E-cigarettes pose a significant public health concern, particularly for youth and young adults. Policymaking in this area is complicated by changing consumption patterns, diverse user demographics, and dynamic online and offline communities. This study uses social network analytics to examine the social dynamics and communication patterns related to e-cigarette use. We analyzed data from various social media platforms, forums, and online communities, which included both advocacy for e-cigarettes as a safer smoking alternative and opposition due to health risks. Our findings inform targeted healthcare policy interventions, such as educational campaigns tailored to specific network clusters, regulations based on user interaction and influence patterns, and collaborations with key influencers to spread accurate health information.
The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of various types of crises, including the Subprime, COVID-19, and political crises, on corporate governance attributes, regulations, and the association with bank risk. The consecutive occurrences of crises have significantly impacted the global economy, causing substantial disruptions across various facets of the international banking system. Our hypothesis posits that these crises not only influence governance characteristics and regulations but also impact their correlation with the risk and financial distress experienced by banks. Our study is conducted within the Tunisian context spanning from 2000 to 2021, utilizing a GMM regression on a dataset comprising 221 bank-year observations. Our findings indicate that crises have a discernible effect on the relationship between corporate governance and bank risk, as well as between regulation and bank risk. Our results are strong in a range of sensitivity checks, including the use of alternative proxies to measure the bank risks and corporate governance metrics.
Credit policies for clean and renewable energy businesses play a crucial role in supporting carbon neutrality efforts to combat climate change. Clustering the credit capacity of these companies to prioritize lending is essential given the limited capital available. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) are two robust machine learning algorithms for addressing complex clustering problems. Additionally, hyperparameter selection within these models is effectively enhanced through the support of a robust heuristic optimization algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). To leverage the strength of these advanced machine learning techniques, this paper aims to develop SVM and ANN models, optimized with the PSO, for the clustering problem of green credit capacity in the renewable energy industry. The results show low Mean Square Error (MSE) values for both models, indicating high clustering accuracy. The credit capabilities of wind energy, clean fuel, and biomass pellet companies are illustrated in quadrant charts, providing stakeholders with a clear view to adjust their credit strategies. This helps ensure the efficient operation of banking green credit policies.
This study aims to explore the perceptions of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) of primary and secondary school teachers in C City, China, as well as the challenges they face in developing these abilities. Through narrative inquiry involving five current teachers, the research collected their personal experiences in the development of teaching and academic abilities, with data gathered through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that teachers are primarily driven by external forces, professional identity, personal growth, and the need to improve teaching quality in their efforts to enhance teaching and academic abilities. However, they also encounter challenges such as teaching pressures, time management difficulties, insufficient school support, and declining energy. To overcome these obstacles, teachers have adopted strategies such as time management, task allocation, and cognitive enhancement. The study concludes by recommending that through the combined efforts of teachers, schools, and society, a strong professional belief system should be established, and a supportive environment should be created to collaboratively promote the development of teaching and academic abilities among primary and secondary school teachers, thereby fostering their professional growth.
Introduction: With the adoption of the rural rehabilitation strategy in recent years, China’s rural tourist industry has entered a golden age of growth. Due to the lack of management and decision-support systems, many rural tourist attractions in China experience a “tourist overload” problem during minor holidays or Golden Week, an extended vacation of seven or more consecutive days in mainland China formed by transferring holidays during a specific holiday period. This poses a severe challenge to tourist attractions and relevant management departments. Objective: This study aims to summarize the elements influencing passenger flow by examining the features of rural tourist attractions outside China’s largest cities. Additionally, the study will investigate the variations in the flow of tourists. Method: Grey Model (1,1) is a first-order, single-variable differential equation model used for forecasting trends in data with exponential growth or decline, particularly when dealing with small and incomplete datasets. Four prediction algorithms—the conventional GM(1,1) model, residual time series GM(1,1) model, single-element input BP neural network model, and multi-element input BP network model—were used to anticipate and assess the passenger flow of scenic sites. Result: The multi-input BP neural network model and residual time series GM(1,1) model have significantly higher prediction accuracy than the conventional GM(1,1) model and unit-input BP neural network model. A multi-input BP neural network model and the residual time series GM(1,1) model were used in tandem to develop a short-term passenger flow warning model for rural tourism in China’s outskirts. Conclusion: This model can guide tourists to staggered trips and alleviate the problem of uneven allocation of tourism resources.
This paper aims to understand the local authorities’ reaction to green environment activities towards clean cities in Malaysia and how they respond to cleanliness awareness among the community. Four (4) cities, such as Melaka, Ipoh, and Muar dan Kuala Terengganu, were selected, and this study embarks on a qualitative research approach involving a semi-structured interview with top personnel from four local authorities. From the reaction point of view, some local authorities reacted positively towards the green environment and cleanliness of the city. Four (4) themes have been produced, such as awareness, which focuses on the daily routine of local authorities. Secondly, enforcement from the local government, with some warning and advice, really contributes to the changes in society’s attitude. Thirdly, support by local authority efforts, including awareness campaigns from electronic and printed media, does have a good impact. Lastly, active involvement from the local authorities regulated many communities in residential areas and had direct links with local communities and NGOs that annually organized green program activities. This study urged the Local Government Act 1976, which the local authorities are responsible for the enforcement activities such as the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) activities and so on. Local authorities, state governments, and local communities should also help monitor and maintain environmental issues towards a clean city in Malaysia.
Presented article takes a study done by researchers Davari & Strutton in the US in 2014 and replicated the same approach and methodology in evaluating how green marketing mix elements (product, price, promotion, place) influence brand associations, grand loyalty, perceived brand quality, and brand trust, in the context of retail chain stores in Czechia. The reason for this is the fact that the issue of reconciling pro-environmental beliefs of consumers with their real behavior is still topical. Businesses need to be careful with their green claims and focus on authentic green marketing in order to attract and retain the trust of environmentally conscious consumers in the long term. The research employs quantitative data analysis, drawing data from the survey, which was run online for five weeks and collected 4700 responses. The respondents are people who live in Czechia and have shopped in one of five stores at least during the last month. The reason for focusing on the Czechia is primarily the fact that green marketing is basically only on the rise here, while greenwashing still remains a significant problem. Six hypothesis were formulated, and linear regression analysis was used to test them. Key findings of the research revealed that green products and promotions positively influence brand associations and perceived brand quality, while green promotions significantly enhance brand loyalty and trust. Additionally, there was observed influence of consumers´ environmental concerns and consideration of future consequences significantly moderating the relationship between green marketing and brand equity. The findings provide insight for businesses to integrate green marketing strategies to increase brand trust, loyalty, and perceived quality while environmentally conscious consumers.
This study explores the impact of technology effectiveness, social development, and opportunities on higher education accessibility in Myanmar, focusing on private higher education institutions. Utilizing a sample of 199 respondents, with an average age of X (SD = Y), the research employs standardized questionnaires and descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis to examine the relationships between these variables. The findings indicate that technology effectiveness significantly enhances higher education accessibility, with strong positive correlations (r = 0.752, p < 0.001) and substantial impacts on educational outcomes (β = 0.334, p = 0.001). Social development also plays a crucial role, demonstrating that supportive social norms and community engagement significantly improve accessibility (β = 0.405, p < 0.001). Opportunities provided by technological advancements further contribute to enhanced accessibility (β = 0.356, p < 0.001), although socio-political and economic challenges pose significant barriers. The study highlights the interconnectedness of these factors and their collective influence on educational accessibility. Practical implications include the need for strategic investments in technological infrastructure, promotion of supportive social environments, and innovative solutions to leverage opportunities. Future research directions suggest longitudinal studies, broader demographic scopes, and in-depth analyses of specific technological and infrastructural challenges. By addressing these areas, stakeholders can develop effective strategies to improve higher education accessibility, ultimately contributing to the socio-economic development of Myanmar.
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