High Reliance Research Articles

Allocation of CO2 emission target in China under the “1 + N” policy: Considering natural carbon sinks and wind-solar-hydropower endowments

The CO2 emission control targets (CET) allocation faces the unavoidable issues of “energy equity” and “carbon sink equity”, which are complicated by changing regional characteristics. By combining regional characteristics assessment, energy consumption status in the “1 + N” policy, and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) modeling, two schemes for China's net CET allocation in 2020–2030 are implied to reveal the impacts of regional carbon sinks and renewable energy endowments differences on the allocation. The results indicate that: firstly, significant regional differences are inevitably intrinsic within China's renewable energy endowments and carbon sinks to substantially affect the equity of carbon emission allocation in 2020–2030; secondly Provinces with high fossil energy reliance, such as Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia, are generally facing continuous pressure to reduce CO2 emissions during the 14th FYP and 15th FYP; thirdly, as a regional ecological advantage, carbon sinks are an essential source of additional carbon budgets for provinces, as in Sichuan and Yunnan. As a dominating impact factor of carbon sinks on CET allocation, terrestrial carbon sinks are much higher than ocean carbon sinks with clear provincial attribution; fourthly, in our allocation scheme, the exploitation of renewable energy endowments directly affects the provincial carbon budget and can promote low carbon energy supply; finally, the foundation to build the CET allocation mechanism, China's carbon market needs to be improved. This study helps policymakers understand and balance the equity issues in CET allocation due to regional differences in renewable energy endowments and carbon sinks.

Resolving syntactic-semantic conflicts: comprehension and processing patterns by deaf Chinese readers.

The current study combined sentence plausibility judgment and self-paced reading tasks to examine the comprehension strategies and processing patterns of Chinese deaf individuals when comprehending written Chinese sentences with syntactic-semantic cue conflicts. Similar to findings from previous crosslinguistic studies on deaf readers, the Chinese deaf readers showed great variability in their comprehension strategies, with only 38% robustly relying on syntactic cues. Regardless of their overall comprehension preferences, the deaf readers all showed additional processing efforts as reflected by longer reading time at the verb regions when they relied on the syntactic cues. Those with less robust reliance on syntactic cues also showed longer reading time at the verb regions even when they relied on the semantic cues, suggesting sensitivity to the syntactic cues regardless of the comprehension strategy. These findings suggest that deaf readers in general endure more processing burden while resolving conflicting syntactic and semantic cues, likely due to their overall high reliance on semantic information during sentence comprehension. Increased processing burden thus may contribute to an overall tendency of over-reliance on semantic cues when comprehending sentences with cue conflicts.

Exploring the Influence of Decisionmaking Style and Financial Status of Cancer Patients on Varied Cultural Aspects of Decision Process

Though many studies have linked shared decision-making with positive patient outcomes and patient satisfaction, there is less research on the practicality and feasibility of such an approach, specifically, in India. Recent findings indicate that contextual constraints of the patients and family caregivers are fused with and inevitably shape their decision-making style. This study investigates the influence of individual (paternalistic and shared decision-making style) and contextual (financial status of the patients) factors on certain cultural aspects of decision process, namely, trust in doctors, patient’s agency, emotional distress and attribution of responsibility. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from a sample of 306 participants. Linear mixed models were used to analyse the responses. The results indicate that a shift towards shared approaches does yield qualitatively superior outcomes in terms of increased trust in doctors and patients’ agency along with reduced emotional distress. The study also emphasises the role of cultural metaphysical beliefs in attributing responsibility for treatment decisions. Further, low financial status was found to be associated with higher trust in doctors, lower patient agency, and increased emotional distress for both patients and family caregivers. The move towards shared decision-making, considering the contextual realities of patients, could be instrumental in addressing critical issues, such as prevalence of collusion, superficial role of informed consent, and high reliance on doctors’ authority or expertise.

Shifting Tides: Affordability of Malaysia's Energy Transition

The Energy Commission of Malaysia (EC) harnesses the Energy Trilemma, focusing on security, affordability, and sustainability, to strategically navigate the nation's energy transition towards increasing the share of Renewable Energy (RE). This transition aims to balance the need for reliable and cost-effective energy while reducing carbon emissions and dependency on thermal sources. Despite the potential of RE to contribute to a sustainable energy pathway, there are significant challenges concerning the affordability of this shift, especially when compared to conventional coal plants. The study aims to examine the affordability aspect of RE through a SWOT analysis, assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the transition from coal to renewable sources. Employing a qualitative approach, this research relies on structured interviews with experts from a key utility company to delve into the complexities of Malaysia's energy transition. The findings highlight the cost-effectiveness and innovative potential of RE, particularly solar power, against the backdrop of its intermittent nature and land acquisition costs. Moreover, the SWOT analysis points to opportunities for decentralized energy models and technological advancements that can ensure the affordability of solar energy. The research underscores the need for strategic partnerships and policy frameworks that support scalable and economically viable energy solutions, despite the high initial costs and reliance on tariff mechanisms. In conclusion, while coal plants currently offer more stable and cost-effective energy production, the future of Malaysia's energy affordability hinges on a balanced integration of renewable sources, addressing the highlighted SWOT elements. This integrated approach is vital for a sustainable energy economy that is both environmentally responsible and economically feasible.

Effects of presidential elections on accounting conservatism: Evidence from South Korea

AbstractThis study examines the effects of presidential elections (PEs) on firms’ accounting conservatism in Korea. The Korean president exerts great influence on the government's financial, monetary, subsidiary, and regulatory policies. At the same time, however, the Korean constitution prohibits the re‐election of the incumbent president. This simultaneously strong and fragile presidential system creates unique political uncertainty, which deteriorates the information gap between firms’ insiders and outsiders. According to the efficient contracting channel, accounting conservatism is expected to relieve information asymmetry by recognizing the economic losses faster than economic gains. But we posit that the effectiveness of accounting conservatism depends on the information environment within which they operate. If the information environment facilitates a compensation system for an increase in accounting conservatism under high uncertainty, managers may prefer to expand conservative accounting practices. However, if there is no such incentive mechanism, managers may opt to suspend accounting conservatism because the cost of revealing bad news increases during periods of uncertainty. Test results show that PEs encourage managers to delay rather than expedite the timely recognition of economic losses. This negative effect becomes more pronounced in firms with higher reliance on government contracts than firms with lower such reliance. We also find that Korean chaebol‐affiliated firms are likely to increase accounting conservatism during PEs. In general, US‐based studies support the positive relationship between information asymmetry and accounting conservatism, while this study demonstrates that this relationship can be reverse depending on the institutional environment.

Equalization through the People’s Republic of China’s Intergovernmental Fiscal System: The Effectiveness of Central and Provincial Transfers

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) fiscal system is characterized by very high expenditure decentralization and heavy reliance on transfers to finance public services. The government’s embrace of inclusiveness and equalization as national goals has raised questions about whether transfers can deliver equalization. This paper seeks to answer this question by analyzing newly available fiscal data compiled from government websites. We find the allocation of central transfers remains strongly region based, resulting in high intra-regional inequality among provinces. Poorer provinces also tend to retain more central transfers at their own (provincial) level. Those provinces with greater pretransfer inequality tend to exert greater equalization efforts, but these are not necessarily proportional to their pretransfer inequality. As a result, some localities are left out of the PRC’s countrywide equalization program. These equalization patterns remained highly persistent during the coronavirus disease shock in 2020. Collectively, the findings highlight that the PRC’s complex intergovernmental fiscal system still poses challenges for equalization.

Enhanced local governance as response to threats on vulnerable non-timber forest product species: Case of Garcinia kola Heckel in East Cameroon

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) on which there is high reliance by the local population are often highly threatened. Hence, the current study was carried out to assess the local governance of vulnerable NTFPs and to find prospective strategies for enhancing local governance using Garcinia kola Heckel, a Vulnerable NTFP highly solicited by local communities for their livelihoods in Eastern Cameroon. Focus group discussions were used to collect data in 14 villages adjacent to Belabo-Diang Communal Forest on the major constraints of local governance, and prospects for enhancing local governance to guarantee the conservation and sustainable management of G. kola through a key stakeholders engagement workshop. Synthesis and analysis of the data identified twelve major constraints of the local governance of G. kola. The study also revealed the low power of local authorities over the regulation of the resource rights and its sustainable use, and the laxity and poor participation of different stakeholders in the management of G. kola. The most feasible local governance strategies identified that can enhance the conservation and sustainable use of G. kola were: sensitization on its threats and need to conserve; build capacity of council forest managers and local people on sustainable harvesting practices and planting techniques; the use of incentives to promote regeneration and private plantation and ownership; value chain organisation and the enforcement of the customary regulations. The study concludes that for enhanced local governance to play a vital role in the conservation and sustainable use of vulnerable NTFPs, all key stakeholders need to play their respective roles in a collaborative and responsible manner within the confines of good policies and pragmatic institutional arrangements.

Automation in architectural design: optimization and decision-making in interference design

The design of architectural projects encompasses a complex array of types, constraints, and contradictions, necessitating a high reliance on the personal experience of architects. Automated generative design aids in exploring various design alternatives, but current research grapples with challenges such as limited user customization, inadequate integration with site environments, and insufficient amalgamation of architectural form and performance optimization. This paper develops an algorithm for early-stage architectural generation, which employs a multi- interference item strategy, serving as a highly customizable design tool. In conjunction with performance optimization based on the NSGA-II algorithm, it introduces a versatile workflow. This paper applied this workflow in a residential building project, whilst incorporating indices such as structural performance, material usage, and site plot ratio as optimization objectives and constraints. The resulting design solutions enhance structural performance while meeting the constraints. The generative design workflow of this study boasts advantages in efficiency, performance, and customization levels. It enables designers to explore the design space in a customized manner, yielding effective solutions within a reasonable timeframe.

Direct evidence of plant consumption in Neolithic Eastern Sudan from dental calculus analysis.

The Neolithic communities of Eastern Sudan combined intensive pastoralism with plant exploitation as their main subsistence strategies. However, to date, it remains unclear which plant species were part of the human diet during the Neolithic. This contribution presents direct data on plant consumption in Eastern Sudan from the Early to Late Neolithic, obtained through the analysis of microdebris inclusions in the dental calculus of 37 individuals, integrated by dentoalveolar pathology analysis of 78 individuals, from the sites UA53 (4th millennium BCE) and Mahal Teglinos (3rd-2nd millennium BCE), located in the Gash Delta/Kassala region. Dental calculus inclusions indicate a diverse intake of cereals, legumes, and tubers during the Middle Neolithic, thus supporting the hypothesis of high reliance on plant resources. Dentoalveolar pathologies, possibly related to the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods, have also been recorded. For the Late Neolithic, consistent with the shift towards aridity that occurred in the Middle/Late Holocene, dental calculus exclusively indicates the exploitation of sorghum and tubers-species well adapted to arid conditions-showing how the Neolithic communities modified their subsistence in response to environmental changes. Evidence of plant processing techniques, such as cooking/heating, was also revealed from the dental calculus analysis.

Can resolving geopolitical tensions help South Asian countries elude the carbon curse of natural resources?

South Asia is regarded as highly vulnerable to climate change-related concerns. Thus, it is of utmost importance for South Asian countries to conceptualize environmental development policies that can be implemented to tackle carbon emission-related environmental hazards. Moreover, due to high reliance on natural resources, almost all South Asian nations find it extremely difficult to reduce their carbon discharges. Therefore, taking note of these concerning issues, this study aims to explore the environmental impacts associated with natural resource dependency, geopolitical tensions, financial development, and urbanization in the context of major South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. Notably, this study emphasizes whether reducing geopolitical tensions, by resolving external conflicts, can help these nations limit the carbon emission-related problems that are specifically associated with natural resource consumption. In this regard, a composite carbon curse index is calculated using data regarding three carbon emission-based indicators of environmental quality (per capita carbon dioxide emissions, rate of carbon intensity of energy use, and per capita consumption-based carbon footprints). For analytical purposes, several advanced panel data estimation methods that are robust against cross-sectionally dependent data with heterogeneous slope coefficients and endogeneity-related issues, are employed. Overall, the results endorse that more dependence on natural resources for stimulating economic growth worsens the carbon curse faced by the South Asia nations. By contrast, reducing geopolitical tensions through the resolution of external conflicts is observed to help the selected South Asian countries limit the carbon curse associated with natural resource consumption, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, in line with these findings, relevant decarbonization policies are recommended, which the concerned South Asian governments can take note of when designing green growth policies in the future.

Excreta flow mapping along the sanitation service chain, a case of Kombolcha town, Ethiopia

Poor management of fecal sludge (FSM) presents significant risks to public health and the environment. This study employed qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, along with the Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) data analyzing tool to investigate FSM patterns in Kombolcha town, Ethiopia. The findings indicate that 75.7% of housing unites in the town are shared toilets, with multiple households sharing a single facility. The primary toilet technologies used include cistern flush toilets (2.1%), pour/manual flush toilets (19.8%), ventilated improved pit latrines (11.1%), pit latrines with slabs (56.4%), and pit latrines without slabs (10.6%). However, 98.5% of these toilet types had either unlined or only partially lined containments. Furthermore, only 37% of households practice safe pit or sludge tank emptying. As a result, only 17% of fecal sludge goes through the sanitation value chain and is effectively treated, while 39% remains onsite and unemptied, and the remaining 44% is disposed of in a manner that poses risks to the environment and public health. The study highlights the significant public health and environmental risks associated with the high reliance on shared toilets, the prevalence of inadequately lined toilet types, and the low adoption of proper fecal sludge management practices. Addressing these challenges requires the implementation of sanitation bylaws and building code regulations that prioritize hygienic standards and promote improved toilet technologies.

Can On-Farm Wood Meet the Global Wood Supply and Save Tropical Forests? A Systematic Review

Global wood supply is faced with an annual escalating scarcity threat by population growth and increased wood demand. Natural forests, a chief source of wood, are under pressure from massive deforestation and degradation, whereas plantation forests are faced with challenges of land tenure and competition from other land uses. This systematic review aimed to point out the contribution of on-farm trees to global wood supply and tropical forest conservation. The study adopted the Sample-Phenomenon of Interest-Design-Evaluation-Research type framework to identify relevant literature. Both grey and peer-reviewed publications were considered. Of the 3800 publications identified, 42 substantially met the inclusion criteria and were selected for data extraction. A huge imbalance was evident in the wood supply and demand that forest production could not satisfy alone. On-farm trees were observed to be a significant alternative source of wood supply in South Africa, India, and Kenya, supplying 27, 36, and 70 per cent of total apparent consumption, respectively. Where importation reliance was low and a low forest production rate, on-farm trees contributed more than 50% of the total apparent consumption. China had a high reliance on importation. On-farm trees contributed at least a supply of 8% of total apparent consumption. On-farm trees were the chief source of wood fuel. On-farm trees contribute substantially to the supply chain of industrial roundwood, woodfuel, and sawn wood, reducing the need to infiltrate the forests. Where the full potential of on-farm trees is inadequately exploited, on-farm trees can sustainably contribute to the wood supply chain and save tropical forests

The demand for online grocery shopping: COVID-induced changes in grocery shopping behavior of Canadian consumers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on many economies around the globe. One area where significant changes have been documented is consumer behavior. A questionnaire survey was carried out to understand the impact of COVID-19 on grocery purchase behavior of Canadian consumers and evaluate the permanence of these effects. With a focus on online grocery shopping, this work integrates multiple existing theories of consumer behavior to explore the influence of different factors on consumers' adoption of online mode of grocery shopping during the pandemic and their intentions to continue the use of this mode in the post-pandemic world. A total of more than 600 usable survey responses were analyzed using statistical analysis and a Logit econometrics technique. The results reveal that 72% of the survey participants had to alter their grocery shopping habits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; 63% of these consumers claim that the changes that occurred would prevail in the future, with no return to the "pre-COVID normal". The results also show that the pandemic resulted in significant proliferation of online grocery shopping among Canadian consumers. Further, the findings show that the important factors that explain adoption of online grocery shopping and the shift towards higher reliance on online grocery purchases in the future include the perceived threat of COVID, pre-COVID shopping habits, socio-demographic characteristics, and the variables that capture technological opportunities and abilities.

Reassessing tin circularity and criticality

AbstractTin is an important metal for society with a high risk of supply disruptions. It is, therefore, classified as a critical material in many parts of the world. An exception is the European Union, for which tin was classified as a non‐critical material in 2023. However, there are many discrepancies in the literature regarding the definitions and values of the indicators used to determine tin criticality in general, and recycling indicators in particular. Values for end‐of‐life recycling rate (EoL RR) range between 20% and 75%, and values for end‐of‐life recycling input rate (EoL RIR) range between 11% and 32%. In this paper, we critically assess the circularity and criticality indicator values for tin and calculate new values using material flow analysis. The new values for tin recycling indicators are lower than those used in most previous research, with a global EoL RR of 16% and an EoL RIR of 11% in 2017. Based on the updated recycling values, combined with a highly concentrated supply, high import reliance, and difficult substitution, we argue that the European Union should classify tin as a critical material. This reclassification can lead to more policy attention for tin, which can help reduce the impact of future supply disruptions and increase the resilience of the European and global tin supply chains.

Has Intergenerational Progress Stalled? Income Growth Over Five Generations of Americans

We find that each of the past four generations of Americans was better off than the previous one, using a post-tax, post-transfer income measure constructed annually from 1963-2022 based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. At age 36–40, Millennials had a real median household income that was 18 percent higher than that of the previous generation at the same age. This rate of intergenerational progress was slower than that experienced by the Silent Generation (34 percent) and Baby Boomers (27 percent), but similar to that experienced by Generation X (16 percent). Slower progress for Generation X and Millennials is due to their stalled growth in work hours—holding work hours constant, they experienced a greater intergenerational increase in real market income than Baby Boomers. Intergenerational progress for Millennials under age 30 has remained robust as well, although their income growth largely results from higher reliance on their parents. We also find that the higher educational costs incurred by younger generations is far outweighed by their lifetime income gains.

Empowering Women, Securing Futures: Contraception’s Role in Socioeconomic Progress in India

Introduction: It is necessary to empower women to enable them to make their own reproductive choices, including contraception as well as use of modern contraception. Our article aims to highlight the importance of women’s empowerment regarding contraceptive use in family planning and poverty eradication. Methods: Our literature search included data on family planning programs, contraceptive use, awareness of and access to contraception, and women empowerment regarding contraceptive use in India; approaches to policymaking regarding family planning; and international data on early legal access, women’s reproductive rights, and barriers to contraceptive use. Results: Despite the introduction of oral contraceptives, 38% of currently married women in the 15–49 age group use sterilization as a method of contraception. Only 28% of married Indian adolescents use contraception. The highest reliance on sterilization is found in women married off early, conceiving early, and with little access to education and information. There are barriers to both use of contraceptives and reversible contraceptives. Discussion: Family planning programs in India can focus on women’s reproductive rights, rather than population control, to bridge the gap in the unmet need for family planning, apart from making information and resources on contraception available to women from all socioeconomic strata.

European Permanent Grasslands: A Systematic Review of Economic Drivers of Change, Including a Detailed Analysis of the Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, and UK

Permanent grasslands (PG) feature in the European rural landscape and represent a major agricultural production resource. They support multiple non-provisioning ecosystem services (ES), including climate regulation, flood control, biodiversity, and pollination. PG are at risk of loss or degradation due to agricultural land use and land management changes. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the main economic influences shaping management and maintenance of PG, and the risks and opportunities for delivery of a range of ES. A total of 51 papers were included. Relevant policy interventions and economic drivers are identified in relation to how they shape the management of EU grasslands over time and across farming systems, countries, or biogeographic zones. A high reliance on public payments from the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with uneven impact on mitigating PG losses and associated ES provisions, was identified, which needs to be considered in relation to ongoing CAP reform. There is a gap in the literature regarding economic tipping points for change. Future research needs to identify and map ES provisions by PG along with trade-offs and synergies, and link this to policy. There are substantive challenges to maintaining Europe’s PG area and management, which must be addressed through EU-wide instruments.

Dynamic spillover effects of renewable energy efficiency in the European countries.

Renewable energy has gained significant attention due to the growing concern for environmental sustainability and the high reliance on energy imports in European countries. In this study, we use a two- stage approach to assess renewable energy efficiency (REEF) of European countries. Initially, we employ the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method to quantify the efficiency of renewable energy. Subsequently, we investigate the factors influencing REEF between 2005 and 2020. Our findings reveal a generally high level of REEF across European countries, but some countries have become worse in this regard (e.g., France, Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Norway, and Serbia). In order to find the causes of these changes, we considered the explanatory variables of gross domestic product (GDP), energy price, renewable energy consumption, information and communications technology (ICT), and industrial value added in a spatial system generalized method of moments (spatial SYS-GMM) model. The findings provide confirmation of the spatial spillover effects of REEF within European countries. The strongest positive effect is related to energy prices. In simpler terms, as energy prices rise, the efficiency of renewable energy has increased in European countries. Additionally, ICT and renewable energy consumption have positive impacts, too. But GDP and industrial value added, have decreasing effects. Based on these findings, we put forth several policy suggestions aimed at enhancing the efficiency of renewable energy in European countries.

A light deep adaptive framework toward fault diagnosis of a hydraulic piston pump

The health condition of hydraulic axial piston pumps is crucial for the safety and reliability of hydraulic transmission systems. Diagnosis results of traditional methods indicate the high reliance on the experience, and current deep model-based methods are confronted with the difficulty of parameter tuning. A light adaptive deep framework is therefore constructed to reduce reliance of diagnosis on expert experience and still achieve the automatic screening of model hyperparameters. First, multi-sensor and multiple-channel signals of a piston pump are acquired for comprehensive raw data input. The raw one-dimensional signals are then converted into two-dimensional images using continuous wavelet transform. Then, a light deep model is built based on the convolutional operation and batch normalization techniques. The final model is obtained via global optimization of Bayesian algorithm. Next, the improved deep model is adopted for failure recognition of the essential components in the piston pump based on the transformed images. The average diagnosis accuracy achieves 97.46%, 98.71%, and 99.94% based on vibration signal, acoustic signal, and pressure signal respectively. The results reveal that the typical fault of the piston pump can be recognized intelligently and accurately with the proposed diagnosis method.

An Analysis on English Teachers’ Effective Classroom Discourse and Its Interactive Model Innovation with the Assistance of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract The rapid evolution of technology catalyzes innovation in English teaching methodologies, rendering traditional approaches—predominantly reliant on singular language modalities—insufficient for modern educational demands. This paper introduces a multimodal English teaching model anchored in multimodal discourse analysis and interaction theory to address these evolving needs. Utilizing a dual threshold extraction algorithm for chunked cumulative frame difference, the model effectively identifies semantic key frames during multimodal English instruction. Additionally, it incorporates a composite convolutional neural network that merges spatio-temporal features to delineate the dynamics of the teaching videos, further enhanced by the LK optical flow method. The integration of a pre-interactive LSTM decoder facilitates the fusion of video and textual features, culminating in the construction of an annotated English teaching video model. This model was applied to analyze the classroom discourse of high school sophomores’ English teachers in X city. Analysis revealed that the duration of classroom discourse varied between 14 to 19 minutes per session, with the introductory segment alone accounting for 307.54 seconds—12.81% of the total lesson duration—of purely linguistic content. Furthermore, the average number of questions posed by teachers per lesson was 73.17, indicating a high reliance on verifying discourse strategies, which constituted 92.22% of the discourse. This technological approach to analyzing classroom discourse provides novel insights and valuable references for refining English teaching strategies, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating advanced computational techniques in educational settings.