Level Of Demand Research Articles

Predicting demand for new products in fashion retailing using censored data

In today’s highly competitive fashion retail market, it is crucial to have accurate demand forecasting systems, namely for new products. Many experts have used machine learning techniques to forecast product sales. However, sales that do not happen due to lack of product availability are often ignored, resulting in censored demand and service levels that are lower than expected. Motivated by the relevance of this issue, we developed a two-stage approach to forecast the demand for new products in the fashion retail industry. In the first stage, we compared four methods of transforming historical sales into historical demand for products already commercialized. Three methods used sales-weighted averages to estimate demand on the days with stock-outs, while the fourth method employed an Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to account for potential substitute products affected by stock-outs of preferred products. We then evaluated the performance of these methods and selected the most accurate one for calculating the primary demand for these historical products. In the second stage, we predicted the demand for the products of the following collection using Random Forest, Deep Neural Networks, and Support Vector Regression algorithms. In addition, we applied a model that consisted of weighting the demands previously calculated for the products of past collections that were most similar to the new products. We validated the proposed methodology using a European fashion retailer case study. The results revealed that the method using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm had the highest potential, followed by the Random Forest algorithm. We believe that this approach will lead to more assertive and better-aligned decisions in production management.

Empowering E-mobility: Day-ahead dynamic time of use tariff for electric vehicle charging

The greenhouse gases and preservation of the environment have been the most prioritized concern in many countries and international organizations, leading to set aims and initiatives for lowering the dependency on fossil fuels and minimizing carbon emissions. As a part of many initiatives, great emphasis is given to promoting electric vehicles (EVs) over their traditional carbon fuel-based counterpart. To support large-scale EV adoption, a dynamic tariff scheme is required that addresses complex issues like user comfort, savings, and utility revenue. In this research work, a dynamic pricing scheme is modeled for the centralized EV charging stations (EVCS) on a residential feeder. This pricing scheme integrates the existing static time of use (ToU) pricing to an hourly dynamic ToU tariff that varies according to the demand level in the residential feeder. The proposed tariff plan provides a day-ahead dynamic structure with a probable price variation range to aid the EV owners and the day-ahead charging mechanism to schedule the EVs beforehand. The developed scheme calculates the returns and adjusts the tariff including the demand charge and the recovery component on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis for the unsatisfactory investment revenue. Also, user convenience is ensured by setting the minimum possible tariff as well as satisfying the minimum revenue target with the integration of particle swarm optimization (PSO) in designing the pricing structure. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed dynamic pricing scheme maintaining a trade-off between the interests of all parties involved. Moreover, the simulation outcome of the test case indicates that EV owners can save more than 32 % on charging bills if they plan correctly. On the other hand, the utility can earn more than 2.4 times the existing rate during the peak time of the residential feeder.

Assessing the effects of Water hyacinth proliferation on biochemical oxygen demand with operational land imager data

The rapid proliferation of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in water bodies poses a significant threat to ecosystems and communities that rely on these resources. While this plant can offer certain benefits, its excessive growth can lead to detrimental ecological and social impacts. This study aimed to assess the relationship between water hyacinth coverage and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels in the Sonso Lagoon, Colombia, using Landsat 8 satellite imagery and in-situ measurements. Water hyacinth coverage was classified and quantified from Landsat 8 images. These data were then correlated with BOD levels obtained through periodic monitoring of the lagoon. The analysis revealed a strong negative correlation (ρ=−0.83; p−value<0.05**) between water hyacinth coverage and BOD, demonstrating the plant's impact on water quality. A predictive model was developed to estimate BOD levels based on satellite-derived water hyacinth data. The integration of remote sensing and in-situ measurements offers an effective strategy for monitoring water hyacinth proliferation and its ecological consequences. The proposed approach enables rapid assessment of water quality parameters, facilitating timely implementation of mitigation and control measures. This methodology can be extended to quantify other invasive aquatic plant species and their impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHER’S ABILITY IN DESIGNING MATHEMATICAL TASK: AN ANALYSIS OF LESSON PLANS

Mathematical tasks have an essential role in the mathematics learning process. Well-designed mathematical tasks will provide a learning opportunity for students to develop their mathematical ideas. The ability of pre-service mathematics teachers to design mathematical tasks during their academic studies significantly influences how they teach in actual learning. One of the ways to investigate pre-service mathematics teachers' ability to design tasks is by analyzing the tasks in the lesson plans they proposed. This study aims to scrutinize the level of cognitive demand for mathematics tasks designed by pre-service mathematics teachers in their lesson plans to get a thorough understanding of their ability to design tasks. This descriptive qualitative research analyzed mathematical tasks in 25 lesson plans proposed by pre-service mathematics teachers using the framework developed by Stein and Smith (1998). The results of this study show that most pre-service teachers designed tasks with a lower cognitive demand classification with types of memorization and procedures without connections. The mathematical tasks designed by pre-service mathematics teachers also have yet to lead to argumentation and the development of mathematical ideas through exploration or doing mathematics. Thus, based on the findings in this study, designing mathematics tasks with the potential to promote students' mathematical understanding remains a challenge for pre-service mathematics teachers. This article discusses and presents the implications of research results and recommendations for designing mathematical tasks.

Winkler Titration Assessment of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) in Oka Creek, Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State

Aim: The aim of study was to investigate the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels in water samples from the Oka Creek. Study Design: Qualitative study design. Place and Duration of Study: Water samples were collected from the Oka Creek, located in Toru-Orua in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The study lasted for twenty days. Methods: Water samples were collected from four different locations and depths in the Oka Creek, Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, at various times. Each sample was transferred into 250 ml bottles labeled L1, L2, L3, and L4. The temperatures of the samples were recorded before transporting them to the chemistry laboratory for treatment. Winkler titration method was employed in analyzing the samples. Results: Location L1 recorded the highest BOD value, 28.38 ppm, measured at sunset (25 °C), from a relatively stagnant region. The high BOD at this location is attributed to minimal photosynthetic activity and significant oxygen consumption by microorganisms. In contrast, L2, collected from the same region at 35 °C during peak sunlight, exhibited a BOD value of 21.76 ppm. The lower BOD at L2 is due to increased photosynthetic activity. These high values suggest significant sludge deposits, domestic sewage and agricultural runoffs, which could lead to oxygen depletion and negatively impact aquatic life. Sample L3, taken from a deeper, stagnant region at sunset (25 °C), recorded a BOD value of 4.50 ppm. This moderate BOD level suggests the presence of moderate sludge deposits and agricultural runoff, but higher water flow speed helped mitigate these effects. Location L4, with the lowest BOD value of 3.74 ppm, was collected during peak sunlight (35 °C). Deeper location and high water flow speed contributed to reduced BOD levels, indicating better water quality and a healthier aquatic environment. Conclusion: The BOD values at L1 and L2 (28.38 ppm and 21.76 ppm) exceed acceptable limits for fish growth. Conversely, BOD values at L3 and L4 (4.50 ppm and 3.74 ppm) fall within acceptable limits, suggesting healthier aquatic environment, as evidenced by the yearly bountiful fish harvests in these sections of the Oka Creek.

Assessing the legal, illegal, and gray ornamental trade of the critically endangered helmeted hornbill.

Monitoring wildlife trade dynamics is an important initial step for conservation action and demand reduction campaigns to reduce illegal wildlife trade. Studies often rely on one data source to assess a species' trade, such as seizures or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade data. Each database provides useful information but is often incomplete. Combining information from multiple sources helps provide a more complete understanding of trade. A recent rapid increase in demand for helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) casques (a brightly colored, solid keratinous rostrum) led to its uplisting to critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List in 2015. However, there is little current information on what factors influence trade trends and what current levels of demand are. We combined data from CITES, seizure records, and previously underused, yet abundant, art and antique auction data to examine the global trade in helmeted hornbill casque products (HHPs). Three decades of auction data revealed that 1027 individual HHPs had been auctioned since 1992; total auction sales were over US$3 million from 1992 to 2021. The number of HHPs auctioned was greatest from 2011 to 2014, just after the global art boom (2009-2011), followed by a decline in volume and price. The auction data also revealed 2 possible markets for HHPs: true antique and speculative, defined by era, price, and trade patterns. Trends in illegal trade matched those of the auction market, but legal trade remained consistently low. Combining data sources from legal, illegal, and gray markets provided an overview of the dynamics of illegal trade in an endangered species. This approach can be applied to other wildlife markets to provide a more complete understanding of trade and demand at the market level to inform future demand reduction campaigns.

ACHIEVED RESULTS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES: STATISTICAL FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

Small and medium-sized enterprises are a key part of every national economy and represent a factor of economic and social stability. In particular, entrepreneurial organizations are recognized as drivers of economic development, because they encourage the introduction of new technologies and have a direct impact on the level of investments and aggregate demand in terms of macroeconomic indicators. Also, this type of organizations contributes to solving the problem of unemployment and unequal distribution of wages. The need for strategic support and development of small and medium enterprises at the state level is permanent. In the past, these entities have been hit by the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus, inflation and digitization. The subject of the paper is the results review of the small and medium-sized enterprises development in Serbia, as well as the perspective of their further growth. Taking into account the effect of quality standards on business results, the connection of small and medium-sized enterprises with scientific and research institutions, but also the connection between the same organizations on the market, the authors propose certain improvements for their development. The key elements are based on the adequate and correct diagnosis of the mentioned connections. The research sample was purposive, which included companies in each of the 5 regions of the Republic of Serbia (n=112). The importance of quality standards and cooperation with faculties and scientific research institutions was established. It has been proven that the biggest obstacles in the development of the business of small and medium-sized enterprises are administrative procedures, as well as fiscal appropriation, and that the biggest impact on future business prospects is the adopted quality standard, investment in modern equipment, innovation, new knowledge and the introduction of new production lines.

The Use of Fuzzy Modelling Based on Expert Knowledge to Determine Poland’s Energy Security Index Taking into Account Political Conditions

This article presents the results of research on the energy security index in Poland. Since the development of renewable energy sources forced by the transformation of the national energy system will require an increased supply of rare earth elements, the level of demand for these metals was taken into account when determining the energy security index. Furthermore, the development of renewable energy sources in Poland will directly depend on the volume of energy demand and, as the events of previous years have shown, on political and legal conditions, especially in the case of wind energy. Since some of these factors are qualitative, it was impossible to use a quantitative method. Therefore, fuzzy sets were used. Fuzzy modelling is based on expert knowledge. Using this method, the authors created three alternative scenarios for the development of Poland’s energy security index: pessimistic, optimistic, and the most probable.

The impact of unmet community service demand on the loneliness of older adults: based on CLHLS (2008-2018).

To explore the impact of unmet community service demands on loneliness among older adults. Based on the longitudinal tracking data of CLHLS (2008-2018), latent growth curve model (LGCM) was used to describe the trajectory of loneliness among older adults. Panel regression was used to analyze the impact of unmet community service demands on loneliness, and latent classification analysis (LCA) was used to classify the older adults and analyze the differences in loneliness among different types of older adults. A total of 1445 older people participated in all four surveys, and 22.4% of them reported feeling lonely. From 2008 to 2018, there was a significant non-linear increase in loneliness, with average values of 1.77, 1.81, 1.83, and 1.96, respectively. The level of community service supply (1.31) was far from meeting the demand level (5.11). Unmet community service demands were associated with a higher prevalence of loneliness (β = 0.012, P = 0.003, 95% CI = [0.004, 0.020]). In addition, according to the demand difference for community services, older adults were classified into the comprehensive demand type (Type I) and the medical demand type (Type II). The loneliness of Type I older adults was significantly higher than that of Type II (P < 0.05). With the passage of time, loneliness of older adults is showing an accelerating upward trend. Unmet community services can lead to enhanced loneliness among older adults, and the higher the demand for community services, the stronger the loneliness. The government should increase the supply of community services to meet the basic and socio-emotional needs of the older adults to reduce loneliness.

Effects of emotional demands on work outcomes: A diary study among Malaysian counsellors

IntroductionThis study examined the effects of emotional demands on psychological health among counsellors in Malaysia. Drawing from the job demands–resources (JD-R) model, the research tested the effects of counsellors’ daily emotional demands on their turnover intention, mainly via emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. ObjectivesA within-individual design was used to examine the effects of counsellors’ emotional demands on their turnover intention, especially via emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. MethodsThe study was conducted among counsellors (n=47) over a period of four days in two consecutive weeks. The diary survey was collected for two days (Monday and Friday) each week for two consecutive weeks, measuring individuals’ self-reports of emotional demands, week-level emotional exhaustion, depressive symptoms and turnover intention (n=188 data points). To test all hypotheses, data were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). ResultsCounsellors’ daily emotional demands were found have a direct effect on their levels of emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. Emotional exhaustion, but not depressive symptoms, was found to mediate the association of daily emotional demands with turnover intention. ConclusionOverall, the study revealed that the daily level of emotional exhaustion, but not of depressive symptoms, was positively related to counsellors’ turnover intention. Emotional exhaustion was found to mediate the relationship between counsellors’ emotional demands and their turnover intention. Counsellors with a high level of emotional demands as well as emotional exhaustion tended to have a high level of turnover intention.

Ergonomic Considerations for Practicing Massage Therapists.

The physical demands and repetitive movements performed by massage therapists during a treatment increase the risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. While massage therapy meets the level of heavy physical demand, the ergonomic risk of performing a massage was previously unknown. The Massage Therapy Foundation undertook a job task analysis to be used by educators, employers, and clinicians to create an optimal work environment. Data collected via survey were used to create the protocol for an onsite data collection where massage therapists were evaluated on the ergonomic risk factors by trained ergonomists. The results of the job task analysis found the highest variability in movement when the massage therapist was treating the neck prone, neck supine, and leg prone. When the massage therapists did not change positions during a stroke, there was increased forward flexion of the trunk which increased postural stress on the extensors of the back and neck. Strokes such as effleurage which can span the entire length of the body part had the highest cumulative load, requiring postures that put mild biomechanical stress on the shoulders (90% of the time), neck (70% of the time), and trunk (60% of the time). The forward-bending posture of the massage therapist increases the eccentric demands of the therapist's neck and back musculature, thereby increasing fatigue and leading to an increase in the chance of overuse injury. The job task analysis recommends the massage therapist monitor the duration of application in an unsupported position, take more time between sessions, work in an optimum environment, including correct table height, and have a healthy, active lifestyle to maintain career longevity.

Caracterización de tareas sobre inecuaciones en libros de textos escolares en educación primaria

[Objective] This study characterized mathematical inequation tasks in Chilean primary school textbooks for 4th and 5th graders (9 and 10 year olds). [Methodology] A qualitative descriptive study was conducted considering the following six categories: algebraic practices involved, syntactic structure of the expressions, meaning of the concept of inequation, resolution strategies, level of cognitive demand, and context. The sample is comprised of 206 tasks from math textbooks. [Results] The characterised tasks have few practices leading to algebraic thinking, and it is the alphanumeric symbolic representation the one that predominantly stands out within these practices. The structure of the expressions shows little variety for generalising and reasoning, the latter having repercussions on the resolution strategies, which are not progressively addressed in order to improve their comprehension. The proposed tasks present different meanings of inequation. Regarding the cognitive demand, most of the tasks consist of connected and unconnected procedures. Finally, the most frequent contexts are mathematical, while the ones with the least presence are personal, social, and occupational contexts. [Conclusions] It is concluded that improving task design is necessary. The proposed categories are a tool to visualise which elements are taken into consideration and to improve inequation tasks.

Primary tooth wear in children from different social environments.

Bilingual schools have more hours and high levels of academic demands. Aims: To compare the degree of dental wear and frequency of severe wear facets between children from public rural schools (RG) and children from private bilingual schools in Buenos Aires City (PG). To compare the presence of facets to parents' reports on bruxism and their opinion on the importance to health of bruxism and snoring. Materials and Method: The sample (n=90) consisted of 5- and 10-year-old children. Their parents/guardians were asked to complete a structured questionnaire on bruxism and snoring. Children's degrees of dental wear on primary incisors, canines and molars were identified and recorded. The data were analyzed statistically. Results: The relative risk of wear between PG and RG was 1.82. Bruxism and snoring were reported by 22.9% of the parents/guardians of 5-year-olds and 8.8% of the parents/guardians of 10-year-olds. In 10-year-olds, significant differences were found between RG and PG for canine wear degree 3 (p=0.01). Conclusions: Children from highly demanding schools presented more dental wear. Higher frequency of severe dental wear was observed in primary canines and molars late in the tooth replacement period regardless of whether sleep bruxism was reported. Parents/guardians from different social conditions considered that bruxism and snoring are important to health to similar degrees.

Innovative waste activated sludge pre-treatment using a raceway pond Reactor: Integration of Low-Temperature and solar radiation

A novel pre-treatment, using a raceway pond reactor (RPR), combining the use of thermal and solar effects, was applied to enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste activated sludge (WAS) from an urban wastewater treatment plant. Thermal pre-treatment at 25, 50, 60 and 70 °C was carried out for 5 h with (under distinct values of UV radiant power) and without solar radiation and varying WAS depth in the RPR (5 or 7 cm). Higher temperatures (60 and 70 °C) and longer treatment times (3 to 5 h) resulted in increased disintegration of bacterial cells. The WAS pre-treatment significantly (p-value ≤ 0.001) boosted soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) levels, achieving a disintegration degree of 19.7 % at 70 °C with solar radiation (7.2 kJUV L-1WAS), which corresponds to a 15-fold increase of SCOD, compared to the baseline at 25 °C without radiation. Moreover, at the highest temperature (70 °C), there was a significant SCOD increase (p-value ≤ 0.05) of approximately 400 mgO2 L-1 in the presence of solar radiation. This synergetic effect between temperature and solar radiation caused cell damage, membrane rupture, and release of cellular content, shifting extracellular polymeric substances from tightly bound to loosely bound and soluble fractions, consequently improving methane production. Methane production increased by 131 % compared to the control (25 °C) under 70 °C and after 7.2 kJUV L-1WAS, indicating a positive impact on WAS hydrolysis. The technology adopted in this work fosters methane production predominantly using renewable solar energy without chemical residues. This is the first report on RPR for WAS pre-treatment, combining mild temperature and solar radiation.

An Assessment of the Urban Streetscape Using Multiscale Data and Semantic Segmentation in Jinan Old City, China

Urban street space is a significant component of urban public spaces and an important aspect of people’s perceptions of a city. Jinan Old City exemplifies the balance between the supply of and demand for green spaces in urban streets. The sense of comfort and the demand level of street spaces are measured via the space demand index. Open platform data, such as those from Baidu Maps and Amap, are evaluated using methods including ArcGIS network analysis and Segnet semantic segmentation. The results obtained from such evaluations indicate that, in terms of the green space supply, the overall level for Shangxin Street in Jinan is not high. Only 24% of the selected sites have an adequate green space supply. The level on Wenhua West Road is higher than that on Shangxin Street. The block on the western side of Shangxin Street has the highest green space demand, with a decreasing trend from west to east. There are several higher selection points in the middle section of Shangxin Street. The demand is lowest in the middle of Wenhua East Road. Shangxin Street’s demand is higher than that of Wenhua West Road. The supply and demand are highly matched on Wenhua West Road and poorly matched on Shangxin Street, with 44.12% of the area in the “low supply, high demand” quadrant. This study proposes targeted optimization strategies based on supply and demand, thereby providing research ideas and methods for urban renewal.

From state financial control to modern audit: evolutionary development in Russia and other countries

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of state financial control and audit. The historical facts of their origin in the Great Roman Empire, China, India, Great Britain, the USA and Russia are given. Four stages of audit development in modern Russia are identified and a fairly detailed description of each stage is given. The necessity of modernizing the process of self-regulation of the auditing profession is substantiated, taking into account the recommendations of the International Forum of Independent Regulators of Auditing, the development and effective implementation of a new Concept and a new Strategy of Russian audit, the implementation of which will create conditions for the consolidation of the audit professional community, contributing to the development and functioning of mechanisms for involving the audit community in the processes of solving strategic tasks aimed at improving the efficiency of functioning modern models of state financial control and audit, the development of the national economy and ensuring the economic security of the country. Special attention is paid to taking measures to increase the level of demand and value of the audit.

Effectiveness of Apuwood Plants (Pistia Stratiotes) Using the Phytoremediation Method in Reducing Bod Levels in Ciprat Langitan Magetan Batik Waste

The batik industry generally consists of residue, residual dye water, residual wax and batik pelorodan water. The characteristics of batik liquid waste include high levels of Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, and Total Suspended Solids. Batik industry waste is considered dangerous, because its characteristics can pollute waters such as turbidity in river water. The aim of this research is todetermine the effectiveness of using apu wood plants (Pistia Stratiotes) in reducing the BOD value in Ciprat Langitan Simbatan Magetan batik waste.The method used in this research is experimental, with analysis using Quasi Experimental and using a Pretest-posttest Control Group Design.The results of measuring BOD levels with phytoremediation treatment of apu wood plants on the 3rd day were 114 mg/l, on the 6th day it was 71 mg/l and on the 9th day it was 53 mg/l. The percentage of effectiveness in reducing BOD levels on day 3 was 9.78%, on day 6 it was 45.31% and on the last day it was 58.20%. There was a reduction in BOD levels with phytoremediation using apu wood plants. The effectiveness of the apu wood plant in reducing BOD levels was found with an exposure time of 9 days. Apart from that, a long-standing treatment of more than 9 days can be used to measure the effectiveness of apu wood plants in reducing the BOD levels of batik liquid waste.

Current Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Ignores Functional Demand.

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used in orthopaedic surgery to measure aspects of musculoskeletal function that are important to patients, such as disability and pain. However, current assessments of function using PROMs do not necessarily consider a patient's functional demands in detail. A patient's functional demands could serve as a confounder to their perception of their functional ability. Hence, functional demands may need to be adjusted for when PROMs are used to measure musculoskeletal function. We conducted a cross-sectional study in which new orthopaedic patients completed a questionnaire regarding demographics, function [Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System], functional demand (Tegner Activity Level Scale), pain self-efficacy, and symptoms of depression. 169 eligible patients with diverse orthopaedic conditions were enrolled in the study from an orthopaedic clinic, and 19 were excluded for incomplete questionnaires. The mean Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System score was 36.5 ± 9.1, and the mean Tegner score was 2.6 ± 2.0. In the multivariable regression model, patient-reported function was significantly associated with functional demand (β = 0.17, P < 0.001). Significant associations were observed for pain self-efficacy (β = 0.15, P < 0.001), acuity (β = -0.10, P = 0.004), and age 80 years or older (β = -0.16, P = 0.004). No notable association was observed with depression or age 65 to 79 years. Higher patient-reported physical function is associated with higher levels of functional demand when controlling for psychosocial factors, acuity, and age. Because of its confounding effect on measuring physical function, functional demand should be assessed and included in models using PROMs before and after surgery. For example, payment models using improvements in PROMs, such as the short form of the Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score after joint arthroplasty, should include functional demand in the model when assessing quality of care. Level II.

Mimicking crypto portfolios in sustainable investment

In this paper, considering the difference in the energy demand level, we utilize the daily pricing data from 10/01/2019 to 06/30/2023 to construct mimicking crypto portfolios with 12 clean cryptocurrencies to replace the dirty cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC). With a monthly rebalancing strategy, the mimicking portfolio closely matches the exposures to the risk factors of the BTC but with fewer specific risks. Furthermore, relying on the bivariate dynamic conditional correlation (DCC-) GARCH model, we compare the hedging capability of BTC and the corresponding mimicking crypto portfolio against movements of returns of sustainable assets. The empirical results show that the mimicking crypto portfolio provides ESG investors with a cheaper hedge tool of higher hedge effectiveness compared to the BTC. Moreover, we find that the mimicking crypto portfolio can act as a strong safe haven for the S&P Global Clean Energy Index and S&P Latin America Emerging LargeMidCap ESG Index during periods of market stress. Therefore, the mimicking crypto portfolio is a more attractive option for ESG investors due to its superior hedging efficiency and the added environmental advantages.

Effectiveness of natural herbs on sewage and treated municipal wastewater: A comparative study

Improperly handled sewage is the main cause of water pollution. Nearly 62% of wastewater in urban India remains untreated or partially treated, which further gets disposed of in the natural water bodies. The usual treatment methods include the activated sludge process, oxidation ponds, aerated lagoons, and trickling filters. These methods need spacious areas, a lot of energy and time, which drives up the cost of the treatment. The expense of the treatment process can be decreased by using natural coagulants. The indigenous medical system uses plants, which are abundant in secondary metabolites, to treat a variety of illnesses. The purpose of this study was to comprehend how these indigenous plants can be utilized for treating sewage water, as a low-cost accessible method that can be used by citizens to get access to clean drinking water. Material &amp;amp; Methods: A quick and low-cost method was created to investigate the efficacy of Moringa oleifera (Moringa), Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), and Azadirachta indica (Neem) in the treatment of sewage water. This herb treated water was then compared to municipal treated water from the Ghatkopar Wastewater treatment facility, managed by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Mumbai, India. All the herb-based components were bought from regional markets, and water samples from a lagoon found in the nearby Ghatkopar lagoon in Mumbai. Results: When compared to the lagoon-treated water, the efficacy of the sewage water treated with herbs was higher or comparable. Coliform and copper levels decreased considerably in the treated sample. Herb-treated samples showed a reduction in the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels as compared to the treated water. Conclusion: When combined, the herbs had a significant impact on lowering the COD, Copper, and coliform levels, making the native plants a valuable source for the treatment of sewage water.