User-defined transfer functions to improve pointing performance in graphical user interfaces

Pointing at a target is the most fundamental and frequent task in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Pointing devices like the mouse is the most popular and cheapest input devices for current desktop computers and the touchpad or trackpad is the best match between performance and demand of pointing devices for laptop computers. Due to the widespread and frequent use of pointing devices, even a small improvement in pointing performance can have a large effect on a system's usability. The physical movement of a mouse or dragging motion of a finger on a touchpad is translated into the movement of a pointer on the graphical display through so-called transfer functions. Transfer functions are actually the only pointing facilitation technique available to all users in modern days operating systems. Despite the importance of transfer functions, very little is known about the nature of the optimal transfer functions. Pointer acceleration (PA) is the default behavior on the Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS operating systems. It dynamically manipulates the Control-Display (CD) gain between the input device and the pointer as a function of the device's velocity. This mechanism has been implemented in modern desktop user interfaces and increases the CD gain as the user's hand or finger velocity increases. Previous work showed that the default functions of Windows, Apple macOS and Xorg (the X.Org Foundation server) have shown better performance compared to a constant CD gain. Apple macOS has the improvised performance for small target widths but reduces performance for covering the long distances. Current knowledge on velocity based transfer functions relies on evaluations of basic functions and adapting the CD gain in discrete or continuous ways using low-order polynomials. The internal details and design rationales of the transfer functions that we all use are mostly unknown. The aim of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the optimal transfer functions and to assess them based on natural interaction with the system using a user-driven approach. The implementation part of the thesis is divided into two desktop applications, one is for recording all raw mouse and pointer movement as well as recording contextual information to understand a transfer function. The other implementation part of the thesis is to enable the user to define their own transfer functions. Users can customize existing default transfer functions and use them to control the pointer. These two applications are used to conduct a study that collects user device information and as well as user-defined transfer functions. Finally, we identify interesting transfer function for touchpads and mice

Does digital financial inclusion matter for bank risk-taking? Evidence from the dual-banking system

This paper examines the nexus between digital financial inclusion (DFI) and levels of bank risk-taking, using a sample of 283 commercial banks (Islamic and conventional) from six countries over the period 2011 to 2019 and deploying panel-corrected standard errors, two-stage least squares-instrumental variables and dynamic panel two-step generalized method of moments estimators. The findings suggest that Islamic banks take more risks than their counterpart conventional banks. The empirical evidence also indicates that an increase in the DFI index score reduces the overall level of bank risktaking and increases that of banking stability for commercial and conventional banks compared to Islamic ones. A strong association between DFI and bank risk-taking suggests that DFI not only reduces the default risk, leverage risk and portfolio risk of banks, but also increases financial mobility in the sample countries. Consequently, an inclusive digitalised banking industry ensures sustainable economic growth, which is likely to help maintain financial sustainability in times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Our results are shown to be robust by various robustness checks. The study contributes to both the Islamic and conventional banking, as well as the digital financial inclusion, literature. The findings of the study provide various policy implications for policymakers and standard-setters in the countries examined

Social Innovation and the Financial Risk of EMNCs - The Contingent Role of Institutional Legitimacy

This paper examines the influence of social innovation on financial risk of emerging economy multinational corporations (EMNCs). Traditionally, research has focussed on Western MNCs’ and their financial performance implications. However, the growing involvement of EMNCs in social innovation—albeit in environments characterized by institutional voids—and its effects on financial risk necessitate an in-depth examination. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we explored how EMNCs balance their social innovation initiatives with financial risks. To this end, we first examine how social innovation reduces the financial risk of EMNCs. Second, we examine the association between excessive social innovation and EMNCs’ financial risk. In addition, borrowing insights from institutional theory, we assess the role played by institutional legitimacy in this process, acknowledging institutional legitimacy’s potential to mitigate the financial risks associated with social innovation in emerging economies. We test our hypotheses based on data drawn from 90 EMNCs in 14 emerging economies, applying a panel regression model with robust standard errors and a rigorous robustness propensity score matching test. Our findings show that social innovation reduces EMNC financial risk, and challenge the assertions made regarding the potential negative implications of excessive social innovation on financial risk. Our results also demonstrate the intricate moderating effects of institutional legitimacy in balancing social innovation, excessive social innovation, and EMNC financial risk. Finally, we proffer critical implications for managers and policymakers in emerging economies

Social Innovation and the Financial Risk of EMNCs - The Contingent Role of Institutional Legitimacy

This paper examines the influence of social innovation on financial risk of emerging economy multinational corporations (EMNCs). Traditionally, research has focussed on Western MNCs’ and their financial performance implications. However, the growing involvement of EMNCs in social innovation—albeit in environments characterized by institutional voids—and its effects on financial risk necessitate an in-depth examination. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we explored how EMNCs balance their social innovation initiatives with financial risks. To this end, we first examine how social innovation reduces the financial risk of EMNCs. Second, we examine the association between excessive social innovation and EMNCs’ financial risk. In addition, borrowing insights from institutional theory, we assess the role played by institutional legitimacy in this process, acknowledging institutional legitimacy’s potential to mitigate the financial risks associated with social innovation in emerging economies. We test our hypotheses based on data drawn from 90 EMNCs in 14 emerging economies, applying a panel regression model with robust standard errors and a rigorous robustness propensity score matching test. Our findings show that social innovation reduces EMNC financial risk, and challenge the assertions made regarding the potential negative implications of excessive social innovation on financial risk. Our results also demonstrate the intricate moderating effects of institutional legitimacy in balancing social innovation, excessive social innovation, and EMNC financial risk. Finally, we proffer critical implications for managers and policymakers in emerging economies

Energy security and economic stability: the role of inflation and war

This paper investigates the impact of energy security risk (ESR) on economic stability. Using multiple global datasets, we provide empirical evidence from an unbalanced panel of 68 countries spanning over a period from 1980 to 2021. Our results indicate that high ESR reduces GDP growth rate (GDPG) from a global perspective. In robustness tests, this effect remains valid across several specifications based on non-U.S. samples, national income-level, alternative measure of economic stability, and a set of endogeneity tests based on propensity score matching estimation. Countries with pre-existing low GDPG mainly suffer from heightened energy insecurity. Numerous country-specific institutional quality estimates. Finally, the damaging impact of ESR worsens during years of high inflation, geopolitical risk and acts, as well as of escalated war threats. We encourage international collaborations to develop a more sustainable energy system, which enhances the security of energy supply and the stability of economy

Long-run relationship between sectoral productivity and energy consumption in Malaysia: An aggregated and disaggregated viewpoint

This paper investigates the causal relationship between energy consumption and economic productivity in Malaysia at both aggregated and disaggregated levels. The investigation utilises total and sectoral (industrial and manufacturing) productivity growth during the 1971–2012 period using the modified Granger causality test proposed by Toda and Yamamoto [1] within a multivariate framework. The economy of Malaysia was found to be energy dependent at aggregated and disaggregated levels of national and sectoral economic growth. However, at disaggregate level, inefficient energy use is particularly identified with electricity and coal consumption patterns and their Granger caused negative effects upon Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and manufacturing growth. These findings suggest that policies should focus more on improving energy efficiency and energy saving. Furthermore, since emissions are found to have a close relationship to economic output at national and sectoral levels green technologies are of a highest necessity

Social Innovation and the Financial Risk of EMNCs - The Contingent Role of Institutional Legitimacy

This paper examines the influence of social innovation on financial risk of emerging economy multinational corporations (EMNCs). Traditionally, research has focussed on Western MNCs’ and their financial performance implications. However, the growing involvement of EMNCs in social innovation—albeit in environments characterized by institutional voids—and its effects on financial risk necessitate an in-depth examination. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we explored how EMNCs balance their social innovation initiatives with financial risks. To this end, we first examine how social innovation reduces the financial risk of EMNCs. Second, we examine the association between excessive social innovation and EMNCs’ financial risk. In addition, borrowing insights from institutional theory, we assess the role played by institutional legitimacy in this process, acknowledging institutional legitimacy’s potential to mitigate the financial risks associated with social innovation in emerging economies. We test our hypotheses based on data drawn from 90 EMNCs in 14 emerging economies, applying a panel regression model with robust standard errors and a rigorous robustness propensity score matching test. Our findings show that social innovation reduces EMNC financial risk, and challenge the assertions made regarding the potential negative implications of excessive social innovation on financial risk. Our results also demonstrate the intricate moderating effects of institutional legitimacy in balancing social innovation, excessive social innovation, and EMNC financial risk. Finally, we proffer critical implications for managers and policymakers in emerging economies

In vitro cytotoxic and in vivo anxiolytic study of methanolic crude extract of Streculia villosa seeds

We have aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic and in vivo anxiolytic and sedative activities of the methanolic extract of Sterculia villosa roxb seeds. The dried powder of the seeds was extracted with methanol which was then tested to ascertain the neuropharmacological and cytotoxic potentials. The methanolic extract of Sterculia villosa roxb were subjected to Brine Shrimp lethality bioassay for possible cytotoxicity having LC 50 of 8.672μg/ml. However, fractions produced concentration dependent increase in percent of mortality of Brine Shrimp nauplii indicates the presence of cytotoxic property. We also have studied for possible sedative and anxiolytic activity of the methanolic seed extract of Sterculia villosa roxb in mice. This study includes hole cross, open field, thiopental- sodium induced sleeping time and elevated-plus maze (EPM) tests at the dose of 200 mg/kg while on the peripheral and central nervous system the extract mild to moderately decreased the locomotor activity of mice in hole cross, open field and EPM test. However, the extract moderately has minimized the onset of sleep and slightly has maximized the duration of sleep while administered with thiopental sodium

Climate change and geopolitical conflicts: the role of ESG readiness

This study examines the relationship between climate change vulnerability and geopolitical risk using data on 42 countries from 1995 to 2021. Utilising two distinct indices, the climate vulnerability index (CVI) and the country-specific geopolitical risk (CGPR) indices, we find that countries with high vulnerability to climate change are more likely to experience geopolitical conflicts. Further analysis reveals that country-level overall economic, social, and governance (ESG) readiness significantly mitigates this detrimental effect. This moderation is mainly attributed to the social and governance readiness measures. Additional tests indicate that the mitigating role of ESG is more pronounced for countries with high institutional governance. These results remain resilient through a set of endogeneity tests using matched samples of countries generated through propensity score matching (PSM) estimation. Our findings suggest that addressing climate vulnerability is crucial to promoting global peace and geopolitical stability