COVID-19 vaccine development in a Quadruple Helix innovation system: Uncovering the preferences of the fourth helix in the UAE

Successful development and uptake of vaccine technology in a Quadruple Helix Innovative health or economic system requires a clear understanding of society's preferences as the fourth helix. With significant financial commitments to find a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine still ongoing, this study introduces a random utility theoretic behavioral health model to analyze individuals' prospective demand for the vaccine in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To this end, we use a cross-sectional sample of stated vaccine preferences data collected online using the snowball method, between 4 July and 4 August 2020, gathering 1109 responses across all seven Emirates of the UAE. We found that in addition to socio-economic and demographic influences, the factors affecting individuals' preferences for the prospective COVID-19 vaccine in the UAE include those put forth by the WHO&'s SAGE group on immunization. Though the estimated indirect cost, in the form of expected marginal utility of time spent to get the vaccine is not statistically significant, the expected marginal utility of every dirham spent to get the vaccine is -1.76 AED and significant, suggesting a significant expected dis-utility from COVID-19 vaccine seeking/payment by the average person. Our findings also highlight significant perceived financial, temporal and spatial barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the UAE. Therefore, a set of measures are suggested to help mitigate the adverse effects of these three constraints. Our study thus contributes methodologically to the literature on vaccine demand, hesitancy and development. It also contributes to the nascent empirical evidence on the novel coronavirus disease, by providing significant insights for evidence based policy making that should increase the effectiveness of any prospective COVID-19 vaccination program in the UAE

Consumer Savings and Digital Remittance in Open Banking: Insights From Bibliometric and Geospatial Econometric Analysis

Open banking (OB) refers to financial institutions opening their data and services to external parties via application programming interfaces (APIs), a practice that has been increasingly adopted globally since its 2018 regulatory inception in the United Kingdom. Despite its growth, there is still a lack of academic studies examining its impact on consumer financial behaviors on a global scale. This study addresses this gap by exploring OB’s influence on consumers’ formal saving and digital remittance behaviors worldwide. Using a mixed methods design, we combine bibliometric analysis and geospatial econometric modeling on Scopus OB bibliographic data and consumer financial preferences data from 2021 to 2022 across 139 countries. While the bibliometric results highlight the need for more international collaborations in OB research that reflect the ongoing collaborations in its implementation around the world, the econometric findings reveal significantly positive benefits for consumers globally, increasing the likelihood of formal saving and digital remittance. Specifically, consumers in countries with Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2)–regulated initiatives, market-driven initiatives, and other non-PSD2 initiatives show higher marginal utilities (MUs) from digital remittance (39.1%–56.7%) compared to those in countries without OB initiatives. Additionally, consumers in PSD2 and market-driven countries exhibit higher MUs from formal saving by 61.8% and 37%, respectively, compared to those without OB initiatives. Overall, in addition to the implications for global open innovation, the paper provides reasonable evidence, supporting OB implementation to achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the associated benefits to consumers’ worldwide

Effect of boiling, roasting and frying on disintegration of peanuts in simulated gastric environment

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of boiling, roasting and frying on the digestion of peanuts in simulated gastric environment. Raw and processed peanuts were tested for disintegration in a model stomach system. The differences in disintegration rate were explained with respect to the changes in moisture absorption and texture. The absorption of moisture and the swelling of peanuts during gastric digestion were studied using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The results show that processing improved the gastric disintegration of peanuts, and the disintegration rate was in an order of fried > roasted > boiled > raw peanuts. The changes in total weight, moisture and the dry solid loss in the samples were described by Linear exponential equation, Peleg's equation and the Weibull equation, respectively. Absorption of gastric juice played a critical role in softening the texture contributing to the breakdown of peanuts. Static soaking test indicated that the disintegration rate, as indicated by half time, has a good exponential relationship with the textural parameters of soaked samples. MRI shows potential as being used to analyze the mass transfer phenomenon in solid foods under digestion

Peanut digestion and energy balance

To explore the effects of peanut consumption on fecal energy excretion with a balanced, non-vegetarian diet. Four arm parallel group design (that is, whole peanut (P), peanut butter (PB), peanut oil (PO) or peanut flour (PF) consumption) with one crossover (control and intervention). In total 63 healthy men and women from Ghana, Brazil and USA (N = 15-16 per group) with an average body mass index of 21.8 kg[m.sup.-2]. Percent fat of fecal wet weight daily energy excretion during the control and the treatment periods. Compared to control, the percentage of fat i the feces increased significantly for the P group (5.22 [+ or -] 0.29%) relative to the other three groups ((PO = 3.07 [+ or -] 0.36%, PB = 3.11 [+ or -] 0.31% (P = 0.001), and PF = 3.75 [+ or -] 0.40% (P = 0.019)). The same findings held for kJ [g.sup.-1] of feces excreted. During the P supplementation period, the energy excretion was 21.4 [+ or -] 1.0 kJ [g.sup.-1] versus 18.7 [+ or -] 71.0 kJ [g.sup.-1] for PO (P = 0.034), 18.8 [+ or -] 0.7 kJ [g.sup.-1] for PB (P = 0.042) and 18.570.8 kJ [g.sup.-1] for PF (P = 0.028).Fecal fat and energy loss is greater with consumption of whole  peanuts  compared to peanut butter, oil or flour. This may contribute to the less than predicted change of body weightobserved with peanut consumption. There were no cultural differences

Regular intake of high-oleic peanuts improves fat oxidation and body composition in overweight/obese men pursuing a energy-restricted diet

Evaluate the effect of high-oleic and conventional peanuts within a hypocaloric-diet on energy metabolism and body composition. This 4-week randomized clinical trial included males with BMI of 29.7 ± 2.4 kg m−2 and aged between 18 and 50 years. Participants were assigned to the groups: control (CT, n = 22) that followed a hypocaloric-diet; conventional peanuts (CVP, n = 22) or high-oleic peanuts (HOP, n = 21) that received the hypocaloric-diet including (not adding) 56 g day−1 of peanuts. Glucose, fat oxidation, and body fatness and lean mass were the main outcomes. Body weight and composition did not differ between groups. However, within group total body fat (kg) reduced with CVP and HOP, with a significant decrease in body fat percentage in HOP. While total lean mass (kg) decreased in CT, total lean mass (%) increased in HOP. Truncal lean mass decreased in the CT. At baseline, HOP had greater postprandial fat oxidation than the CVP. After 4-weeks, fasting fat oxidation increased in CVP and HOP. Fat oxidation increased in CT and HOP during the 200 min after meal intake compared to the fasting condition. Regular peanut consumption, especially the high-oleic type, within a hypocaloric-diet increased fat oxidation and reduced body fatness in overweigh and obese men