Geographic Dispersion Research Articles

Nonlinear Effects of Geographic Diversification on Firm Performance with the Moderating Influence of Intangible Assets

The concepts of geographic diversification and firm performance are central to the study of corporate strategy in a world economy. This research aims at establishing the nature of the relationship between the two variables, with the moderating effect of intangible assets including research and development and advertising intensity. Using a robust dataset of 2,067 firms, we tested two hypotheses: first, that the relationship is curvilinear, conforming to an S-shape, and second, that the presence of high intangible assets improves the performance return from geographic dispersion. These results indicate that both low and high amounts of geographic diversification are detrimental to firm performance; however, moderate levels of geographic diversification produce marked enhancements in ROA and Tobin’s Q. Consequently, when internationalization is low, the performance decreases to 0.35 below the base level in Tobin’s Q; and moderate internationalization of up to 0.2 leads to a high increment of 0.501 in Tobin’s Q, which is 40% improvement. However, if the level of internationalization goes beyond this threshold, the link between the extent of performance and internationalization is negative. The interaction effects reveal that internationalization increases the performance of firms with greater advertising and R&D intensities by 20% when advertising intensity increases from 2% to 4% at an internationalization level of 0.7 of Tobin’s Q.

The Association Between a Neighborhood Adverse Childhood Experiences Index and Body Mass Index Among New York City Youth.

Background: The role of neighborhood factors in the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and body mass index (BMI) has not been widely studied. A neighborhood ACEs index (NAI) captures neighborhood environment factors associated with ACE exposure. This study examined associations between BMI and an NAI among New York City (NYC) youth. An exploratory objective examined the NAI geographic distribution across NYC neighborhoods. Methods: Data for students attending NYC public general education schools in kindergarten-12th grade from 2006-2017 (n = 1,753,867) were linked to 25 geospatial datasets capturing neighborhood characteristics for every census tract in NYC. Multivariable hierarchical linear regression tested associations between BMI and the NAI; analyses also were conducted by young (<8 years), school age (8-12 years), and adolescent (>12 years) subgroups. In addition, NAI was mapped by census tract, and local Moran's I identified clusters of high and low NAI neighborhoods. Results: Higher BMI was associated with higher NAI across all sex and age groups, with largest magnitude of associations for girls (medium NAI vs. low NAI: unstandardized β = 0.112 (SE 0.008), standardized β [effect size]=0.097, p < 0.001; high NAI vs. low NAI: unstandardized β = 0.195 (SE 0.008), standardized β = 0.178, p < 0.001) and adolescents (medium NAI vs. low NAI: unstandardized β = 0.189 (SE 0.014), standardized β = 0.161, p < 0.001, high NAI vs. low NAI: unstandardized β = 0.364 (SE 0.015), standardized β = 0.334, p < 0.001 for adolescent girls; medium NAI vs. low NAI: unstandardized β = 0.122 (SE 0.014), standardized β = 0.095, p < 0.001, high NAI vs. low NAI: unstandardized β = 0.217 (SE 0.015), standardized β = 0.187, p < 0.001 for adolescent boys). Each borough of NYC included clusters of neighborhoods with higher and lower NAI exposure, although clusters varied in size and patterns of geographic dispersion across boroughs. Conclusions: A spatial index capturing neighborhood environment factors associated with ACE exposure is associated with higher BMI among NYC youth. Findings complement prior literature about relationships between neighborhood environment and obesity risk, existing research documenting ACE-obesity associations, and the potential for neighborhood factors to be a source of adversity. Collectively, evidence suggests that trauma-informed place-based obesity reduction efforts merit further exploration as potential means to interrupt ACE-obesity associations.

Is bank misconduct related to social capital? Evidence from U.S. banks

This paper investigates whether social capital plays a role in bank misconduct. I find that U.S. banks headquartered in high social capital areas, as indicated by the strength of civic norms and the density of social networks, are less likely to face enforcement actions. This relationship is mainly significant for banks with a lower geographical dispersion, and it holds in a range of robustness and endogeneity tests. I run additional tests based on classes of enforcement actions, components of social capital, risk-taking, opacity, and bank actions associated with negative externalities. These tests deliver results supporting the idea that the main findings of the paper are largely attributed to social capital's role in exerting external discipline, which prevents misconduct-related behaviors in banks.

Adaptations to a patient navigation program for follow-up colonoscopy in rural primary care practices.

Patient navigation is a recommended practice to improve cancer screenings among underserved populations including those residing in rural areas with care access barriers. We report on patient navigation programme adaptations to increase follow-up colonoscopy rates after abnormal fecal testing in rural primary care practices. Participating clinics delivered a patient navigation programme to eligible patients from 28 affiliated clinics serving rural communities in Oregon clustered within 3 Medicaid health plans. Patient navigation adaptations were tracked using data sources including patient navigation training programme reflections, qualitative interviews, clinic meetings, and periodic reflections with practice facilitators. Initial, planned (proactive) adaptations were made to address the rural context; later, unplanned (reactive) adaptations were implemented to address the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Initial planned adaptations to the patient navigation programme were made before the main trial to address the needs of the rural context, including provider shortages and geographic dispersion limiting both patient access to care and training opportunities for providers. Later unplanned adaptations were made primarily in response to COVID-19 care suspension and staff redeployments and shortages that occurred during implementation. While unplanned adaptations were implemented to address the contextual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care access patterns and staffing, the changes to training content and context were beneficial to the rural setting overall and should be sustained. Our findings can guide future efforts to optimise the success of such programmes in other rural settings and highlight the important role of adaptations in implementation projects.

Pollinator-mediated selection on Krameria oil flowers: a flower-pollinator fit adaptation to an atypical oil-collecting behaviour?

Spatial variation in plant-pollinator interactions is a key driver of floral trait diversification. A so far overlooked qualitative aspect of this variation is the behavioural component on flowers that relates to the pollinator fit. We tested the hypothesis that variation in pollinator behaviour influences the geographical pattern of phenotypic selection across the distribution range of the oil-producing Krameria grandiflora (Krameriaceae). This variation mainly involves the presence or absence of flag petal grasping, which is only performed by representatives of Centris (Centridini, Apidae), an oil-collecting bee group highly associated with Krameriaceae pollination. We quantified variation in floral traits and fitness and estimated pollinator-mediated selection in five populations at a large geographical scale comprising the entire species range. In each population, we sampled individual pollen arrival and germination as a fitness measure, indicating pollination success and pollination performance, which was then relativized and regressed on standardized flower-pollinator fit (flag-stigma distance), advertisement (sepal length) and reward (oil volume) traits. This generated mean-scaled selection gradients used to calculate geographical selection dispersion. Unexpectedly, stronger selection was detected on the flower-pollinator fit trait in populations highly associated with the absence of flag petal grasping. Geographical variation in selection was mainly attributed to differential selection on the flag-stigma distance generating a selection mosaic. This may involve influences of a spatial variation in pollinator behaviour as well as composition and morphology. Our results show the adaptive significance of the specialized flag petals of Krameria in the absence of the grasping behaviour and highlight the contribution of geographical variation in pollinator behaviour on flowers in driving selection mosaics, with implications for floral evolution, adaptation to pollinator fit and phenotypic diversity in specialized systems.

A new species of vocalizing crocodyliform (Notosuchia, Sphagesauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil

ABSTRACT Caipirasuchus is a genus of sphagesaurid notosuchian from the Bauru Basin (Upper Cretaceous), southeast Brazil. They were small-sized herbivorous/omnivorous animals, that measured around 1 metre in length, and had a wide diversity and geographical dispersion in the basin. Here, we diagnosed the 6th species of the genus, originating from sandstones of the Adamantina Formation in the municipality of Catanduva, São Paulo State. Caipirasuchus presents a significant variation in the morphology of structures in the choana region. In particular, the new species has chambers in the wings of the pterygoids that connect with an extension of the airways, suggesting a region of resonance used in vocalisation. The different palatal structures in Caipirasuchus may be related to distinct bioacoustic signatures and indicate apossible improvement in the social organisation of Caipirasuchus.

Variability in public health programming and priorities to address health inequities across public health units in Ontario, Canada.

In 2018, Ontario Public Health Standards were updated to include the foundational Health Equity Standard to guide planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and services. Public health units (PHUs), the regional public health bodies, are now required to address health equity through four requirements: (a) Assessing and Reporting; (b) Modifying and Orienting Public Health Interventions; (c) Engaging in Multi-sectoral Collaboration; and (d) Health Equity Analysis, Policy Development, and Advancing Healthy Public Policies. This qualitative descriptive study explored how the 27 participating PHUs (out of 34) serving urban (N = 10), mixed urban-rural (N = 15), and rural (N = 9) populations addressed the Health Equity Standard. Using document analysis, we inductively and deductively coded the content of 68 PHU Annual Service Plan and Budget Submissions from a 3-year period (2018-2020) received from the 27 PHUs. Emergent categories were organized into the four requirements and one additional emergent theme: Organizational Implementation of Health Equity. The approaches of embedding health equity into PHUs' activities varied across groups. Urban PHUs presented more diverse strategies, including working with a larger number of organizations, and participating in academic research projects. We found more process standardization and greater discussion of capacity building in urban and mixed urban-rural PHUs. Rural PHUs strategically addressed the needs of their diverse populations through relationship building with Indigenous communities. Findings suggest broad implementation of health equity approaches in public health independent of PHUs' geographic size and population dispersion, though strategies and key challenges differ across units.

Bibliometric analysis highlighting the role of women in addressing climate change challenges and achieving sustainable development goals for greener future

Fossil fuel consumption increased quickly, contributing to climate change that is evident in unusual flooding and draughts, and global warming. Over the past ten years, women's involvement in society has grown dramatically, and they succeeded in playing a noticeable role in reducing climate change. A bibliometric analysis of data from the last ten years has been carried out to examine the role of women in addressing the climate change. The analysis's findings discussed the relevant to the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 and SDG 13. The results considered contributions made by women in the various sectors while taking geographic dispersion into account. The bibliometric analysis delves into topics including women's leadership in environmental groups, their involvement in policymaking, their contributions to sustainable development projects, and the influence of gender diversity on attempts to mitigate climate change. This study's results highlight how women have influenced policies and actions related to climate change, point out areas of research deficiency and recommendations on how to increase role of the women in addressing the climate change and achieving sustainability. To achieve more successful results, this initiative aims to highlight the significance of gender equality and encourage inclusivity in climate change decision-making processes.

Geospatial Distribution of Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Congenital Heart Disease: Implications for Equitable Care from a Fetal Heart Society Research Collaborative Study

To characterize patterns in the geospatial distribution of pre- and postnatally diagnosed congenital heart disease (CHD) across 6 surgical centers. A retrospective, multicenter case series from the Fetal Heart Society identified patients at 6 centers from 2012 through 2016 with prenatally (PrND) or postnatally (PoND) diagnosed hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or d-transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Geospatial analysis for clustering was done by the average nearest neighbor (ANN) tool or optimized hot spot tool, depending on spatial unit and data type. Both point location and county case rate per 10 000 live births were assessed for geographic clustering or dispersion. Of the 453 CHD cases, 26% were PoND (n=117), and 74% were PrND (n=336). PrND cases, in all but one center, displayed significant geographic clustering by the ANN. Conversely, PoND cases tended toward geographic dispersion. Dispersion of PoND HLHS occurred in 2 centers (ANN=1.59, P<.001; and 1.47, P=.016), and PoND TGA occurred in 2 centers (ANN=1.22, P<.05; and ANN=1.73, P<.001). Hot spot analysis of all CHD cases (TGA and HLHS combined) revealed clustering near areas of high population density and the tertiary surgical center. Hot spot analysis of county-level case rate, accounting for population density, found variable clustering patterns. Geographic dispersion among postnatally detected CHD highlights the need for a wider reach of prenatal cardiac diagnosis tailored to the specific needs of a community. Geospatial analysis can support centers in improving the equitable delivery of prenatal care.

How Does Time Synchronization Affect Innovation Quality?

How location choice influences innovation in MNCs has been the subject of controversy, and the examination of geographic concentration or dispersion is particularly insufficient. The question is, how will the decentralization or centralization of MNCs affect the communication and management of information among employees. To address this deficiency, this study introduces the concept of time synchronization and attempts to examine the relationship between MNCs location choice and corporate innovation quality from a new perspective. By gathering data from the Chinese internationalized firms, we found that time synchronization between parents and subsidiaries is positively associated with the innovation quality of parent firms, and the degree of digitization strengthens this positive relationship. This study underscores the crucial role of overlapping work time for employee interactions between parents and subsidiaries to acquire information in comprehending and absorbing overseas knowledge to improve the innovation quality of parent firms.

Agri-food supply chain optimization through a decentralized production process in the olive oil industry

A tactical/operational model is proposed to assist decision-making in harvest planning and olive oil production planning of the different producers in the rural sector, considering allocation and transportation decisions of the kilograms of olives to the production plant with temporary relocation decisions of the mobile olive oil mills through decentralized production activities in the agri-food supply chain. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming model is presented that maximizes the profit of small farmers in the production process of single-varietal extra virgin olive oil. The decisions are based on the geographical dispersion of the different olive growers and the oil concentration of the olive varieties in a certain period, which depends on the climatic conditions of each sector where the olives are cultivated. The mathematical programming model is applied in Coquimbo, Chile, using actual data collected from previous harvest seasons. The computational results of the optimization model indicate that transportation decisions impact olive harvesting and oil production decisions. It is concluded that cooperatives of small producers in the rural sector increase overall profits and reduce transportation costs and the number of kilometers traveled by at least 41% through a decentralized production process with mobile production plants.

Mapping the Proposed Caribbean Zoonotic (Swine Influenza) Epidemic of 1493 As a Geographic Model of Infectious Virus Dispersion

This paper investigates the proposed 1493 zoonotic (swine influenza) pandemic that swept through the Spanish colony at La Isabela, Hispaniola. Primary and secondary accounts of the malady describe the attributed symptoms as summarized in the work of Guerra (1988) and attempt to predict the geographic spread of the zoonosis as a series of four expanding regional stages, beginning at La Isabela and nearby Indigenous villages, moving outward along known valley pathways, engulfing northern Hispaniola, and finally transporting the infectious disease to the nearby islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Bahama Archipelago, with the possibility of spreading to the Lesser Antilles, the eastern coast of Yucatan and Honduras, and the northern coast of South America. This proposed geographic virus dispersion model includes a series of island maps that locate selected archeological sites of known villages along with suggested travel times, providing a historical record of viral spread tracing.

Emergency seek for non-urgency patients - Literature review

Based on the question of why non-urgent patients seek an Emergency Service (ES), this literature review demonstrated that the problem is not a Brazilian privilege but a global one. Emphasizing the fact that the screening carried out is not based solely on clinical criteria, being influenced by social issues rather than because, for the patient, their problem requires immediate treatment. The lack of accessibility to specialized care, geographical dispersion, distrust due to the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, the lack of health education among the population and the culture of immediacy are the main causes of the increase in attendance at hospital emergency services on its own initiative. The definition of "non-urgent" is variable and is generally associated with the individual's economic and social condition, also claiming that going to the emergency room is due to the convenience of being close to where they live and being open 24 hours a day. These consultations (on average, 2/3 of patients do not qualify as urgent) cause harm both to the population that actually needs the ES and to health care providers due to the overcrowding of the system. Its resolution is complex as it ranges from investments in more efficient outpatient care services to raising society's awareness of what an emergency really is.

Geospatial optimisation of wind and solar energy generation: A framework for optimised resource allocation

Wind and solar power generation profiles exhibit a high degree of power output variability and uncertainty compared to conventional fossil fuel generation plants. However, it is generally accepted that this variability and uncertainty can be mitigated by geographic siting and dispersion of the renewable energy plants, particularly with the view to leverage aggregation effects. In this context, this paper proposes a framework for the geospatial optimisation of wind and solar PV generation for scenarios with a high penetration of wind and solar renewable energy. The proposed optimisation framework represents a probabilistic risk-based approach that seeks to minimise the number of events where high residual load values require ancillary service interventions to maintain power balance. In this approach, the wind and solar resources are categorised in terms of the statistical properties of the associated spatiotemporal wind and solar power profiles for a given set of daily and seasonal Time of Use periods. It is thereby recognised that the resource characteristics and grid impact of wind and solar generation profiles can be interpreted with reference to the daily and seasonal cycles exhibited by the demand profiles, wherein some Time of Use periods are more important than others. The proposed framework is implemented for a number of baseline case studies and optimisation case studies, using wind and solar resource data sets covering South Africa. Overall, it is concluded that this approach can leverage geospatial site optimisation to substantially reduce the risks associated with high residual load events. Furthermore, the proposed framework is highly flexible in that the formulation of the minimum and maximum allocation constraints allows application for real-world scenarios whereby stringent capacity allocation constraints can be applied.

Study of lump and periodic waves along with rogue waves and breathers for mathematical modeling of biological dynamical system

Globally, infectious diseases pose a significant threat. Notable cases include influenza, Hepatitis B and HIV. COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, has been the subject of recent discussion due to its great transmissibility. This study explores the Susceptible–Infectious–Recovered (SIR) epidemic model, explaining several analytical approaches to comprehend the nonlinear incident rates and geographic dispersion. The model investigates phenomena such as M-shaped solitons, homoclinic breather-like solitons, lump waves (LWs), lump solution (LS) with one or two kinks, rogue waves (RWs), periodic waves (PWs) and periodic cross-kink waves. These solutions aid in understanding the disease spread and informing containment strategies by identifying optimal outbreak control methods. This work studies localized wave solutions in nonlinear wave equations, known as soliton solutions including the LS. RWs are characterized by unexpectedly large amplitude and rapid profile changes, drawing attention for their erratic features. PWs exhibit periodic repetitions over time and space. Besides, some type of solitons with special waveforms are the periodic cross-kink, M-shaped and homoclinic breather-like solitons. Graphical representation visualizes the behavior of these effective waves, providing insights into virus spread in specific regions over time. SIR models help identify optimal strategies for controlling outbreaks. The work adds to our understanding of epidemic dynamics by illuminating how the movement of susceptible and infected individuals affects the spread of disease.

Contrasting benthic bacterial and fungal communities in two temperate coastal areas affected by different levels of anthropogenic pressure

Benthic microbial communities play a crucial role in maintaining the stability and function of estuarine ecosystems. However, their organization and response to multiple stresses in severely disturbed coastal areas remains to be elucidated. In this study, we revealed the presence of contrasting benthic bacterial and fungal communities in the Liaohe (LH) and Yalujiang (YLJ) estuaries, which are located at similar latitudes and are characterized by similar climates but are subjected to different levels of anthropogenic pressure. The results showed that Firmicutes and Chloroflexi were more abundant in LH, which reflected the influence of anthropogenic pressure in this area. Functional analyses indicated that the functional genes involved in the generation of precursor metabolites and energy pathways were more enriched in the LH community, while genes regulating degradation/utilization/assimilation processes were more enriched in the YLJ community. Distance-dependent similarity analysis showed that the bacterial community in LH was more affected by environmental changes, while that in YLJ was more influenced by geographic dispersion. In contrast, no significant distance-dependent similarity was found for the fungal communities in the two areas. In addition, the network analysis showed that the bacterial-fungal network in YLJ was more complex and stable than that in the LH. Our results highlight the important roles of environmental heterogeneity in controlling microbial community composition, biogeographic patterns, and co-occurrence networks. These findings fill knowledge gaps in the understanding of the different response patterns of benthic communities under varying anthropogenic pressures.

New insights into Trypanosoma cruzi genetic diversity, and its influence on parasite biology and clinical outcomes.

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a serious public health problem worldwide. The parasite was subdivided into six distinct genetic groups, called "discrete typing units" (DTUs), from TcI to TcVI. Several studies have indicated that the heterogeneity of T. cruzi species directly affects the diversity of clinical manifestations of Chagas disease, control, diagnosis performance, and susceptibility to treatment. Thus, this review aims to describe how T. cruzi genetic diversity influences the biology of the parasite and/or clinical parameters in humans. Regarding the geographic dispersion of T. cruzi, evident differences were observed in the distribution of DTUs in distinct areas. For example, TcII is the main DTU detected in Brazilian patients from the central and southeastern regions, where there are also registers of TcVI as a secondary T. cruzi DTU. An important aspect observed in previous studies is that the genetic variability of T. cruzi can impact parasite infectivity, reproduction, and differentiation in the vectors. It has been proposed that T. cruzi DTU influences the host immune response and affects disease progression. Genetic aspects of the parasite play an important role in determining which host tissues will be infected, thus heavily influencing Chagas disease's pathogenesis. Several teams have investigated the correlation between T. cruzi DTU and the reactivation of Chagas disease. In agreement with these data, it is reasonable to suppose that the immunological condition of the patient, whether or not associated with the reactivation of the T. cruzi infection and the parasite strain, may have an important role in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease. In this context, understanding the genetics of T. cruzi and its biological and clinical implications will provide new knowledge that may contribute to additional strategies in the diagnosis and clinical outcome follow-up of patients with Chagas disease, in addition to the reactivation of immunocompromised patients infected with T. cruzi.

Bioluminescence - The Vibrant Glow of Nature and its Chemical Mechanisms.

Bioluminescence, the mesmerizing natural phenomenon where living organisms produce light through chemical reactions, has long captivated scientists and laypersons alike, offering a rich tapestry of insights into biological function, ecology, evolution as well as the underlying chemistry. This comprehensive introductory review systematically explores the phenomenon of bioluminescence, addressing its historical context, geographic dispersion, and ecological significance with a focus on their chemical mechanisms. Our examination begins with terrestrial bioluminescence, discussing organisms from different habitats. We analyze thefireflies of Central Europe's meadows and the fungi in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil. Additionally, we inspect bioluminescent species in New Zealand, specifically river-dwelling snails and mosquito larvae found in Waitomo Caves. Our exploration concludes in the Siberian Steppes, highlighting the area's luminescent insects and annelids. Transitioning to the marine realm, the second part of this review examines marine bioluminescent organisms. We explore this phenomenon in deep-sea jellyfish and their role in the ecosystem. We then move to Toyama Bay, Japan, where seasonal bioluminescence of dinoflagellates and ostracods present a unique case study. We also delve into the bacterial world, discussing how bioluminescent bacteria contribute to symbiotic relationships. For each organism, we contextualize its bioluminescence, providing details about its discovery, ecological function, and geographical distribution. A special focus lies on the examination of the underlying chemical mechanisms that enables these biological light displays. Concluding this review, we present a series of practical bioluminescence and chemiluminescence experiments, providing a resource for educational demonstrations and student research projects. Our goal with this review is to provide a summary of bioluminescence across the diverse ecological contexts, contributing to the broader understanding of this unique biological phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms serving researchers new to the field, educators and students alike.

Geographic dispersion, tax administration and corporate tax burden: evidence from China

PurposeFrom the perspective of local government tax administration, the impact of geographic dispersion on the corporate tax burden is investigated in this paper.Design/methodology/approachUsing unbalanced panel data with a sample of listed companies from 2003 to 2020 in China, this paper focuses on the effect of geographic dispersion on corporate tax burden and the mechanisms.FindingsIt is found that corporate tax burden is positively related to geographic dispersion. It is also found that geographic dispersion affects the corporate tax burden by increasing the effort of local government tax administration. In addition, the relation between geographic dispersion and corporate tax burden is more pronounced for local SOEs prior to the implementation of Golden Tax Project III and in cases where local governments face stronger financial pressure to obtain revenue.Originality/valueThis study has important implications for the promotion of the coordinated development of the regional economy, as well as the legalization, modernization and informatization of tax administration.

External relations, regional productivity, and exogenous shocks: lessons from the Italian experience

AbstractThis study provides novel insights into the debate concerning the external drivers of productivity at local (NUTS-3) level. In particular, it explores the role played by global production networks, measured through ownership ties among multinational firms and their subsidiaries abroad, in shaping patterns of productivity growth of local economies. Focusing on the Italian experience and using spatial econometrics techniques, the article demonstrates that external relations play a crucial role in sustaining the productivity of Italian provinces, even during periods of severe economic downturns, like the Great Recession. In detail, productivity growth is positively correlated with the Intensity of the networks established by multinational firms and their geographical dispersion.