Mutual Interconnections Research Articles

The Interrelation between Obesity Management and Climate Change in Greece

Two major global problems of our era are climate change and obesity. Both are interlinked and interconnected having undesired social, economic, environmental impacts as well as harmful impacts on human health. The rate of obesity and overweight in children and adults in Greece is high compared to other EU countries causing many health, social and economic problems. Climate change is foreseen to have severe and harmful impacts in Greece as well as in other Mediterranean countries altering the climate conditions. Obesity and its treatment mitigate climate change, mainly due to the change in the dietary pattern of the treated patients. The proposed diets for managing obesity, based on Mediterranean dietary patterns, have less GHG emissions and lower climate footprint. Climate change makes more difficult the treatment of obesity, mainly due to the rising temperatures. Climate change has undesired and harmful impacts on obesity treatment in Greece while obesity treatment results in the mitigation of climate change in the country. Future policies for climate change mitigation and managing obesity in Greece should take into account their mutual interconnections and interlinkages in order to maximize their effectiveness in treating these two severe pandemics in the country.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Aquaculture: Risk Mitigation within the One Health Context.

The application of antimicrobials in aquaculture primarily aims to prevent and treat bacterial infections in fish, but their inappropriate use may result in the emergence of zoonotic antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the subsequent transmission of resistant strains to humans via food consumption. The aquatic environment serves as a potential reservoir for resistant bacteria, providing an ideal breeding ground for development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The mutual inter-connection of intensive fish-farming systems with terrestrial environments, the food processing industry and human population creates pathways for the transmission of resistant bacteria, exacerbating the problem further. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the most effective and available risk mitigation strategies to tackle AMR in aquaculture, based on the One Health (OH) concept. The stringent antimicrobial use guidelines, promoting disease control methods like enhanced farm biosecurity measures and vaccinations, alternatives to antibiotics (ABs) (prebiotics, probiotics, immunostimulants, essential oils (EOs), peptides and phage therapy), feeding practices, genetics, monitoring water quality, and improving wastewater treatment, rather than applying excessive use of antimicrobials, can effectively prevent the development of AMR and release of resistant bacteria into the environment and food. The contribution of the environment to AMR development traditionally receives less attention, and, therefore, environmental aspects should be included more prominently in OH efforts to predict, detect and prevent the risks to health. This is of particular importance for low and middle-income countries with a lack of integration of the national AMR action plans (NAPs) with the aquaculture-producing environment. Integrated control of AMR in fisheries based on the OH approach can contribute to substantial decrease in resistance, and such is the case in Asia, where in aquaculture, the percentage of antimicrobial compounds with resistance exceeding 50% (P50) decreased from 52% to 22% within the period of the previous two decades.

Conceptualising energy nationalism in the context of climate change: framework and review

This article argues that the more energy policies are circumscribed within the borders of individual nation states, the more difficult it will be to implement the climate action on a global scale. The authors shed light on the relationship between nationalism and the simultaneous challenges of environmental protection, energy transition and climate change mitigation. Based on the review of various publications referring to nationalism in the context of energy policy and energy transition, the authors conceptualise this notion. Energy nationalism is defined here as any political decision, economic action and ideological justifications used to circumscribe energy policy within the nation state and subordinate it to “national interests,” “national security” and the “protection of national sovereignty.” Energy nationalism should be distinguished from both economic nationalism and resource nationalism, yet they are part of a continuum, in which economic considerations are upheld in the pursuit of strict national “interests” and, therefore, of the ruling elites in each nation state. The article explores the differences and mutual interconnections between the three. It finally explains why the notion of energy nationalism may better render the ongoing conflict between resource-focused elites and the international community–particularly in the context of the current climate emergency.

An SME approach to data analytics by management accountants in the transition economy of Vietnam

Purpose Data analytics (DA) is an emerging topic in management science at large organizations; however, accountants in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are believed to be lagging far behind in the usage of DA. This study aims to provide a deep understanding of the actual DA activities undertaken by management accountants (MA) and to draw on SMEs’ characteristics to take advantage of DA applications. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative approach by conducting in-depth interviews with 31 accounting and finance practitioners at senior levels of SMEs, following the use of the MAXQDA 2022 application for data analysis. Findings Findings in this study suggest variance and trend analysis as the two most popular tasks of DA, and advanced tasks such as contingency analysis, financial modeling, sentiment analysis and regression analysis are unfully performed in SMEs. The outcomes revealed that DA is not anticipated to affect the responsibilities but to expand the role and scope of management accounting. Practical implications This study simultaneously builds a theoretical framework about the antecedents, in terms of the external and internal drives and the characteristics of SMEs’ owner-managers, that are most common in all types of SMEs that encourage MA to use a specific technology, data analysis in a more advanced way instead of searching for determinants that affect the adoption of technology in general, as previous studies have conducted. Originality/value Although there are studies on DA usage, little has approached the mutual interconnections between how DA is applied by MA in SMEs and what changes in management accounting responsibilities by DA affect. Therefore, the point of this study was to look into how SMEs use DA and what activities MA actually do with DA to discover what traits SMEs need to use DA applications effectively as DA applications become more advanced.

Interconnection between bank capitalization and macroeconomic stability in the countries of South-West Asia

The paper aims to define the specifics of the mutual interconnection between bank capitalization and indicators of macroeconomic stability. This is achieved by the following methods: grouping, analysis and synthesis, analysis of descriptive statistics, and canonical correlation analysis. The study was carried out based on eight bank capitalization indicators and five macroeconomic stability indicators in seventeen South-West Asian countries from 2010 to 2020. The information base of the research is the dataset from the World Bank. The selected list of indicators is determined by the availability of statistical information for the countries participating in the study. It was found that there is a close canonical correlation between the level of bank capitalization and the macroeconomic stability of the countries under investigation – 0.97 (2010) and 0.99 (2020). The variation of the investigated indicators of macroeconomic stability (68.95% (2010) and 70.64% (2020)) is determined by the change in bank capitalization indicators. On the other hand, the difference in macroeconomic stability indicators of countries by 48.66% (2010) and 42.79% (2020) is due to changes in bank capitalization indicators. Four indicators exert the most significant favorable influence on the level of bank capitalization: Bank return on assets – 0.303 (2010) and 13.033 (2020), Bank return on equity – 0.446 (2010) and 13.387 (2020), Bank regulatory capital to risk-weighted assets – 0.812 (2010), and Bank deposits to GDP – 1.580 (2020). The macroeconomic stability of countries is determined by two indicators: GNI – 3.311 (2010) and 3.461 (2020); GDP – 4.748 (2010) and 4.672 (2020).

Luxury, slow and fast fashion: A case study on the (un)sustainable creating of shared values

Research background: Since crises magnify differences and bring both challenges and opportunities, the current complex global setting makes the mutual interconnection a fundamental platform meant to create confidence and also to lead to a unique strategic advantage. Due to its inherent particularities, the fashion industry is a relevant sphere for performing a categorial reflective triangulation study about the understanding and employment of creating shared values (CSV) within the EU framework. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article is to research, analyze and critically highlight how CSV is approached by archetypical fashion industry businesses from all three fundamental segments (luxury, fast, slow) and how this fits into the EU law framework. Methods: A categorial reflective triangulation study in four steps is performed while using a content analysis, empirical field observation, qualitative manual Delphi approach and critical juxtaposition with glossing and Socratic questioning. Firstly, 30 archetypical fashion industry businesses are identified and split into luxury, slow and fast fashion segments. Secondly, for each business, research is done on how it identifies its CSVs. Thirdly, the verification of these CSVs is performed in order to confirm or reject the genuineness. Fourthly, the results are projected into the EU framework. Findings & value added: Based on the performed study and its critical analysis, there appear extremely interesting dynamics in the CSV perception and strategies by luxury, slow and fast fashion businesses with a clear overlap in the EU sphere. In particular, fashion businesses from all three segments take into consideration sustainability and the fight against waste, but each segment has a different pro-CSV strategy to do so, and it is critical to contemplate which of these three strategies will become sustainable.

Statistical Modeling of Implicit Functional Relations

This study considers the statistical estimation of relations presented by implicit functions. Such structures define mutual interconnections of variables rather than outcome variable dependence by predictor variables considered in regular regression analysis. For a simple case of two variables, pairwise regression modeling produces two different lines of each variable dependence using another variable, but building an implicit relation yields one invertible model composed of two simple regressions. Modeling an implicit linear relation for multiple variables can be expressed as a generalized eigenproblem of the covariance matrix of the variables in the metric of the covariance matrix of their errors. For unknown errors, this work describes their estimation by the residual errors of each variable in its regression by the other predictors. Then, the generalized eigenproblem can be reduced to the diagonalization of a special matrix built from the variables’ covariance matrix and its inversion. Numerical examples demonstrate the eigenvector solution’s good properties for building a unique equation of the relations between all variables. The proposed approach can be useful in practical regression modeling with all variables containing unobserved errors, which is a common situation for the applied problems.

Tumorigenesis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Microbiota-Environment Interconnections.

Colo-rectal cancer (CRC) is undoubtedly one of the most severe complications of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). While sporadic CRC develops from a typical adenoma-carcinoma sequence, IBD-related CRC follows different and less understood pathways and its pathophysiological mechanisms were not completely elucidated. In contrast to chronic inflammation, which is nowadays a well-recognised drive towards neoplastic transformation in IBD, only recently was gut microbiota demonstrated to interfere with both inflammation processes and immune-mediated anticancer surveillance. Moreover, the role of microbiota appears particularly complex and intriguing when also considering its multifaceted interactions with multiple environmental stimuli, notably chronic pathologies such as diabetes and obesity, lifestyle (diet, smoking) and vitamin intake. In this review, we presented a comprehensive overview on current evidence of the influence of gut microbiota on IBD-related CRC, in particular its mutual interconnections with the environment.

Evaluation of the Interface of Green Bilayer Powder Compact (BPC) of Iron (Fe) Under Different Die Wall Conditions

The current work evaluates cross-sectioned green bilayer powder compact (green BPC) of iron (Fe) under different die conditions. At first, finite element-based (FE) simultaneous compaction modelling is used to model the uniaxial, one-sided compaction of the green BPC of Fe and its interface. A Tri-mesh of 0.03 mm and mesh refinement along the interfacial boundary is set up with the condition of each node from both sides of layers (namely lower layer, L and upper layer, U) is mapped precisely to ensure its mutual interconnection along the horizontal edges of interface. Additionally, the modelling part utilised and validated our recently proposed image analysis under the metallographic technique’s standard framework. Our approach to model the interface to gain the same effect as from the experimental result of green BPC of Fe is in good agreement. It is significantly found that the use of the lubricated die condition contributed to increasing the local RD distribution along the interface of the green BPC of Fe. In contrast, the distribution is gradually dissuaded from the interface for the unlubricated die condition as the applied height: diameter (H:D) ratio increases.

Ontology as ideology: A critique of Butler's theory of precariousness

Ontology as ideology: A critique of Butler's theory of precariousness

Less Known Iconography of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in the Prague Loreto in Connection with the Teaching of St Lawrence of Brindisi

The text describes and contextualises collections of sermons by Lawrence of Brindisi about the Virgin Mary called Mariale, mainly the sermons about the teachings of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Lawrence of Brindisi, a capuchin monk and a European diplomat, was an important person in European church history of the 16th and the 17th centuries, but his texts are not yet fully appreciated. The text compares the theological question with the works of art from Prague Loreta. The comparison of the layout of this Marian pilgrimage place and thoughts of Franciscan spirituality contained in Lawrence’s sermons demonstrates the mutual interconnection between the specific period of theological thinking and a particular example of artistic expression.

Multi-Microgrids Operation With Interruptible Loads in Local Energy and Reserve Markets

In the evolution of the power systems, a particular case is the presence of a number of microgrids (MGs) operated with mutual interconnection, but without connection to the main distribution system. The interconnected MGs form a structure in which the overall system operation and resource scheduling can be determined by considering centralized or decentralized approaches. This article introduces local energy and reserve markets (LERMs) in which the MG managers (MGMs) can meet their required energy and reserve with optimal scheduling of their resources, besides competing with the other MGs. To model such decision-making framework for MGMs, a bilevel optimization approach is developed in which the MGMs’ problem is modeled as the upper level problem and the LERMs clearing problem is modeled as the lower level problem. This model is transformed into a mathematical programming with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) using the primal-dual transformation. Then, the resulting MPEC for each MG is replaced with its Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions, obtaining an equilibrium problem with equilibrium constraints (EPEC) model. The nonlinear terms of the model are linearized through different approaches. Finally, the EPEC model is transformed into a mixed-integer linear problem considering the objective function of all MGMs. The model is applied to a test system with three interconnected MGs. Moreover, the sensitivity of the results to the probability of calling reserve is investigated.

Integration of reactive oxygen species and nutrient signalling to shape root system architecture.

Yield losses due to nutrient deficiency are estimated as the primary cause of the yield gap worldwide. Understanding how plant roots perceive external nutrient status and elaborate morphological adaptations in response to it is necessary to develop reliable strategies to increase crop yield. In the last decade, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were shown to be key players of the mechanisms underlying root responses to nutrient limitation. ROS contribute in multiple ways to shape the root system in response to nutritional cues, both as direct effectors acting on cell wall architecture and as second messengers in signalling pathways. Here, we review the mutual interconnections existing between perception and signalling of the most common forms of the major macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), and ROS in shaping plant root system architecture. We discuss recent advances in dissecting the integration of these elements and their impact on morphological traits of the root system, highlighting the functional ductility of ROS and enzymes implied in ROS metabolism, such as class III peroxidases.

The Effect of Pyrolysis Temperature and the Source Biomass on the Properties of Biochar Produced for the Agronomical Applications as the Soil Conditioner.

Biochar is a versatile carbon-rich organic material originating from pyrolyzed biomass residues that possess the potential to stabilize organic carbon in the soil, improve soil fertility and water retention, and enhance plant growth. For the utilization of biochar as a soil conditioner, the mutual interconnection of the physicochemical properties of biochar with the production conditions used during the pyrolysis (temperature, heating rate, residence time) and the role of the origin of used biomass seem to be crucial. The aim of the research was focused on a comparison of the properties of biochar samples (originated from oat brans, mixed woodcut, corn residues and commercial compost) produced at different temperatures (400-700 °C) and different residence times (10 and 60 min). The results indicated similar structural features of produced biochar samples; nevertheless, the original biomass showed differences in physicochemical properties. The morphological and structural analysis showed well-developed aromatic porous structures for biochar samples originated from oat brans, mixed woodcut and corn residues. The higher pyrolysis temperature resulted in lower yields; however, it provided products with higher content of organic carbon and a more developed surface area. The lignocellulose biomass with higher contents of lignin is an attractive feedstock material for the production of biochar with potential agricultural applications.

What 1sg forms tell us about Spanish theme vowels

This article argues in favour of a view of the Spanish Theme Vowel (ThV) as the direct spell out of an identifiable syntactic head, specifically Ramchand's (2018) Event head, responsible for tagging lexical verbs with world and time parameters. I will argue that several apparent cases of verbal irregularity related to the conjugation of 1sg forms can be related to each other, and can receive a principled explanation once one adopts this view of Spanish ThVs. An approach where ThVs are post-syntactic morphemes that idiosyncratically tag the functional structure of verbs, or where they are syntactically inert morphemes, can only treat these facts as accidental and cannot provide an account of their mutual interconnection.

The Construction of Bangladesh–China–India-Myanmar Economic Corridor: Current Situation, Problem, and Countermeasures

The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor is a sub-regional cooperation concept under the framework of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Regional Cooperation Forum jointly promoted by the governments of China, Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. It is one of the six important economic corridors under the "One Belt, One Road” cooperation initiative. Promoting the construction of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor will lead to the coordinated development of the three economic regions of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. At present, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor has achieved initial results, but the comparative advantages in the "Belt and Road" have not yet fully manifested. On the basis of analyzing the political mutual trust, interconnection, humanities exchanges, economic and trade exchanges among the four countries, this paper points out that the China-Indian political mutual trust is low, the transportation is in need of renewal, the humanities exchange and cooperation is insufficient, and the intra-regional trade competition increased. In final, the corresponding measures were put forward to promote the construction of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor under the “Belt and Road”.

Agent-based modelling of the global phonographic market

Based on empirical properties of the global phonographic market, we propose a simple epidemiological model of innovation spread on a network whose structure reflects the structure of the real-world market. The global phonographic market consists of the national markets of various size and mutual interconnections. In the model, we assume that the national markets are the subnetworks that have a scale-free structure achieved by the preferential attachment construction with a node hierarchy and binary edges, while the global market is a complete, directed, weighted network of these subnetworks treated as nodes with the edges representing the cultural and geographical proximity of the national markets. “Viruses” with a defined strength or aggressiveness occur independently at one of the nodes of a selected subnetwork and correspond to a piece of music that has been released by an artist somewhere in the world. We study the virus dynamics set by varying parameter values and observe a variety of phenomena including local and global pandemics and the existence of an epidemic threshold in the subnetworks. Apart from studying the model, we also present some results on empirical data from the European and the U.K. phonographic markets, which are then utilized in the model construction.

Challenges of Pandemic-Related Border Closures for Everyday Lives of Poles and Czechs in the Divided Town of Cieszyn/Český Těšín: Integrated Functional Space or Reemergence of Animosities?

AbstractThe article asks whether the divided town Cieszyn-Český Těšín can be considered a joint “living space” in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. It evaluates the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of the daily lives of the inhabitants and institutions of both parts of this divided town. Three main dimensions of cross-border integration were studied: cross-border flows, cross-border structures/institutions, and the feeling of togetherness, which represents an ideational dimension of cross-border integration. The research was based on studying narratives covering border closures in the divided town, the analysis of cross-borderness of existing Facebook groups acting in both parts of the divided town, and the results of an extensive questionnaire-based survey among its inhabitants. The border closures restricted cross-border flows, which hit cross-border commuters and damaged the quality of this divided town as a living place because it introduced uncertainty. However, the health crisis also showed the high level of mutual interconnections between the local inhabitants and a functional cross-border civic society. The local people and politicians tend to perceive the divided town as a joint living space. The level of cross-border integration highly exceeds the one usual in the “new EU.”

Transatlantische Einsichten in die verfassungsrechtliche Verbindung zwischen Tschechen und Slowaken

The paper provides insights into the history of Slovak political identities on both sides of the Atlantic. It should helpto better understand the emergence of a popular political movement among Slovaks in the United States and the birthof the idea of an independent Slovakia prior to any such movement in Europe. Two political identities of Slovaksdeveloped rather independently in Europe and in the United States, showing remarkable differences. These differences,reasons for the differences, as well as the mutual interconnection of the two identities and the current process of theirmerger are presented in this paper.

Indicators of Communication Limitation in Dysarthria and Their Relation to Auditory-Perceptual Speech Symptoms: Construct Validity of the KommPaS Web App.

Despite extensive research into communication-related parameters in dysarthria, such as intelligibility, naturalness, and perceived listener effort, the existing evidence has not been translated into a clinically applicable, comprehensive, and valid diagnostic tool so far. This study addresses Communication-Related Parameters in Speech Disorders (KommPaS), a new web-based diagnostic instrument for measuring indices of communication limitation in individuals with dysarthria through online crowdsourcing. More specifically, it answers questions about the construct validity of KommPaS. In the first part, the interrelationship of the KommPaS variables intelligibility, naturalness, perceived listener effort, and speech rate were explored in order to draw a comprehensive picture of a patient's limitations and avoid the collection of redundant information. Second, the influences of motor speech symptoms on the KommPaS variables were studied in order to delineate the structural relationships between two complementary diagnostic perspectives. One hundred persons with dysarthria of different etiologies and varying degrees of severity were examined with KommPaS to obtain layperson-based data on communication-level parameters, and with the Bogenhausen Dysarthria Scale (BoDyS) to obtain expert-based, function-level data on dysarthria symptoms. The internal structure of the KommPaS variables and their dependence on the BoDyS variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Despite a high multicollinearity, all KommPaS variables were shown to provide complementary diagnostic information and their mutual interconnections were delineated in a path graph model. Regarding the influence of the BoDyS scales on the KommPaS variables, separate linear regression models revealed plausible predictor sets. A complete path model of KommPaS and BoDyS variables was developed to map the complex interplay between variables at the functional and the communication levels of dysarthria assessment. In validating a new clinical tool for the diagnostics of communication limitations in dysarthria, this study is the first to draw a comprehensive picture of how auditory-perceptual characteristics of dysarthria interact at the levels of expert-based functional and layperson-based communicative assessments.