574 research outputs found
Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea
ObjectiveTo reduce premature deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smokers, the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopted changes to the National Health Promotion Act, which allowed local governments to enact municipal ordinances to strengthen their authority to designate smoke-free areas and levy penalty fines. In this study, we examined national trends in SHS exposure after the introduction of these municipal ordinances at the city level in 2010.MethodsWe used interrupted time series analysis to assess whether the trends of SHS exposure in the workplace and at home, and the primary cigarette smoking rate changed following the policy adjustment in the national legislation in ROK. Population-standardized data for selected variables were retrieved from a nationally representative survey dataset and used to study the policy action’s effectiveness.ResultsFollowing the change in the legislation, SHS exposure in the workplace reversed course from an increasing (18% per year) trend prior to the introduction of these smoke-free ordinances to a decreasing (−10% per year) trend after adoption and enforcement of these laws (β2 = 0.18, p-value = 0.07; β3 = −0.10, p-value = 0.02). SHS exposure at home (β2 = 0.10, p-value = 0.09; β3 = −0.03, p-value = 0.14) and the primary cigarette smoking rate (β2 = 0.03, p-value = 0.10; β3 = 0.008, p-value = 0.15) showed no significant changes in the sampled period. Although analyses stratified by sex showed that the allowance of municipal ordinances resulted in reduced SHS exposure in the workplace for both males and females, they did not affect the primary cigarette smoking rate as much, especially among females.ConclusionStrengthening the role of local governments by giving them the authority to enact and enforce penalties on SHS exposure violation helped ROK to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace. However, smoking behaviors and related activities seemed to shift to less restrictive areas such as on the streets and in apartment hallways, negating some of the effects due to these ordinances. Future studies should investigate how smoke-free policies beyond public places can further reduce the SHS exposure in ROK
Analysis and forecasting of asset quality, risk management and financial stability for the Greek banking system
The increase in non-performing loans (NPLs) during the financial crisis of 2008, which has been converted into a fiscal crisis, as well as the risk of a medium-term increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic has put into question the robustness of many banks and the financial stability of the whole sector. As far as the banking sector is concerned, the management of non-performing loans represents the most significant challenge as their stock reached unprecedented levels, with the deterioration in asset quality being widespread. Addressing the problem of non-performing loans with the assistance of
credit risk modeling is important from both a micro and a macro-prudential perspective, since it would not only improve the financial soundness and the capital adequacy of the banking sector, but also free-up funds to be directed to other more productive sectors of the economy.
This Thesis extends earlier research by employing a short-term monitoring system with the aim to forecast “failures” i.e. NPL creation. The creation of such a monitoring system allows the risk of a “failure” to change over time, measuring the likelihood of “failure” given the survival time and a set of explanatory variables. The application of Cox proportional hazards models and survival trees to forecast NPLs can be usefully employed in the Greek corporate sectors.
The research aim of this thesis consists of two domains: The first aim is the investigation of the determinants that contribute to the NPLs formation. Two GAMLSS models are being tested, a linear GAMLSS model and a nonlinear semi-parametric GAMLSS model which includes smoothing functions that capture potential nonlinear relationships between the explanatory variables to model the parameters favorably. The explanatory variables of the models consist of credit risk variables, macroeconomic variables, bank-specific variables and supervisory and market variables, while the response variable is the non-performing loans.
The second aim is to provide answers on whether proportional hazards Cox models and survival tree models can forecast NPLs of loans that are provided in specific corporate sectors in Greece by the use of the most granular data set of corporate borrowers. By evaluating a series of Cox models, a short-term monitoring system has been created with the aim to forecast “failures” i.e. NPL creation. The Cox proportional hazards regression models are incorporating time-to-event, involving a timeline, described by the survival function, indicating the probability that a loan becomes an NPL until time t. The time period counts from the origination of the loan until the “death” of the loan, i.e. its termination, incorporating an “in between” observation point. The event is when the loan is initially being “infected”, i.e. has become NPL. Regarding survival trees, the data set was divided into more subsets, which are easier to model separately and hence yield an improved overall performance. Such models are then beneficial to implement with different machine learning techniques. Predictors (or covariates) are defined as the sectors of the Greek economy and the model is fitted both for the whole sample and for the sample of early terminated loans.
The Thesis is organized as follows: Chapter 1 - Introduction addresses the role of banks in financial intermediation, the evolution of credit risk and some issues regarding the Greek banking sector. Chapter 2 constitutes a literature review on research focused on improving the predictive performance of different credit risk assessment methods. Chapter 3 outlines the competitive conditions in the banking sector to demonstrate whether the increase in concentration had affected the competitive conditions in the Greek banking system. In Chapter 4, the funding and the liquidity conditions in the Greek banking sector are being addressed. Chapter 5 contains the selection of aggregate sample, results and analysis of GAMLSS models that have been used for determining NPLs. Chapter 6 provides an introduction to the granular database on Large Exposures, which is used for deriving the panel sample of corporate borrowers whereby models of forecasting and prediction are being employed. Chapter 7 contains the application of Cox models and decision trees, the estimation procedure, parameters, model fit, estimation results and empirical findings. Chapter 8 provides an evaluation and applicability of models as well as the implications for further research. Finally, a conclusion is provided by summarizing my contribution to the research community and my recommendations to the banking industr
Agency and professionalism in translation and interpreting: navigating conflicting role identities among translation and interpreting practitioners working for local government in Japan
This thesis investigates the ethical choices of Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs), a group of largely non-professional translators and interpreters working for local government bodies in Japan. In addition to T&I, CIRs are tasked with engaging in intercultural relations, “internationalising” their local areas, and working with the public as members of the civil service. The thesis examines the different roles and particular circumstances of CIRs to describe and explain how they make ethical decisions in T&I.
This was explored using an ethnographic methodology featuring both traditional and online sites. Specifically, data was collected from participant observation of an internet forum created by CIRs, through online surveys, and also by employing focus groups and
interviews held with CIRs in Japan. Analysis of forum and survey data illuminated the ethical struggles experienced by CIRs in T&I. It indicated that professionalism and agency were of particular concern for these CIRs when dealing with questions of ethics. Through focus groups, more detailed data was elicited surrounding the ethical struggles faced by CIRs, with a particular focus on professionalism and agency. Forum and focus group data combined to create a set of hypothetical ethical scenarios discussed during semistructured interviews held to understand factors that influence CIR decision making.
A theoretical framework combining Agency Theory (Mitnick, 1975) and Role Identity Theory (Stryker, 1968) was used to describe and explain CIR ethical decision making; foregrounding their potential to effect change in their workplaces (agency) and the prioritisation afforded to different roles with which they identify in their work (role identity). Ultimately, CIRs were most disposed to translate or interpret in a manner that they believed was in keeping with the wishes of their employers, based on their superior ability to monitor and control the CIRs. However, in instances where the CIR operated with free will, their choices were a result of complex structuring of the various identities that they had normalised within themselves.
Keywords: translation, interpreting, Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, agency, professionalism, role identity
Smart contract and web dapp for tracing sustainability indicators in the textile and clothing value chain
Mestrado em Engenharia Informática na Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do CasteloNa sociedade atual, o têxtil e vestuário é um dos maiores setores de mercado do mundo. O rápido crescimento desta indústria está a ter impactos sem precedentes na sustentabilidade do planeta, respondendo por consequências negativas ambientais, sociais e de saúde. As tendências da fast-fashion, juntamente com a falta de transparência na cadeia de valor têxtil global, somam-se a cenários desfavoráveis para o mundo, à medida que os níveis crescentes de poluição e consumo de recursos
dentro da cadeia de valor atingem máximos históricos a cada ano que passa. O ciclo de vida de uma peça de roupa precisa de se adaptar a um modelo económico regenerativo em vez de linear, que acaba no equivalente a um caminhão de lixo de produtos têxteis sendo descartado num aterro sanitário a cada segundo [1]. Não só as indústrias precisam de reformular os seus processos para circularizar as suas cadeias de valor e promover ações sustentáveis, mas também os consumidores precisam de participar
do processo de manter os produtos no círculo da cadeia de valor, pois cabe a eles decidir o destino final de um produto vestuário aquando o seu fim da vida útil. Com estas questões em mente, esta dissertação visa desenvolver duas soluções que possam mitigar os problemas a cima mencionados e promover ações sustentáveis rumo a uma economia circular na cadeia de valor do têxtil e vestuário. Uma solução business-to-business baseada em smart contracts do Hyperledger Fabric para gerir a cadeia de valor do têxtil e vestuário com funcionalidade de rastreabilidade foi desenvolvida
como prova de conceito para apoiar as reivindicações de sustentabilidade dos participantes na cadeia de valor, da fibra à peça final de vestuário. A actual funcionabilidade de rastreabilidade desenvolvida no smart contract fornece aos operadores da cadeia de valor a capacidade de rastrear um lote até à sua origem, contudo, também limita a escalabilidade devido ao aumento exponencial do tamanho do bloco, especialmente se considerarmos uma cadeia de valor circular. Para os consumidores, foi proposta
uma aplicação descentralizada business-to-consumer-to-consumer com elementos de eco-gamificação para promover o envolvimento e motivação do utilizador para a realização de tarefas que contribuam para a adoção de uma economia circular na cadeia de valor do têxtil e vestuário. Após testar a usabilidade da aplicação com o questionário AttrakDiff, concluiu-se que o sistema precisa de focar a sua usabilidade em prol de um produto orientado à tarefa em vez da orientação pessoal atual da aplicação
a fim de promover ações que contribuam para a economia circular da cadeia de valor do têxtil e vestuário.In today’s society, Textile and Clothing (T&C) is one of the biggest market sectors world wide.The sheer size and fast growth of this industry is having unprecedented impacts on sustainability, accounting for negative environmental, social and health consequences. The fast-fashion trends along side the lack of transparency in the global T&C value chain add up to unfavorable scenarios for the world as the increas-
ing levels of pollution and resource consumption within the value chain reach historic highs with every year that passes. The lifecycle of a clothing item needs to adapt to a regenerative economic model instead of a linear one that ends up in the equivalent of a garbage truck full of textiles being disposed into a landfill every second [1]. Not only do the industries need to revamp their processes to circularize their value chains and promote sustainable actions, but the consumers also need to partake in the process of keeping the products in the value chain loop as it is up to them to make the final decision upon the end-of-life of an item of clothing. With these issues in mind,this dissertation aims to develop two solutions that can mitigate the aforementioned problems and promote sustainable actions towards a circular economy in the T&C value chain. A Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Business-to-Business (B2B) T&C value chainmanagement smart contract solution builton Hyperledger Fabric with traceability features
was developed to support the sustainability claims of participants in the value chain, from fiber to garment. The current traceability feature developed into the smart contract provides value chain operators the capabilities to trace a batch back to its origin, however, it also constraints scalability due to the exponential in crease in block size specially if considering a circular value chain. For the consumers, a Business-to-Consumer-to-Consumer (B2C2C) Decentralized Application (DApp) was proposed
with eco-gamification elements fo rpromoting the user’s engagement and motivation to complete tasks that contribute for the adoption of a circular economy in the T&C value chain. After testing the consumer DApp’s usability with the AttrakDiff survey, it was concluded that the system needs to focus it susability towards a task-oriented product instead of the current self-oriented results in order to promote actions that contribute to the circular economy of the T&C value chain
Towards a data-driven military: a multi-disciplinary perspective
Towards a data-driven military. A multi-disciplinary perspective assesses the use of data and information on modern conflict from different scientific and methodological disciplines, aiming to generate valuable contributions to the ongoing discourse on data, the military and modern warfare. Military Systems and Technology approaches the theme empirically by researching how data can enhance the utility of military materiel and subsequently accelerate the decision-making process. War Studies take a multidisciplinary approach to the evolution of warfare, while Military Management Studies take a holistic organisational and procedural approach. Based on their scientific protocols and research methods, the three domains put forward different research questions and perspectives, providing the unique character of this book
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