Positive Sum Research Articles

Asymmetric Effects of COVID-19 Deaths and Oil Price Shocks on Stock Market Returns in Some Selected African Countries: Evidence From Nonlinear ARDL Approach

This study investigates the asymmetric impact of oil price shocks and COVID-19 total deaths on Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa stock market returns. To achieve this objective employing weekly time series data from March 13, 2020 to September 23, 2022, first, we apply the BDS test which confirm the nonlinearity of each series. Second, stationarity tests are used to investigate each series for unit root. The results show that series are stationary in level and in first difference. Third, the bounds test reveals that the series have a cointegration relationship and we apply the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) ARDL framework to decompose oil price into positive and negative partial sum to investigate a possible asymmetric effect of oil price on stock market returns. The main findings of the asymmetric ARDL model reveal that, in the short-run dynamic, a positive shock in the oil price have a negative and positive effect on stock market returns in Morocco and South Africa respectively. The result is insignificant for Kenya and Nigeria. A negative shock in the oil price have a negative effect on the stock returns in Nigeria, South Africa and in Kenya, Morocco with one period lag. Furthermore, in the long-run, a positive shock in oil price exerts a negative effect on the stock market performance in Morocco and Nigeria while a negative shock in oil price leads to a negative effect also on the stock market returns. The total deaths present a counterintuitive result. Both in the long-run and short-run dynamic, the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 have a significant increasing effect on stock market returns in Kenya, Morocco and South Africa except for Nigeria.

Cones between the cones of positive semidefinite forms and sums of squares

Abstract For n, d ∈ ℕ, the cone 𝓟 n+1,2d of positive semidefinite real forms in n + 1 variables of degree 2d contains the subcone Σ n+1,2d of those representable as finite sums of squares of real forms. Hilbert [11] proved that these cones coincide exactly in the Hilbert cases (n + 1, 2d) with n + 1 = 2 or 2d = 2 or (n + 1, 2d) = (3, 4). In this paper, we induce a filtration of intermediate cones between Σ n+1,2d and 𝓟 n+1,2d via the Gram matrix approach in [4] on a filtration of irreducible projective varieties V k−n ⊊ … ⊊ Vn ⊊ … ⊊ V 0 containing the Veronese variety. Here, k is the dimension of the vector space of real forms in n + 1 variables of degree d. By showing that V 0, …, V n (and V n+1 when n = 2) are varieties of minimal degree, we demonstrate that the corresponding intermediate cones coincide with Σ n+1,2d . We moreover prove that, in the non-Hilbert cases of (n + 1)-ary quartics for n ≥ 3 and (n + 1)-ary sextics for n ≥ 2, all the remaining cone inclusions are strict.

Graph theoretical descriptors differentiate d-Mannose isomers in the principal component proposed feature space: A computational approach

The intricate nature of carbohydrates, particularly monosaccharides, stems from the existence of several chiral centers within their tertiary structures. Predicting and characterizing the molecular geometries and electrostatic landscapes of these substances is difficult due to their complex electrical properties. Moreover, these structures can display a substantial degree of conformational flexibility due to the presence of many rotatable bonds. Moreover, identifying and distinguishing between D and L enantiomers of monosaccharides presents a significant analytical obstacle since there is a need for empirically measurable properties that can distinguish them. This work uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to explore the chemical information included in 3D descriptors in order to comprehend the conformational space of d-Mannose stereoisomers. The isomers may be discriminated by utilizing 3D matrix-based indices, geometrical descriptors, and RDF descriptors. The isomers can be distinguished by descriptors, such as the Harary-like index from the reciprocal squared geometrical matrix (H_RG), Harary-like index from Coulomb matrix (H_Coulomb), Wiener-like index from Coulomb matrix (Wi_Coulomb), Wiener-like index from geometrical matrix (Wi_G), Graph energy from Coulomb matrix (SpAbs_Coulomb), Spectral absolute deviation from Coulomb matrix (SpAD_Coulomb), and Spectral positive sum from Coulomb matrix (SpPos_Coulomb). Among these descriptors, the first two, H_RG and H_Coulomb, perform the best in differentiation among the 3D-Matrix-Based Descriptors (3D-MBD) class. The results obtained from this study provide a significant chemical insight into the structural characteristics of the compounds inside the graph theoretical framework. These findings are likely to serve as the basis for developing new methods for analytical experiments.

Quantifying the Impact of Natural Resources on Sustainable Growth in Developing Economies: Evidence from Panel Nonlinear ARDL Technique

The main purpose of current research is to analyze the impact of natural resource exploration on sustainable growth in developing economies. Annual panel data of 57 developing countries from 2000 to 2021 has been used for research analysis. First, this study uses a simple Panel Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) estimation technique to examine the long-run and short-run link among the variables. The results depict that in the long run natural resource exploration has a significant negative impact on sustainable growth. This finding supports the presence of the resource curse hypothesis. Besides this, the present study decomposes the policy variable (mining contribution index) into its two shocks i.e. positive shock and negative shock by applying a panel non-linear ARDL approach. The long-run outcomes depict that both the coefficients of partial positive and partial negative sums of natural resource rents are negative and significant. Furthermore, the research outcomes explain that financial openness and international trade have a substantial and positive impact on sustainable progress. The policy implications for current research are to avoid bad rent-seeking behaviors and to escape from non-productive activities to achieve sustainable development. Furthermore, there is a dire need to adopt and support environmentally friendly policies.

Quantifying the Impact of Natural Resources on Sustainable Growth in Developing Economies: Evidence from Panel Nonlinear ARDL Technique

The main purpose of current research is to analyze the impact of natural resource exploration on sustainable growth in developing economies. Annual panel data of 57 developing countries from 2000 to 2021 has been used for research analysis. First, this study uses a simple Panel Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) estimation technique to examine the long-run and short-run link among the variables. The results depict that in the long run natural resource exploration has a significant negative impact on sustainable growth. This finding supports the presence of the resource curse hypothesis. Besides this, the present study decomposes the policy variable (mining contribution index) into its two shocks i.e. positive shock and negative shock by applying a panel non-linear ARDL approach. The long-run outcomes depict that both the coefficients of partial positive and partial negative sums of natural resource rents are negative and significant. Furthermore, the research outcomes explain that financial openness and international trade have a substantial and positive impact on sustainable progress. The policy implications for current research are to avoid bad rent-seeking behaviors and to escape from non-productive activities to achieve sustainable development. Furthermore, there is a dire need to adopt and support environmentally friendly policies.

Abstract 5025: Extracellular vesicle DNA as a potential biomarker for cancer detection: A comparative analysis with ctDNA

Abstract Background: Liquid biopsy testing has been implemented in clinical practice because of recent advancements in detecting and characterizing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three ctDNA liquid biopsy tests that detect mutations in cancers, which can aid clinicians in choosing the most effective treatments. While ctDNA has been validated for clinical applications, the same is not true for extracellular vesicle (EV)-associated DNA, which is another promising biomarker. Previously, our laboratory developed the Extracellular Vesicle-Associated DNA Database (EV-ADD) to provide validated experimental details and data extracted from peer-reviewed published literature on EV-DNA. The aim of our study was to investigate the potential clinical utility of EV-DNA in liquid biopsy for tumor detection by surveying studies on EV-ADD that compared ctDNA and EV-DNA. Methods: We searched the entire EV-ADD to selectively identify studies that compared cell-free DNA (cfDNA) or ctDNA and EV-DNA in cancer patients (inclusion criteria). The sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection, the concentrations of DNA, and the methods of detection were compared between ct/cfDNA and EV-DNA. We define sensitivity as the ability to detect mutations in ctDNA/EV-DNA from patient blood when the mutations are known. Specificity is defined as the proportion of true negatives from the sum of true negatives and false positives. A true negative case occurs when no driver mutation is detected in ctDNA/EV-DNA of a patient whose tumor does not have the mutation either. A false positive case occurs when a driver mutation is detected in ctDNA/EV-DNA of a patient whose tumor does not have the mutation. Results: Of 97 studies in the database, 20 met our inclusion criteria. From 12 studies that matched our definition of sensitivity, the sensitivity of EV-DNA and ctDNA ranged from 19% to 95% and 14% to 97%, respectively. From the same 12 studies, the specificity of EV-DNA and ctDNA ranged from 89% to 100% and 80% to 100%, respectively. Other studies that met our inclusion criteria but did not match our definition of sensitivity either calculated sensitivity differently (2 studies), calculated sensitivity the same way in pleural effusions (2 studies), in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (2 studies), analyzed mitochondrial DNA (1 study), or did not calculate sensitivity (1 study). The concentrations of EV-DNA and ctDNA in blood ranged from 0.8 - 118.4 ng/ml and 4.0 - 236.5 ng/ml, respectively. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) and sequencing were the most common methods (45% and 35%, respectively) for detecting cancer mutations. Conclusions: Since EV-DNA performed comparably to ctDNA in detecting cancer DNA in the blood of patients, EV-DNA should be seriously considered as a potential biomarker and complementary tool for detecting and monitoring cancer tumors. Citation Format: Tad Wu, Thupten Tsering, Yunxi Chen, Amélie Nadeau, Julia V. Burnier. Extracellular vesicle DNA as a potential biomarker for cancer detection: A comparative analysis with ctDNA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5025.

An undecidable statement regarding zero-sum games

In this paper, we give an example of a statement concerning two-player zero-sum games which is undecidable, meaning that it can neither be proven or disproven by the standard axioms of mathematics. Earlier work has shown that there exist “paradoxical” two-player zero-sum games with unbounded payoffs, in which a standard calculation of the two players' expected utilities of a mixed strategy profile yield a positive sum. We show that whether or not a modified version of this paradoxical situation, with bounded payoffs and a weaker measurability requirement, exists is an unanswerable question. Our proof relies on a mixture of techniques from set theory and ergodic theory.

The Saving-investment Relationship Revisited: New Evidence from Regime-switching Cointegration Approach

This paper exploits the regime-switching threshold cointegration approach to elicit the dynamics in the saving-investment relationship and capital mobility in India. Empirical results offer key insights into the threshold cointegration between the saving and investment rates. We find that the adjustment in investment rate in the upper regime is faster than in the lower regime, indicating the higher mobility of capital in the upper regime. Further, results reveal the absence of firm evidence of long-run vs. short-run asymmetries between saving and investment rates. However, results suggest that cumulative positive and negative sums of saving rates affect investment rates. We have made adjustments to cyclical and trend patterns in our data using Hamilton's (2018) filter and have produced robust results with regard to asymmetric cointegration. The posterior estimation results suggest that a downward trend in the saving rates substantially impacts the investment rates, and widening the gap between saving and investment rates facilitates huge mobility of international capital in the long run.

Propagating speedups during quiescence escalate to the 2020–2021 surge of Sít’ Kusá, southeast Alaska

Abstract We use satellite image processing techniques to measure surface elevation and velocity changes on a temperate surging glacier, Sít’ Kusá, throughout its entire 2013–2021 surge cycle. We present detailed records of its dynamic changes during quiescence (2013–2019) and its surge progression (2020–2021). Throughout quiescence, we observe order-of-magnitude speedups that propagate down-glacier seasonally from the glacier's upper northern tributary, above a steep icefall, into the reservoir zone for the surging portion of the glacier. The speedups initiate in fall and gradually accelerate through winter until they peak in late spring, ~1 − 2 months after the onset of melt. Propagation distance of the speedups controls the distribution of mass accumulation in the reservoir zone prior to the surge. Furthermore, the intensity and propagation distance of each year's speedup is correlated with the positive degree day sum from the preceding melt season, suggesting that winter melt storage drives the seasonal speedups. We demonstrate that the speedups are kinematically similar to the 2020–2021 surge, differing mainly in that the surge propagates past the dynamic balance line at the lower limit of the reservoir zone, likely triggered by the exceedance of a tipping point in mass accumulation and basal enthalpy in the reservoir zone.

Clinical decision support to enhance venous thromboembolism pharmacoprophylaxis prescribing for pediatric inpatients with COVID-19.

To design and evaluate a clinical decision support (CDS) module to improve guideline concordant venous thromboembolism (VTE) pharmacoprophylaxis prescribing for pediatric inpatients with COVID-19. The proportion of patients who met our institutional clinical practice guideline's (CPG) criteria for VTE prophylaxis was compared to those who triggered a CDS alert, indicating the patient needed VTE prophylaxis, and to those who were prescribed prophylaxis pre and post the launch of a new VTE CDS module to support VTE pharmacoprophylaxis prescribing. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, F1-score and accuracy of the tool were calculated for the pre- and post-intervention periods using the CPG recommendation as the gold standard. Accuracy was defined as the sum of the true positives and true negatives over the sum of the true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with correct thromboprophylaxis prescribing. A significant increase in the proportion of patients triggering a CDS alert occurred in the post-intervention period (44.3% vs. 6.9%, p<.001); however, no reciprocal increase in VTE prophylaxis prescribing was achieved (36.6% vs. 40.9%, p=.53). The updated CDS module had an improved sensitivity (55.0% vs. 13.3%), NPV (44.9% vs. 36.3%), F1-score (66.7% vs. 23.5%), and accuracy (62.5% vs. 42.0%), but an inferior specificity (78.6% vs. 100%) and PPV (84.6% vs. 100%). The updated CDS model had an improved accuracy and overall performance in correctly identifying patients requiring VTE prophylaxis. Despite an increase in correct patient identification by the CDS module, the proportion of patients receiving appropriate pharmacologic prophylaxis did not change. CDS tools to support correct VTE prophylaxis prescribing need ongoing refinement and validation to maximize clinical utility.

Effect of E-FAS on the Knowledge of Post-partum

Introduction: The postpartum period is a period of recovery of the uterine organs as before pregnancy, the recovery time is around 6-8 weeks. Physical and mental changes will experience different changes that can disrupt daily activities. Several types of complications that may occur include physical, mental and emotional problems, for example fatigue, decreased sexual relations, anxiety, constipation, breastfeeding problems, sleep disorders, bleeding and difficulty urinating. Objective: The aim of this research was to determine the effect of E-FAS on the knowledge of postpartum mothers at the Khasanah Panumbangan Clinic. Method: This research design uses the Quasy experimental method with pretest and posttest. This research design takes the form of a non-equivalent control group design. The research subjects were 30 postpartum mothers at the Khasanah Clinic, Panumbangan District, Ciamis Regency. This research instrument uses a questionnaire to determine the knowledge of postpartum mothers. Data analysis used the Wilcoxon Test to see the effect of E-FAS on increasing the knowledge of postpartum mothers. Result: the results of statistical analysis with an average ranking value of 10.50 while the number of positive rankings or sum of rank was 210. There were 10 people with the same score before being given E FAS and after being given E FAS. The Wilcoxon test obtained a p value of 0.000 (&lt;0.005) so it can be concluded that there is an influence of E FAS on the knowledge of postpartum mothers at the Khasanah Clinic, Panumbangan District. Conclusion: E-FAS can be used as a medium for health information, especially in midwifery care after childbirth and breastfeeding.

Alpine hillslope failure in the western US: insights from the Chaos Canyon landslide, Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

Abstract. The Chaos Canyon landslide, which collapsed on the afternoon of 28 June 2022 in Rocky Mountain National Park, presents an opportunity to evaluate instabilities within alpine regions faced with a warming and dynamic climate. Video documentation of the landslide was captured by several eyewitnesses and motivated a rapid field campaign. Initial estimates put the failure area at 66 630 m2, with an average elevation of 3555 m above sea level. We undertook an investigation of previous movement of this landslide, measured the volume of material involved, evaluated the potential presence of interstitial ice and snow within the failed deposit, and examined potential climatological impacts on the collapse of the slope. Satellite radar and optical measurements were used to calculate deformation of the landslide in the 5 years leading up to collapse. From 2017 to 2019, the landslide moved ∼5 m yr−1, accelerating to 17 m yr−1 in 2019. Movement took place through both internal deformation and basal sliding. Climate analysis reveals that the collapse took place during peak snowmelt, and 2022 followed 10 years of higher than average positive degree day sums. We also made use of slope stability modeling to test what factors controlled the stability of the area. Models indicate that even a small increase in the water table reduces the factor of safety to &lt;1, leading to failure. We posit that a combination of permafrost thaw from increasing average temperatures, progressive weakening of the basal shear zone from several years of movement, and an increase in pore-fluid pressure from snowmelt led to the 28 June collapse. Material volumes were estimated using structure from motion (SfM) models incorporating photographs from two field expeditions on 8 July 2022 – 10 d after the slide. Detailed mapping and SfM models indicate that ∼1 258 000 ± 150 000 m3 of material was deposited at the slide toe and ∼1 340 000 ± 133 000 m3 of material was evacuated from the source area. The Chaos Canyon landslide may be representative of future dynamic alpine topography, wherein slope failures become more common in a warming climate.

Thermodynamic relationships between time, capital, and labour

In the theoretical achievements of economics, the past has left many insinuations, not always accurate terms and also controversies. This does not burden the scholars whose diligent efforts fell on the immature ground of general knowledge, in particular the lack of thermodynamics. The categories of capital, profit, labour are basic examples. There was also a lack of understanding of the nature of time. This issue was as if left to physicists, despite the fact that the use of present and future value was and is a significant achievement in economics and accounting. On the other hand, among those engaged in physics, there are divergences about time travel. The great idea of the economy as a game with nature with a non-zero positive sum has also not spread in economic theory, reinforcing the aspiration to belong to the natural sciences. Therefore, we take up the consideration of the capital-labour-time triad as an important basic element of economic knowledge. In our view, this correctly understood triad will correctly illuminate many economic issues and can form the hard core of a scientific program for improving economic and accounting theory. Thus, the epistemology of I. Lakatos defines the methodology of ongoing research, in which positive heuristics and empirical verification are the engine of scientific action.

Exploring the asymmetric effect of remittance inflows on gold import demand: Evidence from a large gold-consuming and remittance-receiving country

The focus of this research is to look at how remittance inflows affect gold imports in India for the period from 1980 to 2020. The study uses both the linear (symmetric) autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model of Pesaran et al. (2001) and the non-linear (asymmetric) autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model of Shin et al. (2014) to assess the symmetric and asymmetric impact of remittance inflows on gold imports. The key advantage of the NARDL model relies on its ability to simultaneously capture the short run and long run asymmetries through the positive and negative partial sum decompositions of changes in the independent variable(s). The results of linear ARDL model reveal that remittance inflows positively and significantly affect the gold imports in the long run, although negatively and significantly in the short run. The findings of NARDL model, on the other hand, show that there is significant asymmetric impact of remittance inflows upon the gold imports over the study period. The results confirm that whereas an increase in remittance inflows leads to a considerable increase in gold imports, a reduction in remittance inflows has no substantial impact in the long run. Another notable outcome is that, while a decline in gold prices boosts gold imports in the short run, both an increase and a decrease in gold prices enhance gold imports in the long run. Concerning the results of our study, it is suggested that more efficient channelization of remittance revenues and adoption of non-price measures may be deemed effective to curb the gold imports, which can contribute to reduce unfavourable trade balance.

Two decades of mass-balance observations on Aldegondabreen, Spitsbergen: interannual variability and sensitivity to climate change

Abstract Aldegondabreen is a relatively small (5.3 km2) land-terminating glacier located in Nordeskiöld Land of Svalbard, ~10 km southwest of Barentsburg. Cumulative mass balance during 2002–20 equalled −21.79 m w.e., which corresponds to 37% of the total mass loss. The annual mass balance (Ba) varied from −0.24 to −2.19 m w.e., while the winter mass balance (Bw) ranged between 0.36 and 0.85 m w.e. Ba and Bw were strongly correlated with the positive degree-day sums and solid precipitation amounts, respectively, measured at the Barentsburg weather station. There was also a strong correlation (r = 0.76) between Ba and Bw, which shows that winter accumulation amplifies the consecutive summer ice melt by changing the surface albedo. The trend in both observational series is not detectable because the period from 2005 to 2013 was characterized by relatively high Bw and not very negative Ba values. This was also observed on the other Svalbard glaciers, and was related to prevailing north-westerly flows over Svalbard during the summer. Therefore, the decadal periodicity of the Aldegondabreen mass balance follows general archipelago patterns that are determined by regional-scale factors. Thus, the surface mass-balance time series, which is now the longest one in the central part of the Spitsbergen Island, is representative for the archipelago.

Study on Value Symbiosis and Niche Evolution of the Corporate Venture Capital Ecological Community for Innovation and Knowledge

Within the context that global scientific and technological innovation continues to break through discipline constraints and achieve cross-domain group breakthrough development, large enterprises are constantly seeking new ways of opening and enabling. Corporate venture capital (CVC) has become an important way for large enterprises to seize knowledge, achieve symbiotic innovation, and explore external resources. By employing the bionics research method and focusing on the symbiosis mechanism between large enterprises and start-ups, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis on the symbiosis motivation, the composition of the symbiosis system, and the symbiosis environment, and explores the evolutionary simulation after the increase or decrease of resource capacity, the intrusion of the innovation population, or the equipotential integration into the innovation ecosystem when the external environmental factors change to verify the coordinated development within the enterprise population and between the enterprise population and the environment. The results show that: (1) The symbiosis, self-consistency, evolution, spillover, and other effects within the CVC ecological community fully realize the “positive sum game” process of both sides; (2) The large enterprise population and entrepreneurial enterprise population in the CVC ecological community form a two-dimensional symbiotic system; and (3) When the resource capacity of the innovation ecosystem changes, the innovation population invades the system with a strong jump in the queue, and the innovation population participates in the system with a weak allelic fusion. This paper points out the influence, interaction, and evolution development laws between enterprise species, enterprise groups, and the innovation system environment and enriches and expands the theory of the relationship between venture capital and enterprise innovation.

Asymmetric effects of climate variability on food security in Morocco: evidence from the nonlinear ARDL model

PurposeThis study aims to examine the asymmetric effects of average temperature (TP) and rainfall (RF) on the Moroccan food security, measured by the food production index (FPI), using annual data from 1961 to 2020.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the Climate Change and Food Security Framework (CCFS) developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and employs the nonlinear auto-regressive distributed lag (NARDL) model and various econometric techniques to show the effects of climate variability in the short and long-term. It also examines if the impacts on Moroccan food security are asymmetric by analyzing the positive and negative partial sums of mean temperature and rainfall.FindingsThe study shows that RF has a long-term relationship with FPI, with increased RF leading to increased FPI and decreased RF leading to decreased FPI. FPI responds more strongly and persistently to a positive shock in RF than to an adverse shock. The study also identifies an asymmetric relationship between FPI and RF, with increased TP enhancing food output in the long run and a decrease reducing food production in the long run.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study could have some limitations. For instance, there are several other non-climate factors that might potentially impact food security. In particular, CO2 emissions which from the literature is a key variable that represent climate change impact on food security, was not included. The present research has not included those factors mainly because adding more variables to the model reduces the degree of freedom available to estimate the parameters, resulting in inaccurate results.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the food security literature by utilizing the latest asymmetry methodology to decompose climate changes into their positive and negative trends and examining the contrasting impacts food production.

Ecological footprint in Bangladesh: Identifying the intensity of economic complexity and natural resources

Recent years have seen a spike in the number of academics utilizing the ecological footprint as a stand-in for environmental depletion because of its extensive nature and its ability to capture the worsening of the ecosystem. Thus, this article brings a new effort to analyze the effect of Bangladesh's economic complexity and natural resources on its ecological footprint over a long period, from 1995 to 2018. Using a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model, this paper suggests that a more complex economy has a significantly positive effect on ecological footprint over the long term. If the economy is simplified, it has less impact on the environment. For Bangladesh, an increase in economic complexity of 1 unit leads to an ecological footprint increase of 0.13 units, while a drop in economic complexity of 1% causes an ecological footprint decrease of 0.41%. Results also demonstrate that both positive and negative changes in natural resources contribute to rises in environmental quality in Bangladesh, which negatively influences the country's ecological footprint. Quantitatively, a 1% increase in natural resources reduces the ecological footprint by 0.14%, whereas a 1% decrease in resources has the opposite effect, reducing it by 0.59%. In addition, an asymmetric Granger causality test confirms the existence of a unidirectional causal link from ecological footprint to a positive partial sum of natural resources and from a negative partial sum of natural resources to ecological footprint. Finally, the findings point to a two-way causal relationship between the size of an economy's ecological footprint and the complexity of its economy. Policymakers should boost technological advances and lessen operational costs by adopting an innovative Research and development framework and devoting more cash to natural resource policies that promote an adaptable ecological footprint.

Immune response and barrier dysfunction-related proteomic signatures in preclinical phase of Crohn’s disease highlight earliest events of pathogenesis

ObjectiveThe measure of serum proteome in the preclinical state of Crohn’s disease (CD) may provide insight into biological pathways involved in CD pathogenesis. We aimed to assess associations of serum...

The Symmetric and Asymmetric Effect of Remittances on Financial Development: Evidence from South Africa

Investigating the remittance-financial development relationship is an ongoing endeavor among economists and policy makers. Building and improving on the existing work, this study considers the possibility that the relation between remittances and financial development is potentially asymmetric. This study applies the linear ARDL and captures the possibility of an asymmetrical relationship by applying the non-linear Autoregressive Model (NARDL). Using NARDL, an attempt is made to estimate the short-run and long-run asymmetric responses of financial development through positive and negative partial sum decompositions of changes in remittances. To assess the robustness of the ARDL and NARDL estimates, a battery of long-run robustness tests were employed, including the linear and nonlinear versions of the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). Annual data series from 1980 to 2017, derived from the World Development Indicators, Fred Economic data and Penn World Tables were used for this study. The ARDL results reveal a positive and significant impact of remittances on financial development, whereas NARDL estimations suggest a both positive and negative shock of remittances on financial development in the long run: a percentage (%) increase in the remittances brings about 0.121568 percent increase in financial development, whereas a one-percent decrease in remittances produces a 0.33363 percent decrease in financial development.