3 years. A significant association emerged between decreased daily activities and hip fractures. However, the odds ratio was 1.95 (with p = 0.020) may be inaccurate in men, considering the wide 95% confidence interval (1.12-3.51). Possible influencing factors include an inappropriate outcome variable, sparse-data bias, collinear covariates, and comorbidities. Moreover, exact propensity-score matching would be more efficient than nested matching. Limitations include potential recall bias in measuring daily activities and limited applicability of cause-effect relationships in a national database study.

The effect of wine tourism on the sustainable performance of Spanish wineries: a structural equation model analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of wine tourism on the economic, social and environmental performance, i.e. the sustainable performance, of Spanish wineries. In addition, age, size and membership in the protected designation of origin are introduced as control variables to increase the precision of the cause-effect relationships analyzed.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model is proposed, which is tested by means of structural equation modeling based on data from a survey of 202 Spanish wineries.FindingsThe results indicate the existence of a positive and significant link between wine tourism activities and the three performance typologies analyzed in the Spanish wine context.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the academic literature on wine tourism in a remarkable way, as, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no previous literature that has addressed the effect of wine tourism on the sustainable performance of Spanish wineries, making the study useful for both academics and wine professionals who are considering the implementation or development of this typology of tourism in their facilities.

Suitability of Geography Textbooks for the Development of Critical Thinking of Lower Secondary School Students, Based on Bloom's Taxonomy

The Geography textbook for the 8th grade has been drawn up based on the program of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, in different years, with the aim that the students acquire geographical knowledge, reinforces this knowledge in everyday life situations, integrating the cause-effect relationships of natural and human phenomena and processes with geographical research methods. According to the content of the curriculum, regional geography and other eco-continents will be taught in the eighth grade, as well as the submission of questions is covered at the end of each topic in the text. This text deals with interesting issues for several continents, countries, and we will analyse the approaches of the authors, the clearest elaboration for the student on the topics and the questions posed to the students with the goal; remembering, understanding, and applying. A special care and attention has been shown to preserve the right ratios between informative and non-formative material, theoretical and factual, historical and contemporary, respecting the scientific and didactic criteria. We will base the research on Bloom’s taxonomy, beginning with knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation, with the aim of better reflecting the state, analyse the revised taxonomy and we will also present the students’ recollection, understanding and application in everyday life.

Integrated information theory (IIT) 4.0: Formulating the properties of phenomenal existence in physical terms.

This paper presents Integrated Information Theory (IIT) 4.0. IIT aims to account for the properties of experience in physical (operational) terms. It identifies the essential properties of experience (axioms), infers the necessary and sufficient properties that its substrate must satisfy (postulates), and expresses them in mathematical terms. In principle, the postulates can be applied to any system of units in a state to determine whether it is conscious, to what degree, and in what way. IIT offers a parsimonious explanation of empirical evidence, makes testable predictions concerning both the presence and the quality of experience, and permits inferences and extrapolations. IIT 4.0 incorporates several developments of the past ten years, including a more accurate formulation of the axioms as postulates and mathematical expressions, the introduction of a unique measure of intrinsic information that is consistent with the postulates, and an explicit assessment of causal relations. By fully unfolding a system's irreducible cause-effect power, the distinctions and relations specified by a substrate can account for the quality of experience.

Intermittent hypoxia in neonatal rodents affects facial bone growth.

Preterm human infants often show periodic breathing (PB) or apnea of prematurity (AOP), breathing patterns which are accompanied by intermittent hypoxia (IH). We examined cause-effect relationships between transient IH and reduced facial bone growth using a rat model. Neonatal pups from 14 timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to an IH condition, with oxygen altering between 10% and 21% every 4 min for 1 h immediately after birth, or to a litter-matched control group. The IH pups were compared with their age- and sex-matched control groups in body weight (WT), size of facial bones and nor-epinephrine (NE) levels in blood at 3, 4, and 5-weeks. Markedly increased activity of osteoclasts in sub-condylar regions of 3-week-old IH-treated animals appeared, as well as increased numbers of sympathetic nerve endings in the same region of tissue sections. Male IH-pups showed significantly higher levels of NE levels in sera at 3, 4 as well as 5-week-old time points. NE levels in 4- and-5-week-old female pups did not differ significantly. Intercondylar Width, Mandible Length and Intermolar Width measures consistently declined after IH insults in 3- and 4-week-old male as well as female animals. Three-week-old male IH-pups only showed a significantly reduced (p < 0.05) body weight compared to those of 3-week controls. However, female IH-pups were heavier than age-matched controls at all 3 time-points. Trabecular bone configuration, size of facial bones, and metabolism are disturbed after an IH challenge 1 h immediately after birth. The findings raise the possibility that IH, introduced by breathing patterns such as PB or AOP, induce significantly impaired bone development and metabolic changes in human newborns. The enhanced NE outflow from IH exposure may serve a major role in deficient bone growth, and may affect bone and other tissue influenced by that elevation.

Relationship between parameters of subclinical atherosclerosis and osteoporosis and their prognostic significance: data from the prospective studies

We analyzed modern publications on the relationship between cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and osteoporosis and, in particular, their preclinical manifestations. Most of the papers on this issue are observational, cross-sectional, or study associations of preclinical markers with disease risk or outcomes. However, the results of these studies do not always coincide and are contradictory. Therefore, it is not possible to define cause-effect relationship between vascular changes and decreased bone mass, as well as persistence of its relationship. Due to the difficulties in management of prospective studies, in the last decade only a few studies have appeared with long-term follow-up of patients without symptoms with subsequent assessment of preclinical manifestations. A strong relationship has been demonstrated between intima-media thickness, plaque presence, coronary artery calcification and low bone density of the spine and proximal femur, as well as between vascular stiffness (pulse wave velocity) and proximal femur bone density. The data obtained indicate combined disorders of vascular wall morphology and bone tissue, not only in postmenopausal women, but also in elderly men, and can be used to justify indications for screening for decreased bone density in patients with CVD. At the same time, larger-scale prospective studies to explore associations between markers of preclinical manifestations of CVD and decreased bone mass, including in the Russian population, are required.

Correlation between mental well-being and severity of class II temporomandibular joint disorders, compared to non-temporomandibular joint disorders

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are one of the most common ailments encountered in the craniofacial region, with various clinical, radiological and psychological manifestations but often go undiagnosed due to lack of a diagnostic protocol to assess and correlate all these factors in order to create an effective management plan based on early diagnosis. The objectives of this research are to assess, compare and co-relate the severity of clinical and radiological findings with mental well-being in class II (vertical growth pattern) TMD cases as compared to class I non-TMD cases. Grading of skeletal class II cases on the severity of TMD will be done using Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs (DC/TMD). Bilateral sagittal as well as coronal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images will be obtained. Evaluation and grading of mental well-being and anxiety will be done using the Warwick-Edinburgh and Hamilton scales, respectively. The expected results are a probable positive correlation between the severity of clinical and radiological symptoms of TMDs and deteriorating mental well-being in the form of stress, anxiety and depression. A cause-effect relationship may be evaluated with the aim of early diagnosis and management of TMDs as improving the quality of life of these cases. This study will aid in identifying the clinical symptoms and articular disc position on MRI as they correlate with the mental well-being status and anxiety levels in TMD cases. Further management and early intervention can be undertaken in such cases to prevent or stall the progression of TMD into severe forms while improving the quality of life (QoL) in such cases.

Effect of operative time in outcomes following surgical fixation of hip fractures: a multivariable regression analysis of 35,710 patients.

Prolonged operative time is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of hip fractures. However, the quantitative nature of such association, including graduated risk levels, has yet to be described. This study outlines the graduated associations between operative time and (1) healthcare utilisation, and (2) 30-day complications after ORIF of hip fractures. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was queried (January 2016-December 2019) for all patients who underwent ORIF of hip fractures (n = 35,710). Demographics, operative time, fracture type, and comorbidities were recorded. Outcomes included healthcare utilisation (e.g., prolonged length of stay [LOS>2 days], discharge disposition, 30-day readmission, and reoperation), inability to weight-bear (ITWB) on postoperative day-1 (POD-1), and any 30-day complication. Adjusted multivariate regression models evaluated associations between operative time and measured outcomes. Operative time <40 minutes was associated with lower odds of prolonged LOS (odds ratio [OR] 0.77), non-home discharge (OR 0.85), 30-day readmission (OR 0.85), and reoperation (OR 0.72). Operative time ⩾80 minutes was associated with higher odds of ITWB on POD-1 (OR 1.17). Operative time ⩾200 minutes was associated with higher odds of deep infection (OR 7.5) and wound complications (OR 3.2). The odds of blood transfusions were higher in cases ⩾60 minutes (OR1.3) and 5-fold in cases ⩾200 minutes (OR 5.4). The odds of venous thromboembolic complications were highest in the ⩾200-minute operative time category (OR 2.5). Operative time was not associated with mechanical ventilation, pneumonia, delirium, sepsis, urinary tract infection, or 30-day mortality. Increasing operative time is associated with a progressive increase in the odds of adverse outcomes following hip fracture ORIF. While a direct cause-effect relationship cannot be established, an operative time of <60 minutes could be protective. Perioperative interventions that shorten operative time without compromising fracture reduction or fixation should be considered.

Exploring Hydrochars from Lignocellulosic Wastes as Secondary Carbon Fuels for Sustainable Steel Production.

This study investigates the suitability of different lignocellulosic sources, namely eucalyptus, apple bagasse, and out-of-use wood, for injection into blast furnaces (BFs). While wastes possess carbon potential, their high moisture renders them unsuitable for direct energy utilization. Additionally, the P and K impurities, particularly in apple bagasse, can pose operational and product quality challenges in BF. Thus, different thermochemical processes were performed to convert raw biomass into a more suitable carbon fuel. Low-temperature carbonization was selected for eucalyptus, yielding a biochar with properties closer to the low-rank coal. Hydrothermal carbonization was chosen for apple bagasse and out-of-use wood, resulting in hydrochars with enhanced fuel characteristics and fewer adverse inorganic species but still limiting the amount in binary PCI blends. Thermogravimetry evaluated the cause-effect relationships between coal and coal- and bio-based chars during co-pyrolysis, co-combustion and CO2-gasification. No synergistic effects for char formation were observed, while biochars benefited ignition and reactivity during combustion at the programmed temperature. From heat-flow data in combustion, the high calorific values of the chars were well predicted. The CO2-gasification profiles of in situ chars revealed that lignin-rich hydrochars exhibited higher reactivity and conversion than those with a higher carbohydrate content, making them more suitable for gasification applications.

Research on the construction of event corpus with document-level causal relations for social security

Event corpora are imperative to train event extraction models. Currently, most existing event corpora suffer from being available only in English, and their construction is limited by high annotation costs. This paper aims to construct a corpus that concerns social security causality events in Chinese and proposes a faster and less expensive construction method. The contributions are as follows: (i) An event corpus SSECau for the social security field in Chinese is constructed. They are from 2,235 web texts and microblogs, with event causality annotated at the document level. (ii) A corpus construction method with manual annotation and machine pre-tagging is proposed to improve accuracy and speed. (iii) A pre-tagging method based on BiLSTM-CRF (bidirectional long short-term memory and conditional random field) is deployed to extract events automatically. The experimental results show the best consistency between automatic pre-tagging and manual annotation can reach up to 82 %; while the dynamic tagging process improves both the labeling speed and accuracy. The SSECau corpus can aid the development and evaluation of event extraction models for the social security field; annotated cause-effect relationships at the document level can potentially enhance the training of complex extraction models; the proposed dynamic process with pre-tagging can serve as a reference for future corpus construction.