Effect Of Substitution Research Articles

More Quality, Less Trust?

This study investigates how an increase in the quality of business ventures, measured as their success probability, affects trust and return on investment (ROI) in situations where the investor–entrepreneur interaction is affected by moral hazard and asymmetric information. We model a repeated trust problem between investors and entrepreneurs, featuring moral hazard and adverse selection. Hidden Markov techniques and computer simulations are used to derive the main results. We find that trust and ROI may decline as quality improves. Although lenders tend to reduce the requirements for granting initial credit, they nevertheless become less tolerant of current borrowers who fail to pay back. Additionally, we demonstrate a novel substitution effect, where lenders prefer new borrowers over existing borrowers that experienced early failures. The main conclusions of our study are that while impressing early on is effective in gaining first access to credit, it may nevertheless hurt the cause of getting credit in subsequent periods, following an early failure. In business environments plagued with ex post moral hazard, entrepreneurs might do better by gaining trust first and impressing later. Furthermore, our results imply that in a thriving economy, not only are bad loans made, but good loans are lost as well.

Inflation dynamics and retail energy prices in Nigerian states

This study investigates the relationship between inflation dynamics and retail energy prices across Nigerian states. The paper utilizes LSDV and SYS-GMM techniques for the estimation of the static and dynamic panel models. The research disaggregates energy prices into PMS, AGO, HHK and Gas, with CPI as the dependent variable. State Revenue per capita income, representing demand-pull factor of inflation, is used to capture excess liquidity's impact on inflation. Key findings reveal that PMS, AGO, and HHK have significant and distinct effects on inflation, with PMS and AGO driving the largest increases in CPI. Gas price also contribute to inflation, but its impact is moderated by a substitution effect, where consumers shift to gas in response to rising prices of HHK and other household cooking energy sources. This substitution effect reduces the inflationary pressure from gas, making its overall contribution to CPI less pronounced. Importantly, State Revenue per capita income is positively correlated with inflation, highlighting the role of federal transfers in exacerbating demand-pull inflation. For policymakers, these findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions to stabilize energy prices, particularly PMS, AGO and federal transfers in shaping local economic dynamics and inflationary pressures. This targeted interventions to stabilize energy prices are vital for mitigating inflationary pressures in Nigerian states, as they account for regional economic differences, ensuring more effective and equitable economic stability across the country.

Multiple Nitrogen Sources Application Inhibits Increasing Ammonia Volatilization Under Reducing Irrigation

Farmland ammonia (NH3) volatilization is an important source of NH3, and the application of chemical fertilizer nitrogen (N) is the main factor affecting NH3 volatilization. The optimal substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure and straw reportedly reduces NH3 volatilization, while reducing irrigation increases NH3 volatilization. However, the combined effect of nitrogen fertilizer substitution and reducing irrigation on NH3 volatilization and the role of microorganisms in this process remains unclear. In a soil column experiment, NH3 volatilization and microbial composition were measured under both multiple N sources and different irrigation levels by the vented-chamber method and metagenomic sequencing. The results revealed that multiple N sources application reduced cumulative NH3 volatilization by 16.5–75.4% compared to single chemical fertilizer application, and the decreasing trend of NH3 volatilization under reduced irrigation conditions was greater. Microorganisms had a more important effect on NH3 volatilization of reduced irrigation than conventional irrigation. The abundance of nirA, arcC, E3.5.1.49, and E3.5.5.1 (ammonia-producing) genes varied significantly at the two irrigation levels. Overall, multiple N sources could inhibit NH3 volatilization increasing under reducing irrigation compared to a single chemical fertilizer. Our findings contribute valuable insights into the combined effect of reduced irrigation and multiple N sources on NH3 volatilization.

Unraveling the Impact of ChatGPT as a Knowledge Anchor in Business Education

The emergence of Large Language Models (LLM), such as ChatGPT, is considered a productivity revolution in many areas of business and society. For a classroom setting, especially, it would be useful to understand whether, and how, to incorporate ChatGPT, similar to any other productivity revolution technology, such as calculators or a Google search engine. Although there are concerns regarding the use of LLMs in business education, the positive or negative impact of LLM use is not well-understood. In this research, we examine the substitution and complementarity effects of using ChatGPT in business curricula on learning outcomes and well-being in a socially supportive learning environment. Specifically, we examine whether technology anchors impact students’ goal orientation, learning outcomes, and well-being by conducting an empirical study with students majoring in Information Systems. Our analysis reveals that a technology anchor (computer playfulness) can complement the effects of social support on learning outcomes, while enhancing well-being for simple tasks. Students’ well-being and learning outcomes are hindered by LLM use (specifically, the computer anxiety anchor), substituting social support for simple and difficult tasks. These findings have implications for educational institutions that are assessing how to incorporate LLMs into business curricula.

Study of the applicability of ACdSe (A – Co, Ni) thin films as catalysts for heavy metal capture

Expansion of the possibilities of using photoactive thin films with a unique combination of optical and morphological characteristics as a basis for creation of highly efficient catalysts for the aqueous media purification is one of the promising research areas in modern materials science, which has both fundamental significance and potential for practical application. This study examines the prospects for using modified thin CdSe films by substituting nickel or cobalt for cadmium and selenium as a basis for creating highly efficient catalysts for the aqueous media purification from heavy metals such as arsenic, manganese and iron. A rather inexpensive electrochemical synthesis method was proposed as a method for obtaining thin films, in which the substitution effect is achieved by addition of nickel or cobalt sulfates to the electrolyte, which allows obtaining films with an equally probable distribution of elements in the composition of the synthesized films. Optical spectroscopy methods were used as methods for characterization of the initial samples, which made it possible to establish the dependences of the change in the band gap and absorption bands on the composition of the synthesized films, as well as to anticipate the influence of morphological features on optical absorption. During the conducted studies it was established that partial substitution of nickel and cobalt for cadmium and selenium in the composition of films results in growth in the adsorption efficiency of heavy metals, alongside operation stability maintenance of modified films during cyclic tests. At the same time, enhancement of the adsorption efficiency of heavy metals for modified films is due to both an alteration in the optical properties of the films and morphological features associated with the specific surface area growth due to a reduction in the grain size and a more developed surface.

Effects of Lu-doping on the magnetic behaviour and ordering of (Ho[formula omitted]Lu[formula omitted])2Fe2Si2C

We have investigated the effects of Lu substitution on the magnetic behaviour and ordering of (Ho1−xLux)2Fe2Si2C (x = 0.32 and 0.46) by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction, magnetisation and specific heat over the temperature range 2 to 300 K. Our study has establised that the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state is weakened upon Lu substitution and that the Néel temperature TN shifts towards lower temperature with increasing Lu content. The replacement of the magnetic Ho3+ ion by the non-magnetic Lu3+ ion of smaller atomic radius, leads to a modification of the crystal field levels, as indicated by the specific heat measurements. Neutron diffraction data analysis reveals that the magnetic structure of undoped Ho2Fe2Si2C, which exhibits a commensurate, antiferromagnetic ordering of the Ho sublattice along the b-axis with a propagation vector k = [0, 0, 12], is maintained in the Lu-doped (Ho1−xLux)2Fe2Si2C compounds.

Impact of vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-associated Gly substitutions on structure, function, and mechanics using bacterial collagen.

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) arises from mutations in collagen-III, a major structural component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vascularized tissues, including blood vessels. Fibrillar collagens form a triple-helix that is characterized by a canonical (Gly-X-Y)n sequence. The substitution of another amino acid for Gly within this conserved repeating sequence is associated with several hereditary connective tissue disorders, including vEDS. The clinical severity of vEDS depends on the identity of the substituted amino acid and its location. In this study, we engineered recombinant bacterial collagen-like proteins (CLPs) with previously reported Gly→X (X=Ser or Arg) vEDS substitutions within the integrin-binding site. Employing a combination of biophysical techniques, enzymatic digestion assays, integrin binding affinity assays, and computational modeling, we assessed the impact of Gly→X substitutions on structure, stability, function, and mechanical properties. While constructs with Ser or Arg substitutions maintained a triple-helix structure, Arg substitution significantly reduced global thermal stability, heightened susceptibility to trypsin digestion, and altered integrin α2-inserted (α2I) domain binding. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations also demonstrated distinct effects of different Gly substitutions on the triple-helix structure - Arg substitutions induced notable bulging at the substitution site and disrupted interchain hydrogen bonds compared to Ser substitutions. Additionally, steered MD simulations revealed that Arg substitution led to a significant decrease in Young's modulus of the triple-helix. Bacterial CLPs have proved to be a powerful model for studying the underlying mechanisms of vEDS-causing mutations in collagen-III. Serine and arginine substitutions differentially perturb cell-matrix interactions and ECM in a manner consistent with clinical vEDS severity.

Deactivated Ca-based sorbent derived from calcium looping CO2 capture as a partial substitute for cement to obtain low-carbon cementitious building materials

Calcium looping CO2 capture is a highly promising technology for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Nevertheless, the disposal of deactivated calcium-based sorbents following cyclic carbonation and calcination processes presents an unresolved challenge. Concurrently, the development of low-carbon cement products is also a critical priority. Given the calcium-rich composition and carbon-negative nature of the calcium-based sorbent, it is proposed that the deactivated sorbent could be utilized as a partial substitute for cement in the production of building materials. This paper explored the potential of using two types of deactivated calcium sorbent (DPC/DGC) to partial substitute cement for low-carbon cementitious materials production. The effects of partial substitution of cement materials on volume stability, compressive/flexural strength, hydration kinetics, and carbon emission of the composite cementitious materials were investigated. The results indicate that a 5% and 10% replacement of cement with DPC/DGC has modest impact on volumetric stability and compressive strength. The composite cement with 5% DPC replacement achieves a 28-day compressive strength of 48.1MPa, representing a 0.4% increase compared to the 47.9MPa observed in the reference sample. Specimens with 15% DPC/DGC substitution exhibit inferior volume stability and mechanical performance than the control sample. The total hydration heat releases decrease with the increasing substitution ratio due to the dilution effect by the introduction of DPC/DGC. Additionally, substituting cement with Ca-based sorbents significantly reduced the carbon footprint of construction materials. The net carbon footprints for the building materials that containing 1 ton of binder (substitued with 10wt% DPC and DGC) were 152.5kg and 43.5kg, corresponding to reductions of 79.6% and 94.2% compared to reference cement mortar. These carbon footprints are projected to further decrease to -108.5kg and -375.5kg when DPC and DGC were obtained after 100 CO2 capture cycles. A novel technological route combining the high-temperature calcium looping CO2 capture and CO2 mineralization curing was proposed, and the associated challenges of this method were also discussed.

Effect of B2O3 substitution for Al2O3 on the structure and properties of calcium aluminosilicate glass

Effect of B2O3 substitution for Al2O3 on the structure and properties of calcium aluminosilicate glass

Effect of cornstarch partial substitution by millet flour and agro-industrial by-products on the development of gluten-free doughs

Effect of cornstarch partial substitution by millet flour and agro-industrial by-products on the development of gluten-free doughs

Concentration-dependent cellular responses of coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) during the substitutions to perfluorooctanoic acid by its two alternatives

The substitutions of alternatives to legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) may lead to unknown and variational joint toxicity on ecosystems. To comprehensively understand the effects of substitutions on aquatic ecosystems, the single and joint effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its alternatives (perfluorobutanoic acid, PFBA; 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(1,1,2,2,3,3,3,heptafluoropropoxy)propanoic acid, GenX) with various concentrations and compositions on a primary producer, coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), were investigated at cellular level. Results showed that the substitutions of PFBA/GenX could alleviate the inhibition of PFOA on plant length, hydrogen peroxide accumulation, and chlorophyll b, due to the shifts of reactive oxygen species and their less toxicity to antioxidants. Significant up-regulations of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and carotenoid implied their primary roles in defensing against PFASs (p<0.05). Catalase/peroxidase was significantly up-regulated in PFBA/GenX substitutions (p<0.05) to help alleviate stress. PFBA substitutions reduced 23.9% of PFOA in organelle and GenX reduced the subcellular concentrations of PFOA by 1.8%–17.4%. Redundancy analysis suggested that PFOA, PFBA, and GenX in cell wall and organelle, as well as GenX in soluble fractions, were responsible for the cellular responses. These findings were helpful to understand the integrated effects on aquatic ecosystems during the substitutions to legacy PFASs by alternatives.

To what extent walking and biking are substitutes or complements to public transport? Interpretable machine learning findings from the University of Lyon, France

This study examines the dynamic relationship between active mobility and public transport among university students, focusing on how this interaction varies based on home-campus distance. Using sequential and randomized tree-based ensemble machine learning models and interpretation techniques on survey data, we uncover nuanced patterns in behavior regarding the choice of transport modes for commuting. Key findings are that biking complements public transport for distances less than two kilometers and greater than ten kilometers, and walking complements it for distances over two kilometers, while some subgroups of students substitute walking for public transport in short distances. Biking and public transportation are observed to be substitutes for each other in distances between approximately two and ten kilometers. Results also suggest a substitution effect between walking and biking for short distances. Finally, we identify distinct walking and biking clusters around certain campuses. Our study highlights the potential of policies promoting active mobility to reduce motorized transport use among students, thereby mitigating social, environmental, and health risks in urban settings.

Peeking inside the black box: Untangling the influence of key market assumptions on the substitution effect of wood-based textile fibers

Peeking inside the black box: Untangling the influence of key market assumptions on the substitution effect of wood-based textile fibers

China's energy efficiency improvement considering renewable energy substitution: Applying a dynamic two-stage undesirable non-radial directional distance function

As the country with the largest CO2 emissions in the world, China is developing renewable energy as the main way to address climate change. By 2021, China's wind and solar power generation accounted for 40 % and 37 % of the global total, but there is an imbalance in the development of renewable energy within China. Different from existing research on energy efficiency evaluation that rarely considers renewable energy, this study constructs a dynamic two-stage undesirable non-radial directional distance function that divides traditional energy efficiency into electricity production efficiency (EPE) by considering renewable energy substitution effects and energy utilization efficiency (EUE) by considering changes in the energy consumption structure. Different from other empirical results, the western provinces, with advantages in renewable energy development, their EPE has significantly improved, and EUE has also improved with the optimization of energy consumption structure, thus their overall energy performance surpass that of the eastern and central regions. In addition, by comparing the room for improvement of variables, we find that most provinces can improve their energy performance by expanding the scale of renewable energy generation and increasing the proportion of electricity to total energy consumption. Therefore, we propose policy recommendations to promote the sustainable development of renewable energy.

The effect of smokeless tobacco (SLT) excise taxes on SLT use among youth

BackgroundSmokeless Tobacco (SLT) use prevalence among youth in the United States (US) is comparable to youth prevalence of cigarette smoking. However, it is in general understudied compared to cigarettes and draws less attention nowadays compared to e-cigarettes (ECs). AimWe estimate the own- and cross-tax elasticities of SLT use among US youth and explicitly test how SLT use changes in response to taxes on SLT, cigarettes, ECs, and beer. MethodsWe standardized SLT taxes for chewing tobacco, moist snuff, dry snuff, and snus, and computed average SLT taxes. We implemented a logit regression model within the state- and year-fixed effects framework. ResultsA 10 % increase in SLT excise taxes reduced youth SLT use by 4 % (p < 0.01). This result is primarily driven by males, Whites, multiple non-Hispanic races, other races, and individuals living in non-Appalachian states. In addition, a 10 % increase in cigarette taxes increases youth SLT use by 8 % (p < 0.05), suggesting substitutional effects. A 10 % increase in EC and beer taxes reduce SLT use by 0.5 % and 2.4 % (p < 0.01), respectively, suggesting complementary effects. ConclusionRaising excise taxes on SLT products can effectively curtail their usage among the youth population. Furthermore, increasing EC and beer taxes reduces youth SLT use. However, an increase in cigarette taxes leads to an unintended consequence of promoting SLT use among youth. In addition, increasing SLT taxes does not appear to significantly impact the disparities in youth SLT use by whether living in Appalachian states. Future research is needed to assess whether SLT taxes reduce disparities in use by rural/urban divisions.

Synergistic effect of isomorphism substitution of double metal Ce and Ti in Y zeolite by post-synthesis treatment for efficient removal of dye contamination

Synergistic effect of isomorphism substitution of double metal Ce and Ti in Y zeolite by post-synthesis treatment for efficient removal of dye contamination

Study on the Substitution Effect of Property Tax on Land Finance—Analysis based on Shanghai and Chongqing Reform Pilots

This paper aims to study the substitution effect of property tax on land finance through the pilot property tax reform implemented in Shanghai and Chongqing. Based on the theoretical foundation of analysing the impact of property tax on land finance, this paper selects the annual panel data of 35 large and medium-sized cities published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) from 2006 to 2017, and analyses the impact of the pilot property tax reform on the dependence on land finance in Chongqing and Shanghai and its extent. The findings show that the pilot effect of property tax reform in Shanghai is consistent with theoretical expectations, while the opposite is true for Chongqing; under a reasonable property tax system, the substitution effect of property tax reform on land finance gradually increases over time. In the conclusion, the paper puts forward relevant suggestions.

Optimizing the utilization of harvested wood products for maximum greenhouse gas emission reduction in a bioeconomy: A multi-objective optimization approach

Climate change mitigation in a bioeconomy can be attained by increased use of harvested wood products. Thereby, substitution effects can contribute to reducing the Global Warming Potential, and storage effects can prevent direct carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Substitution and storage effects are often only considered as marginal changes. However, an absolute upper limit exists for these effects due to limited harvesting of forests. The maximum emission reduction potential of these two effects depends on the distribution of wood across wood value chains. This study investigates how wood can be distributed optimally across value chains to achieve the maximum climate change mitigation potential by substitution and storage effects, taking a multi-objective optimization approach. Results indicate that sawable wood should be utilized in sawnwood applications to achieve the highest GHG emission reduction, while non-sawable wood contributes to maximal storage effects when used in material applications. The highest substitution effects occur when non-sawable wood is used for energy production. Both substitution and storage effects lead to a substantial mitigation effect, whereby storage effects yield a higher total reduction. The presented optimization method overcomes the limitations of marginal considerations and highlights opportunities for climate change mitigation within these limits. This study emphasizes the importance of taking a systems perspective on climate change mitigation in a bioeconomy and of understanding the limits of these effects regarding environmental policies and management.

Loss of Substitutability: A Note of Disparity between WTP and WTA

This note examines the disparity between willingness-to-pay (WTP) and willingness-to-accept (WTA) in the nonmarket valuation of environmental public goods. We observe that the commonly cited substitution effect and endowment effect, while often used to explain this disparity, address distinct conceptual questions. Building on this, we propose an integrated model that incorporates both effects within a reference-dependent framework. Our findings demonstrate that compensation demanded for lost substitutability is unbounded under a neoclassical framework but constrained within a loss-aversion context. These results offer a foundation for empirical testing to advance understanding of this persistent issue.

Consortium of ‘consistent amino acid substitutions’ on influenza A (H1N1) viral proteins emerged at specific stages of viral infection: a big data analysis

Influenza A (H1N1) virus has been one of the most common threats to humankind since 1918. The viral genome is frequently substituted, leading to new strains and recurrent pandemics. Despite knowing the effects of single amino acid substitutions on individual viral proteins, the effects of collective substitutions on viral infection remain elusive. Here, we addressed whether the ‘consistent amino acid substitutions’ occur in a consortium on functional domains and protein-protein interaction (PPI) sites, impacting overall viral infection and host immune responses. By definition, ‘consistent substitutions’ occur on ‘all’ the Influenza A (H1N1) viral strains isolated in a particular year. To address this question, big protein data (563370 sequences and 9824 PPI) were analysed using multiple sequence alignment, text mining, protein structure analyses etc. A total of one hundred and five ‘consistent substitutions’ were mapped on the ten viral proteins of influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 strain. Fifty of those emerged on viral protein functional domains and PPIs, engaged in the specific stages of the viral infection, namely, i) cell surface entry and exit, ii) nuclear import, vRNP assembly, and nuclear export, and iii) antagonizing immune responses. For the first time, the study showed that a consortium of ‘consistent substitutions’ emerged on protein functional domains and PPIs, impacting specific stages of viral infection rather than a single protein and presumably navigating viral escape from human immune response.