Unregulated Environment Research Articles

LATE MODERN ANXIETY AND DIGITAL JIHADIST ALTERNATIVE IN ANNA ERELLE’S IN THE SKIN OF A JIHADIST AND TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV’S PROFILE

For almost a decade, ISIS has held the status of the West’s radical other, its symbolic and real challenge to the western idea of modernity becoming ever more prominent and threatening with a growing accessibility of online propaganda content and recruitment via social media platforms in a largely unregulated social networking environment. In that context, the paper discusses Anna Erelle’s book In the Skin of a Jihadist and its film adaptation Profile as two distinct but complementary visions of the West and its other. My argument is that Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation, as a Baumanesque critical reading of the West’s late modernity, is supplemental to the original text and its liberal views of jihadist otherness. Profile thus views the West and ISIS as two universalist visions of the world so that by facing the dangerous alterity on the computer screen, the West should not only see the morally inferior enemy to be exposed, transformed or eventually defeated but the reflection of its own late modern failures, disappointments and frustrations.

Boardroom dynamics: the impact of board gender diversity on discretionary dividend policy in US REITs

Purpose This study aims to address a notable gap in the existing literature by exploring the relationship between gender diversity and dividend policy within the context of US Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Design/methodology/approach The authors use a substantial data set comprising 1,398 firm-year observations across 209 US REIT companies from 2011 to 2021 to address the research aims. Fixed effects models and generalized least squares regression methods are used in the analysis. Findings The results demonstrate a significant positive association between board gender diversity and higher dividend payouts among US REITs. This relationship holds after controlling for corporate governance and other firm-level factors. The findings have strong implications that the presence of women on REIT boards contributes to a greater propensity for discretionary dividend increases in the USA. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by empirically examining female directors’ role in influencing US REITs’ dividend policies, an area lacking adequate prior scholarship. The paper also considers the unique regulatory environment of REITs, highlighting the importance of the study for externally financed firms.

Exchange market share, market makers, and murky behavior: The impact of no-fee trading on cryptocurrency market quality

This study examines the impact of zero fees on market quality. This issue is examined using a natural experiment in Bitcoin provided by the Binance exchange, which eliminated maker–taker trading fees for market participants in July 2022. I find that although zero fees increase investors’ willingness to trade, thereby prima facie increasing liquidity, their elimination encourages market makers to widen the bid–ask spread and provide a shallower market depth, which in turn reduces liquidity. Liquidity providers realize gains at the expense of liquidity takers, suggesting the emergence of new potential forms of unethical financial market conduct. Notably, despite the removal of trading fees, total transaction costs increased for customers. These outcomes, coupled with the boost in exchange market share, raise concerns about price integrity and investors’ protection in the highly unregulated crypto environment, in turn implying that the elimination of maker–taker fees is harmful to the market.

Proactive hybrid learning framework for real-time multi-vehicle detection in unregulated traffic environments

Reliable multi-vehicle detection in unregulated traffic environments is a crucial computer vision task in the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Despite the promising potential of Deep Learning (DL) methods for vehicle detection, the presence of uncertainties such as varying vehicle shapes and sizes, intricate background clutter, and unpredictable vehicle flow contribute to the chaotic unregulated traffic. For real-time vehicle detection in an unregulated traffic environment this paper proposes the Hybrid Learning Multi-Vehicle Detection framework (HL-MVD) based on the Convolutional Multi-head Attention Transformer Detector (CMATDet). The primary objective of this study is to generate a dataset containing highly informative video frames using a Pool-based Active Learning Strategy (PALS). Additionally, transfer learning will be implemented to train CMATDet to achieve improved accuracy and reduced detection latency. The proposed approach restructures the baseline YOLOv5x and incorporates a Multi-head Attention transformer encoder to effectively extract global features and a Scale Specific Bidirectional Feature Pyramid Network (SS-BiFPN) to facilitate multi-scale feature representation. Simplified Optimal Transport Algorithm with top-q approximation technique (Sim-OTA) is utilized for label assignment approach. Heatmap analysis demonstrated the suitability of the newly generated dataset “AU-INV-P-PALS” for detecting specific Indian native vehicles. The performance of the proposed framework is evaluated on our custom-developed AU-INV-P-PALS vehicle dataset and the IITM-HeTra Dataset 1. In comparison with contemporary detection models, the proposed HL-MVD framework resulted with higher mAP scores (91.1% on mAP@0.5 and 78.3% on mAP@0.5:0.95) for AU-INV-P-PALS. The proposed model demonstrated lower inference latency (8.1 ms), higher precision score (82.7% for IoU = 0.5), and higher recall score (90.8% for IoU = 0.5) than recent deep learning-based detection models in the literature. The top-q approximation technique in the detection head results in a reduced false-positive rate compared to conventional models. Finally, the performance of the proposed framework is tested on CCTV traffic footage captured on city roads in Chennai, India.

Identifying Levels of Competency in Aesthetic Medicine: A Questionnaire-based Study.

In 2022, the US experienced a significant increase in demand for minimally invasive aesthetic procedures, underscoring its rising acceptance amid an unregulated educational environment for practitioners. The absence of standardized educational pathways and quality control in aesthetic medicine, primarily provided by nonacademic institutions, highlights a critical need for establishing educational standards to ensure practitioner competence and patient safety. The aim of this study was to identify levels of competency for the aesthetic practitioner and necessary achievement milestones during the educational path from novice to expert injector. A total of n = 386 international study participants responded to an online questionnaire regarding their experience in aesthetic medicine practice. The questionnaire comprised 58 questions focusing on professional data, the perceived difficulty of injection, and risk for the occurrence of adverse events for specific facial regions in soft tissue filler and toxin injections. Regardless of medical specialty and experience level, averages of 3.85 (1.8) years, 786.4 (2628) filler injections and 549.9 (1543) toxin injections were estimated to progress from novice to advanced injector, while averages of 6.10 (3.7) years, 1842.2 (4793) filler injections, and 1308.5 (3363) toxin injections were estimated to advance from advanced to expert injector. The nose and the perioral region have been ranked as the facial regions where it is most difficult to achieve a perfect aesthetic outcome and with the greatest risk for the occurrence of adverse events for filler and toxin injections, respectively. In this study we establish an educational framework in aesthetic medicine by defining the progression from novice to competent and expert injector levels, suggesting 4 years of practice and over 790 filler and 550 neuromodulator injections for competence, and at least 6 years with 1840 filler and 1310 neuromodulator injections for expertise. We also identify critical facial regions for targeted treatments by different expertise levels.

Listening Preference for Child-Directed Speech Versus Time-Reversed Speech in Moderate-Preterm Infants Compared to Full-Term Infants.

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether there is a listening preference for child-directed speech (CDS) over backward speech in moderate-preterm infants (MPIs). Eighteen MPIs of gestational age of 32.0 weeks (range: 32-34.06 weeks), chronological age of 8.09 months, and maturation age of 6.48 months served as the experimental group. The two control groups consisted of a total of 36 infants-20 full-term infants matched for chronological age and 16 full-term infants matched for maturation age. The infants were tested using the central fixation procedure and were presented with 16 trials of CDS and backward speech. A follow-up was conducted 5 years after the initial experiment using a developmental and a five-item parent questionnaire. MPIs did not demonstrate a preference for CDS over backward speech, whereas both control groups demonstrated a listening preference for CDS over backward speech. MPIs showed a delayed use of first words and word combinations and lower scores on the five-item questionnaire compared to term infants. Twelve MPIs (67%) did not demonstrate a preference for CDS over backward speech. Four of them (33%) were later diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. The lack of preference for CDS over backward speech in the MPIs group suggests delayed developmental pattern of speech processing compared to full-term peers. Delays in neurological maturation as well as listening experience in an unregulated environment outside the uterus during a sensitive period of brain development may affect the recognition of phonological and prosodic patterns that support listening preference for speech over backward speech.

Optimization of Stable Energy PV Systems Using the Internet of Things (IoT)

The modern power grid faces rapid growth in load demand due to industrialization, leading to an unregulated environment and increasing adoption of renewable energy sources, which presents technical challenges, particularly in terms of stability. Hydrogen conversion technology revolutionizes clean electricity storage with renewable energy, and solar hydrogen is now available in autonomous solar systems. The efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems is closely related to using digital electronic maximum peak power tracking (MPPT) technology. The Internet of Things (IoT) is crucial for performance monitoring and real-time control of PV systems, enhancing the understanding of real-time operating parameters. IoT and wireless sensor networks for distributed solar energy devices and joint building design are essential for developing the photovoltaic construction industry. In this paper, the monitoring system that has been proposed offers a potentially effective solution for the intelligent remote and real-time monitoring of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. It demonstrated a high level of accuracy, reaching 98.49%, and can transmit graphical representations to a smartphone application within a time frame of 52.34 seconds. Consequently, the battery's longevity was extended, energy consumption was diminished, and the quality of service (QoS) for real-time applications inside the Internet of Things (IoT) was enhanced.

CYBERSECURITY DYNAMICS IN NIGERIAN BANKING: TRENDS AND STRATEGIES REVIEW

This paper provides an in-depth review of the cybersecurity dynamics within the Nigerian banking sector, emphasizing recent trends and strategic approaches to address emerging challenges. As a review paper, it synthesizes existing literature, reports, and case studies to offer a comprehensive understanding of the current cybersecurity landscape in Nigerian banks. The focus is on identifying the predominant cyber threats, analyzing the sector's response strategies, and evaluating the effectiveness of these measures in the context of Nigeria's unique socio-economic and regulatory environment. Our analysis reveals a notable escalation in cyber threats, particularly phishing, ransomware, and insider attacks, which have been intensified by the rapid digital transformation in banking services. The review identifies key factors contributing to these challenges, such as the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals, the digital literacy gap among customers, and the evolving nature of cyber threats. It also examines the strategic responses of Nigerian banks, including the adoption of advanced security technologies, enhanced staff training, and collaboration with government and international cybersecurity bodies.The paper concludes that Nigerian banks have made significant strides in fortifying their cybersecurity defenses. However, it also highlights the need for more robust regulatory frameworks, increased customer awareness initiatives, and a shift towards more integrated and proactive cybersecurity strategies. The findings of this review underscore the critical need for continuous evolution and investment in cybersecurity measures to effectively counter the dynamic and complex nature of cyber threats in the Nigerian banking sector.
 Keywords: Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Dynamics, Nigerian Banking Sector, Digital Transformation, Cyber Threats, Phishing Attacks, Ransomware, Insider Threats, Regulatory Framework, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Compliance Challenges, Security Technologies, Cybersecurity Awareness, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Blockchain Technology.

Accountability and information disclosure in a Catholic charity (1798–1801)

By examining a Spanish Catholic charity that operated in an unregulated environment in Cádiz between 1798 and 1801, this article analyses the motivations for discharging accountability to stakeholders and the factors that influence information disclosure. Drawing on stakeholder theory and not-for-profit accountability literature, we show how the organisation’s founders, managers and board members translated their feeling of responsibility and the accounting insight prevailing in their socio-economic context to this charity setting. Their efforts to discharge accountability and disclose information focused largely on upward stakeholders, but they also discharged accountability to aid recipients. Nevertheless, they restricted the information they revealed because of the Catholic doctrine about secret almsgiving and concerns about the protection of poor people’s privacy and fear of public shame. These restrictions may have been somewhat counterbalanced by the charity’s observable actions and by social interaction among board members, donors, and beneficiaries enabled through physical proximity and social ties.

Extrinsic shocks and corporate accounting behaviour: The case of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923

This study examines how the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 influenced the depreciation disclosure practice adopted by Japanese companies in the years that followed. Prior to World War II, corporate accounting behaviour varied widely in Japan, as there were few substantive rules regulating the contents of financial statements. Assessing how a large-scale extrinsic shock such as a major earthquake affects and shapes corporate accounting practices in an unregulated disclosure environment such as this would seem important to understand the intrinsic impact of exogenous shocks. By statistically analysing the contents of 547 financial statements issued by 51 machinery, electrical and transportation equipment manufacturers during the six years from 1921 to 1926, this study shows that the substantial damage inflicted by the Great Kanto Earthquake discouraged companies from disclosing depreciation expenses by reducing or failing to recognise them at all and rendering them less important in their financial statements.

The Application of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) in China's Financial Market: An Analysis of Regulatory Impact and International Comparison

Indentation of Abstract should be left 0.53"/1.35cm. As the world's second largest economy, China is also one of the world's biggest emerging economies; The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is one of the most classic pricing models, and China's asset pricing model has gained a lot of experience from it. This research investigates the application of the CAPM in China's financial market, focusing on the influence of financial market regulation and conducting a comparative analysis with international markets. CAPM is a fundamental asset pricing model used to estimate asset expected returns and risks based on their covariance with the overall market portfolio. The study aims to analyze the practical implementation of CAPM in China's financial market, considering the impact of financial market regulation on the model's effectiveness. Key variables such as market data, risk-free rates, and stock returns are utilized, with specific adjustments made to accommodate China's unique regulatory environment. The research's significance lies in providing valuable insights into asset pricing and risk assessment in China's financial market, as well as implications for investors and policymakers. By comparing the results with international markets, this study contributes to a broader understanding of the CAPM model's applicability and effectiveness in diverse regulatory settings.

The Densest City in The World and How It Would Work in Today’s Economy

The Kowloon Walled City was a unique, densely populated enclave in Hong Kong known. It was originally a Chinese military fort and evolved into a city where the buildings were packed so tightly that they grew into each other. Despite its chaotic conditions , the city fostered a resilient, tightly knit community. In the 1980s, the Hong Kong government decided to demolish the city , completing the process in 1993, and transforming the site into Kowloon Walled City Park. The city’s legacy endures as a compelling study of urban density, resilience and community dynamics in an unregulated environment. If this unique city still existed, how would it survive in today’s economy? What would be the changes? What about the positive and negative aspects? Would there be any positive aspects?

Islamic Banking's Decades-Long Institutionalisation Struggle: The Case of Pakistan

Islamic Banking (IB) still struggles to institutionalise its practices at the wider societal level. The literature, despite having covered the sector from several angles, has overlooked an objective evaluation of the root causes of its restricted institutionalisation so far. This empirical investigation into Pakistan's IB sector fills this void and investigates the sector's apparent limited success in institutionalising its practices despite having been formally accorded legitimate legal status around the world. The paper, bringing the sector's governance to the spotlight, concludes that the social practice's 'site' of development – the Islamic Shari'ah jurisprudence, has too strong a coupling of internal elements to accommodate the sector's current loose adherence to its principles and laws, and thus the sector, rather than its 'site' of its development, needs to adapt and reorient to accomplish unrestricted institutionalisation. The paper also extends Foucault's theoretical constructs in the sector's peculiar context, which stems from a unique cultural, economic, and regulatory environment. The paper aims to add a new dimension to the IB governance literature and help steer future research focus to areas with the highest marginal utility for the sector and its stakeholders.

Role of Media in Hybrid Warfare in Pakistan: How to Convert Challenges into Opportunities

In the defense community, the use of hybrid warfare has expanded. It is generally labeled as contemporary warfare. The term is usually adopted in strategic documents such as the national government of Pakistan, developing regions, as well as developed nation central such as NATO, and EU, based on which various articles have been presented. However, hybrid warfare has not yet been understood with social media and the opportunities it opens for Pakistan. Primarily, the concern is to assess whether the concept is understood clearly for its strategic implementation, which can help to overcome the risk concerning the defense community. It is suggested that efforts must be improved for enhancing and forming content on the meaning of hybrid warfare. While the social network’s effect includes transparency, individuals mobilizing, and collective decision making negative effect that results from hybrid warfare include manipulation, an unregulated environment, and misinformation proliferation.

Anion efflux mediates transduction in the hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line.

Hair cells are the principal sensory receptors of the vertebrate auditory system, where they transduce sounds through mechanically gated ion channels that permit cations to flow from the surrounding endolymph into the cells. The lateral line of zebrafish has served as a key model system for understanding hair cell physiology and development, often with the belief that these hair cells employ a similar transduction mechanism. In this study, we demonstrate that these hair cells are exposed to an unregulated external environment with cation concentrations that are too low to support transduction. Our results indicate that hair cell excitation is instead mediated by a substantially different mechanism involving the outward flow of anions. Further investigation of hair cell transduction in a diversity of sensory systems and species will likely yield deep insights into the physiology of these unique cells.

The challenges of gig economy and Fairwork in Ecuador

The evolution of the collaborative economy depends on market-specific prerequisites, such as a consumer base with purchasing power, accessible Internet connectivity, digitised payment mechanisms and new regulatory frameworks. However, countries located in the Global South, such as Ecuador, face challenges in adapting to these requirements due to the presence of infrastructure deficiencies, shortcomings in the local financial ecosystem and regulatory gaps, which impede the maturation of digital industries. However, the unprecedented global economic upheaval stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the imposition of international lockdowns and social distancing mandates, has precipitated the unbridled proliferation of digital platforms and the gig economy. In this unregulated environment, platform workers face intricate labour rights dynamics, marked by income volatility, scarce benefits and an environment rife with precarity and exploitative conditions.This paper aims to answer how the gig economy was installed and developed in Ecuador before and during the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically, we will try to answer the question of what have been the main challenges and barriers faced by platform workers and platforms in adhering to Fairwork principles in an unregulated context. Based on more than seventy semi-structured interviews and ethnographic material collected between 2020 and 2021, we provide an overview of Ecuador's gig economy and an in-depth examination of the institutional, regulatory, and organisational landscape characterising this country in order to identify the main challenges and obstacles to establishing and enforcing fair work standards. This analysis helped us understand the difficulties in implementing Fairwork principles and come up with practical suggestions for policy and regulation improvements in Ecuador and similar situations.

Возможности и риски для выпускников высших учебных заведений на российском рынке труда

The article examines the main factors of social changes in the labor market. It is emphasized that contradic-tions are growing in this sphere, and the imbalance between the supply and demand for services is increasing. Formation of the global digital environment dynamizes changes in the labor market and has an increasingly active influence on the state employment policy in almost all countries, including the Russian Federation. The unregulated digital environment exacerbates the problem of inequality in the sphere of social and labor rela-tions and gives it a new quality. In this regard, it is especially important for young people to acquire that higher education, which, on the one hand, will be in demand in a qualitatively new labor market, and on the other hand, meets their personal needs and expectations. The authors conducted a study using an online question-naire to identify employment problems for young professionals. The study concludes that there is a discrepan-cy between the aspirations of young people and the needs of the real economy. The leading role of the state and socially responsible business is emphasized in minimizing socio-economic differentiation in entering the higher education system and in the learning process itself, as well as in expanding training in specialties in demand in the context of digital transformation.

Popularisation of Science and Science Journalism on Social Media in Slovakia

This study focuses on the presentation and interpretation of scientific information and data by Slovak creators on the social platform Instagram. Media content presented on social media often becomes problematic, as popular science posts are more in an entertaining than scientific form. It happens that popular science content is presented inaccurately, without deeper context. In addition, scientific misinformation and misleading information appears, which can pose a danger to audience members who trust such information. Science journalism has found its place not only in traditional media, but also on social media platforms, where problematic information on scientific topics goes viral and achieves a high level of user interaction. In an unregulated or under-regulated social networking environment, it is also more difficult for users to discern the credibility and relevance of the information presented, especially when referring to existing scientific studies or authorities. However, data from these sources may be taken out of context, interpreted in a misleading way or accompanied by completely fabricated or distorted conclusions. Such false scientific content undermines confidence in objective science journalism and discredits the work of science journalists. Several digital tools are now available that can help readers distinguish real scientific information from false information. Critical thinking, media literacy and scientific literacy are key skills that can be used to detect manipulative techniques and navigate the issue of false media content. In this paper, we therefore clarify the importance of media, scientific and information literacy skills to help identify misinformation in media content related to science and research.

Electronic Cigarette Usage Patterns and Perceptions in Adult Australians.

Despite their increasing popularity, and Australia's unique regulatory environment, how and why Australian adults use e-cigarettes and their perceptions of their safety, efficacy and regulation have not been extensively reported before. In this study, we screened 2217 adult Australians with the aim of assessing these questions in a sample of current or former e-cigarette users. A total of 505 out of 2217 respondents were current or former e-cigarette users, with only these respondents completing the full survey. Key findings of this survey included the high proportion of respondents who indicated they were currently using e-cigarettes (307 out of 2217 = 13.8%), and the high proportion of current e-cigarette users that were also smokers (74.6%). The majority of respondents used e-liquids containing nicotine (70.3%), despite it being illegal in Australia without a prescription, and the majority bought their devices and liquids in Australia (65.7%). Respondents reported using e-cigarettes in a variety of places, including inside the home, inside public places (where it is illegal to smoke tobacco cigarettes), and around other people-which has implications for second and third hand exposures. A significant proportion of current e-cigarette users (30.6%) thought that e-cigarettes were completely safe to use long-term, although in general, there was a large amount of uncertainty/ambivalence with respect to perceptions of e-cigarette safety and efficacy as smoking cessation tools. This study shows that e-cigarette use is common in Australia, and that appropriate dissemination of unbiased research findings on their safety and efficacy in smoking cessation is urgently required.

Lead content in automotive paints purchased at formal and informal outlets in Kenya

Lead (Pb) is added to automotive paints to prevent corrosion on metallic surfaces, for decorative colours, and for reflective properties to heighten visibility, and enhanced drying time, and durability. However, there are substitutes for all of these applications and Pb is highly toxic to human health and the environment. Through concerted efforts, leaded gasoline was phased out and currently, the focus is on lead-based paints. Leaded automotive paint used for spray painting activities often conducted in close proximity to human habitation raises public health concerns over possible exposure. This study was therefore undertaken to assess Pb levels in automotive paints frequently used by informal spray painters. A total of thirty-two (n = 32) cans of automotive paints were purchased in 4 sets of red, blue, green and white colours from eight formal and informal retail shops. Lead levels in the paint samples were analyzed in triplicates using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. All the automotive paints from the informal retail shops had Pb levels that ranged from 220 to 2740 ppm, and exceeded the regulatory limit of 90 ppm. The blue paint from the informal store had the highest Pb levels which were 30 times of the set limit. On the contrary, the paints from the formal stores had significantly (p < 0.05) lower Pb levels that ranged from 80.7 to 580 ppm than those of the informal stores. Although only one paint sample from the former retail shop had Pb levels within the limit. In general, the elevated Pb levels in automotive paints that are used in an unregulated environment are potential sources of exposure and environmental contamination. The study urgently calls for enforcement of the regulatory limits and comprehensive Pb exposure assessments in this sector.