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Fintech and the Future of Finance: Market and Policy Implications
by Erik Feyen Harish Natarajan Matthew SaalFintech—the application of digital technology to financial services—is reshaping the future of finance. Digital technologies are revolutionizing payments, lending, investment, insurance, and other financial products and services—and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this process. Digitalization of financial services and money is helping to bridge gaps in access to financial services for households and firms and is promoting economic development. Improved access to basic financial services translates into better firm productivity and growth for micro and small businesses, as well as higher incomes and resilience to improve the lives of the poor. Technology can lower transaction costs by overcoming geographical access barriers; increasing the speed, security, and transparency of transactions; and allowing for more tailored financial services that better serve consumers, including the poor. Women can especially benefit. Yet too many people and firms still lack access to essential financial services that could help them thrive. It is time for policy makers to embrace fintech opportunities and implement policies that enable and encourage safe financial innovation and adoption. Fintech and the Future of Finance: Market and Policy Implications explores the implications of fintech and the digital transformation of financial services for market outcomes, on the one hand, and regulation and supervision, on the other hand—and how these interact. The report, which provides a high-level perspective for senior policy makers, is accompanied by notes that focus on salient issues for a more technical audience. As the financial sector continues to transform itself, policy trade-offs will evolve, and regulators will need to ensure that market outcomes remain aligned with core policy objectives. Several policy implications emerge. 1. Manage risks, while fostering beneficial innovation and competition. 2. Broaden monitoring horizons and reassess regulatory perimeters. 3. Review regulatory, supervisory, and oversight frameworks. 4. Be mindful of evolving policy trade-offs as fintech adoption deepens. 5. Monitor market structure and conduct to maintain competition. 6. Modernize and open financial infrastructures. 7. Ensure public money remains fit for the digital world. 8. Pursue strong cross-border coordination and sharing of information and best practices.
Hidden Potential: Rethinking Informality in South Asia (South Asia Development Forum)
by Maurizio Bussolo Siddharth SharmaInformality remains widespread in South Asia despite decades of economic growth. The low earnings and high vulnerability in the informal sector make this a major development issue for the region. Yet, there is no consensus on its causes and consequences, with the debate polarized between a view that informality is a problem of regulatory evasion and should be eradicated, and another that equates informality with economic exclusion. Recent advances in analyzing informality as the outcome of firm dynamics in distorted economic environments can help reconcile them. Building on these advances, the approach adopted in this volume clarifies that there are different types of informality, with different drivers and consequences. The report has four main messages that underscore the need for a multipronged strategy. First, informality in South Asia is dominated by firms that happen to be outside the purview of regulations because they are small, as opposed to those that remain small to escape regulations. Second, reforms of business regulations tend to have small direct effects on the informal sector, although they could have sizable indirect impacts on it if they succeed in removing major inefficiencies in the broader economy. Third, e-commerce platforms offer new opportunities to informal firms and workers, but many of them lack complementary skills or credit to benefit from such technologies. Fourth, a combination of contributory and non-contributory programs recognizing the heterogenous saving capacities of informal workers may be necessary to achieve more universal coverage of social insurance.
Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia (South Asia Development Matters)
by The World BankSouth Asia is home to 9 of the world's 10 cities with the worst air pollution. Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in some of the region's most densely populated and poor areas are up to 20 times higher than what the World Health Organization considers healthy (5 micrograms per cubic meter). This pollution causes an estimated 2 million premature deaths in the region each year and results in significant economic costs. Controlling air pollution is difficult without a better understanding of the activities that cause emissions of particulate matter. Air pollution travels long distances in South Asia and gets trapped in large 'airsheds' that are shaped by climatology and geography. 'Striving for Clean Air' identifies six major airsheds in the region and analyzes four scenarios for reducing air pollution with varying degrees of policy implementation and cooperation among countries. The analysis shows that cooperation between different jurisdictions within an airshed is crucial, and a schematic road map with three phases is proposed. The phases in the road map may overlap when the rate of progress differs, depending on local circumstances. Phase 1 would improve monitoring and institutions; Phase 2 would introduce additional and joint targets for cost-effective abatement; and Phase 3 would mainstream air quality in the economy.
Private Cities: Outstanding Examples from Developing Countries and Their Implications for Urban Policy (Urban Development)
by Yue Li Martin RamaInstitutional constraints and weak capacity often hamper the ability of local governments in developing countries to steer urbanization. As a result, there are not enough cities to accommodate an unabated rural-urban migration and many of those that exist are messy, sprawling, and disconnected. The flipside is the emergence of entire cities--more than gated communities or industrial parks--led in whole or in part by private actors. To date, little systematic research has been conducted on the conditions that are necessary for such unusual entities to emerge, on the roles played by private actors, or on the consequences for efficiency and equity. 'Private Cities: Outstanding Examples from Developing Countries and Their Implications for Urban Policy' aims to fill this gap. Using an analytical framework that draws on urban economics and political science, it includes inventories of private cities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan and provides structured reviews of 14 outstanding examples across all developing regions. Nongovernment actors turn out to be diverse--they include not only major companies and large developers but also business associations, civil society organizations, and even foreign countries. The way local governments interact with these nongovernment actors varies as well, from deliberate neglect to joint ventures. Private actors take on some--but not all--local government functions, while at times embracing unconventional roles. And while private cities tend to be economically successful, they can lead to environmental degradation, social segregation, and even institutional secession. Increasing the capacity of local governments in developing countries will take time.Along the way, inefficient spatial development patterns may be locked in. There is a case for selectively tapping into the comparative advantage of significant private actors while actively using policy tools to avoid the potential shortcomings. In the spirit of a publicprivate partnership for urbanization, land value capture would be at the center of this approach.
Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs
by Mark Dutz Tania Begazo Moussa BlimpoAll African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. 'Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs' shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, broader use can support not only countries' short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa's uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of country populations averaged across Sub-Saharan Africa, but only 22 percent use such services. The average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers, as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: the affordability of these new technologies and the willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes--in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small and medium businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services--and in the supply of attractive, skill-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings--dampen people's willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty across Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa's countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers' ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce--one projected to become the world's largest by the end of this century.
Land Matters: Can Better Governance and Management of Scarcity Prevent a Looming Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa?
by Harris Selod Anna CorsiAcross the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), land is scarce and valuable. Demand for land is projected to dramatically increase to meet the needs of a fast-growing urban population. At the same time, the supply of land is restricted by weak governance and climate factors, causing the quasi-exhaustion of cultivable land reserves. As a result, a crisis is looming. Yet, land continues to be used inefficiently, inequitably, and unsustainably. 'Land Matters' identifies and analyzes the economic, environmental, and social challenges associated with land in the MENA region, shedding light on policy options and proposing paths to reform. It concludes that MENA countries need to act promptly, think more holistically about land, reassess the strategic trade-offs, and minimize land distortions. This report promotes a culture of open data, transparency, and inclusive dialogue on land, while filling major data gaps. These important steps will contribute to renewing the social contract, transforming the region economically and digitally, improving women's land rights, and facilitating recovery and reconstruction in a context of dramatic social, political, and climatic transformation.
Global Economic Prospects, January 2023 (Global Economic Prospects)
by World Bank GroupGlobal growth is projected to decelerate sharply, reflecting synchronous policy tightening aimed at containing very high inflation, worsening financial conditions, and continued disruptions from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Investment growth in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) is expected to remain below its average rate of the past two decades. Further adverse shocks could push the global economy into recession. Small states are especially vulnerable to such shocks because of the reliance on external trade and financing, limited economic diversification, elevated debt, and susceptibility to natural disasters. Against this backdrop, it is critical that EMDE policy makers ensure that any fiscal support is focused on vulnerable groups, that inflation expectations remain well anchored, and that financial systems continue to be resilient. Urgent global and national efforts are also needed to mitigate the risks of global recession and debt distress in EMDEs, and to support a major increase in EMDE investment. Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.
The Economics of Water Scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa: Institutional Solutions
by Dominick de Waal Stuti Khemani Andrea Barone BorgomeoDespite massive infrastructure investments, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continue to face unprecedented water scarcity due to climate change, population growth, and socioeconomic development. Current policy regimes for managing water across competing needs are primarily determined by state control of large infrastructure. Policy makers across the region understand the unsustainability of water allocations and that increasing investments in new infrastructure and technologies to increase water supply place a growing financial burden on governments. However, standard solutions for demand management--reallocating water to higher value uses, reducing waste, and increasing tariffs--pose difficult political dilemmas that, more often than not, are left unresolved. Without institutional reform, the region will likely remain in water distress even with increased financing for water sector infrastructure. 'The Economics of Water Scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa: Institutional Solutions' confronts the persistence and severity of water scarcity in MENA. The report draws on the tools of public economics to address two crucial challenges facing states in MENA: lack of legitimacy and trust. Evidence from the World Values Survey shows that people in the region believe that a key role of government is to keep prices down and that governments are reluctant to raise tariffs because of the risk of widespread protests. Instead of avoiding the 'politically sensitive' issue of water scarcity, this report argues that reform leaders and their external partners can reform national water institutions and draw on local political contestation to establish a new social contract. The crisis and emotive power of water in the region can be used to bolster legitimacy and trust and build a sustainable, inclusive, thriving economy that is resilient to climate change.
Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific (World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Report)
by Aaditya Mattoo Tara Beteille Rythia Afkar Mary Breeding Linden Tobias Pfutze Lars Sondergaard Noah YarrowCountries in middle-income East Asia and the Pacific were already experiencing serious learning deficits prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-related school disruptions have only made things worse. Learning poverty -- defined as the percentage of 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text -- is as high as 90 percent in several countries. Several large Southeast Asian countries consistently perform well below expectations on adolescent learning assessments. This report examines key factors affecting student learning in the region, with emphasis on the central role of teachers and teaching quality. It also analyzes the role education technologies, which came into widespread use during the pandemic, and examines the political economy of education reform. The report presents recommendations on how countries can strengthen teaching to improve learning and, in doing so, can enhance productivity, growth, and future development in the region.
Collapse and Recovery: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Eroded Human Capital and What to Do about It
by Silva Norbert Schady Alaka Holla Shwetlena SabarwalWorldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an enormous shock to mortality, economies, and daily life. But what has received insufficient attention is the impact of the pandemic on the accumulation of human capital—the health, education, and skills—of young people. How large was the setback, and how far are we still from a recovery? Collapse and Recovery estimates the impacts of the pandemic on the human capital of young children, school-age children, and youth and discusses the urgent actions needed to reverse the damage. It shows that there was a collapse of human capital and that, unless that collapse is remedied, it is a time bomb for countries. Specifically, the report documents alarming declines in cognitive and social-emotional development among young children, which could translate into a 25 percent reduction in their earnings as adults. It finds that 1 billion children in low- and middle-income countries missed at least one year of in-person schooling. And despite enormous efforts in remote learning, children did not learn during the unprecedentedly long school closures, which could reduce future lifetime earnings around the world by US$21 trillion. The report quantifies the dramatic drops in employment and skills among youth that resulted from the pandemic as well as the substantial increase in the number of youth neither employed nor enrolled in education or training. In all of these age groups, the impacts of the pandemic were consistently worse for children from poorer backgrounds. These losses call for immediate action. The good news is that evidence-based policies can recover these losses. Collapse and Recovery reviews governments’ responses to the pandemic, assessing why there was a collapse in human capital accumulation, what was missing in the policy architecture to protect human capital during the crisis, and how governments can better prepare to withstand future shocks. It offers concrete policy recommendations to recover losses in human capital—programs that will end up paying for themselves in the long term. To better prepare for future shocks such as climate change and wars, the report emphasizes the need for solutions that bring health, education, and social protection programs together in an integrated human development system. If countries fail to act, the losses in human capital documented in this report will become permanent and last for multiple generations. The time to act is now.
Social Contracts for Development: Bargaining, Contention, and Social Inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa Development Forum)
by Mathieu Cloutier Santos Bernard Harborne Deborah IsserSub-Saharan Africa has achieved significant gains in reducing the levels of extreme poverty in recent decades. Yet, the region continues to experience challenges across the development indicators, including energy access, literacy, delivery of services and goods, and jobs skills, as well as low levels of foreign direct investment. Exacerbating the difficulties faced by many countries are the sequelae of conflict, such as internal displacement and refugee migration. Social Contracts for Development: Bargaining, Contention, and Social Inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa builds on recent attention to the real-life social and political economy factors that underlie the power dynamic and determine the selection and implementation of policies. Applying a social contract approach to development policy, the authors provide a framework and proposals on how to measure such a framework to strengthen policy and operational engagements in the region. The key message is that Africa’s progress toward shared prosperity requires looking beyond technical policies to understand how the power dynamics and citizen-state relations shape the menu of implementable reforms. A social contract lens can help diagnose constraints, explain outbreaks of unrest, and identify opportunities for improving outcomes.
Applied Antifragility in Technical Systems: From Principles to Applications (SpringerBriefs in Computer Science)
by Matteo Saveriano Cristian Axenie Meisam Akbarzadeh Michail A. Makridis Alexandru StancuThe book purpose is to build a foundational knowledge base by applying antifragile system design, analysis, and development in technical systems, with a focus on traffic engineering, robotics, and control engineering. The authors are interested in formalizing principles and an apparatus that turns the basic concept of antifragility into a tool for designing and building closed-loop technical systems that behave beyond robust in the face of uncertainty. As coined in the book of Nassim Taleb, antifragility is a property of a system to gain from uncertainty, randomness, and volatility, opposite to what fragility would incur. An antifragile system’s response to external perturbations is beyond robust, such that small stressors can strengthen the future response of the system by adding a strong anticipation component. The work of the Applied Antifragility Group in traffic control and robotics, led by the authors, provides a good overview on the current research status.
Complex Modeling of Consumer Behavior: Agent-Based Marketing Science (Evolutionary Economics and Social Complexity Science #34)
by Makoto MizunoThis book reports what progress is being and should be made in marketing science by social complexity science through such means as agent-based modeling and complex networks, which is seldom addressed by books reviewing the state of the art of marketing research or marketing science. Recently, as the penetration of brand-new communication technologies such as social media or mobile phones is connecting consumers more tightly than ever, marketers should understand and harness complex social interactions between consumers as well as between consumers and firms. Traditional marketing science does not sufficiently capture such phenomena; hence, the emerging alternative approaches are reflecting advances in social complexity science. The aim of this book is to give an overview of these newly emerging research trends, focusing mainly on the following three topics: diffusion of new products, choice and relationship with existing brands and marketing communication including consumers’ word-of-mouth. These topics have attracted a lot of attention among marketers in particular in rapidly growing markets such as hi-tech or services, where consumers’ mutual interaction and their bounded-rational behavior play critical roles. The prospective readers of this book include researchers, graduate students and practitioners with high expertise (e.g. data scientists) in both marketing/consumer research areas and complexity science areas such as computer science, physics and mathematical social science. The book serves as a bridge by providing the evolving knowledge on social complexity modeling for marketing researchers and the accumulated knowledge on marketing/consumer research for complexity researchers. In addition to reviewing previous and ongoing studies, this book offers the agenda for future researchers to discuss what problems have not been solved yet and need social complexity science approaches.
Optimal Iterative Learning Control: A Practitioner's Guide (Advances in Industrial Control)
by David H. Owens Bing ChuThis book introduces an optimal iterative learning control (ILC) design framework from the end user's point of view. Its central theme is the understanding of model dynamics, the construction of a procedure for systematic input updating and their contribution to successful algorithm design. The authors discuss the many applications of ILC in industrial systems, applications such as robotics and mechanical testing. The text covers a number of optimal ILC design methods, including gradient-based and norm-optimal ILC. Their convergence properties are described and detailed design guidelines, including performance-improvement mechanisms, are presented. Readers are given a clear picture of the nature of ILC and the benefits of the optimization-based approach from the conceptual and mathematical foundations of the problem of algorithm construction to the impact of available parameters in making acceleration of algorithmic convergence possible. Three case studies on robotic platforms, an electro-mechanical machine, and robot-assisted stroke rehabilitation are included to demonstrate the application of these methods in the real-world. With its emphasis on basic concepts, detailed design guidelines and examples of benefits, Optimal Iterative Learning Control will be of value to practising engineers and academic researchers alike.
Analysis, Approximation, Optimization: In Honor of Gradimir V. Milovanović on the Occasion of His 75th Birthday (Springer Optimization and Its Applications #224)
by Marija P. Stanić Miloljub Albijanić Dragan Djurčić Miodrag M. SpalevićThis contributed volume is dedicated to Academician Gradimir V. Milovanović on his 75th birthday and contains recent results in the fields of approximation theory, numerical analysis, mathematical analysis, optimization theory, and various applications of an interdisciplinary character. Most of these results were presented in person during an International Conference &“Analysis, Approximations and Applications" (AAA2023), organized by the Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia (June 21-24, 2023). This book is intended for researchers and students of mathematics and other computational and applied sciences. This book provides surveys of state of the art results in the fields of Extremal Problems, Optimization and Calculus of Variations; Orthogonal Systems and Quadrature Formulas; Differential and Integral Equations, Integral Transforms and Operation Calculus; Analytic Number Theory and Special Functions; Real and Complex Functions, Sequences, Series, Approximations and Expansions; Functional Analysis, Operator Theory, Fixed Point Theory and Iterative Processes, as well as in Miscellaneous Applications.
Photobiomodulation Therapy in Oral Medicine: Evidence-based Clinical Protocols
by Alan Roger Santos-Silva Ana Gabriela Costa Normando César Augusto Migliorati Mariana de Pauli PaglioniPhotobiomodulation (PBM) includes a broad range of nonionizing light sources that, when applied to tissues, lead to anti-inflammatory effects, promote wound healing and tissue repair, improve neural function, and exert an analgesic effect. Although PBM is well established and accessible technique, there is great variability in PBM parameters, protocols, and equipment, which hampers consistent application. This comprehensive book intents to assist the clinician in determining the most appropriate PBM parameters according to the light source available, in a practical and easy way. Written by experts in the PBM and Oral Medicine fields, it provides the utmost protocols for treatment and prevention of the most prevalent diseases and conditions affecting the mouth and the mandibulo-maxillary complex, in the day-to-day patient care. The protocols have been established based on published articles with high scientific evidence, mainly Systematic Reviews, Meta-analysis, and Randomized Clinical Trials. The work is divided into three main sections: Photobiomodulation, Supportive Care in Cancer, and Oral Medicine. In each part, the subtopics encompass the most prevalent and relevant diseases and conditions that may beneficiate of PBM therapy. All chapters include a brief disease definition, followed by diagnosis methods and treatment options including PBM. Each chapter presents a suggestion of PBM protocol, with reproducible parameters that may be easily performed by qualified professionals. Photobiomodulation Therapy in Oral Medicine - Evidence-based Clinical Protocols aims to assist clinical practitioners in decision-making when it comes to classical Oral Medicine, oncology support as well as bone healing and repair.
Ichnology of the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction in China
by David J. Bottjer Xueqian Feng Zhong-Qiang Chen He ZhaoThis book provides a detailed examination of ichnology during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction in China, focusing on the recovery patterns of marine trace-making organisms. It features a wealth of high-quality ichnofossil photographs and figures, offering readers a comprehensive guide to ichnotaxa identifications and descriptions from both South and North China, spanning the Late Permian to the Middle Triassic. The chapters cover critical topics such as the delayed biotic recovery due to the harsh environmental conditions of the Early Triassic oceans. Ichnological data is highlighted as a crucial tool for assessing the recovery process and patterns of marine trace-making organisms. The book includes ecological and sedimentological data, providing insights into the recovery patterns of marine infaunas across various habitats. It systematically presents semi-quantitative parameters of several ecological proxies, proposing different recovery models based on extensive data. Written by authorities in the field, this book is an invaluable reference for ecological and ichnological researchers. It is designed for undergraduates and graduate students in earth sciences, as well as researchers and professionals interested in ichnology and marine recovery post-extinction. This publication is an essential resource for understanding the intricate dynamics of marine ecosystems during one of Earth's most significant biocrises. It is a crucial addition to the field, offering a unique perspective on the recovery patterns of marine trace-making organisms in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction.
Rotational Integral Geometry and its Applications (Springer Monographs in Mathematics)
by Markus Kiderlen Eva B. Vedel JensenThis self-contained book offers an extensive state-of-the-art exposition of rotational integral geometry, a field that has reached significant maturity over the past four decades. Through a unified description of key results previously scattered across various scientific journals, this book provides a cohesive and thorough account of the subject. Initially, rotational integral geometry was driven by applications in fields such as optical microscopy. Rotational integral geometry has now evolved into an independent mathematical discipline. It contains a wealth of theorems paralleling those in classical kinematic integral geometry for Euclidean spaces, such as the rotational Crofton formulae, rotational slice formulae, and principal rotational formulae. The present book presents these for very general tensor valuations in a convex geometric setting. It also discusses various applications in the biosciences, explained with a mathematical audience in mind. This book is intended for a diverse readership, including specialists in integral geometry, and researchers and graduate students working in integral, convex, and stochastic geometry, as well as geometric measure theory.
Examination of Intraocular Fluid
by Yong Tao De-Kuang HwangThis book discusses the theory and new techniques in the examination of intraocular fluid. In the first part, authors introduce the collection, preservation and transportation of intraocular fluid, items of examination and common laboratory testing methods. In the second part, the diagnosis of infectious uveitis, non-infectious intraocular inflammation, masquerade syndrome and other diseases are covered. In each clinical case, fundus photography and ultrasound photos are also provided.
Wastewater Treatment Through Nature-Based Solutions: Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6
by Naveen Dwivedi Shubha Dwivedi Ranjeet Kumar MishraWaste production poses significant environmental challenges globally, stemming from orthodox practices in industrial, agricultural, and medical sectors. These practices generate vast amounts of hazardous waste, polluting water, air, and soil, and threatening human health and ecosystems. Improper disposal exacerbates environmental crises such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) emerge as promising alternatives to address these challenges, harnessing nature's restorative power and offering cost-effective, eco-friendly climate solutions. This edited book explores advanced NbS concepts and their role in revolutionizing conventional waste treatment methods while minimizing negative impacts on health and the environment. It delves into NbS characteristics, aims, and applications for sustainable wastewater management, advocating for interdisciplinary research and integrated nature-based systems. Topics covered include dynamic modeling, omics data analysis, computational and bionanotechnological approaches, bio hybrid systems, biomass utilization, life cycle assessment, urban circularity challenges, bio-inspired materials, hydroponics/aquaponics, and ecological sustainability. Adopting these approaches promises to reduce process costs and enhance long-term sustainability. The book offers a comprehensive understanding of nature-based interventions for bioremediation, addressing theoretical and practical aspects alongside contemporary challenges. It is a valuable reference for professionals, scientists, environmentalists, industrialists, researchers, environmental biotechnologists, students, and policymakers engaged in environmental research and strategy development. It provides insights into sustainable progress and future applications of nature-based approaches in mitigating environmental pollution, particularly industrial and municipal wastewater discharge.
End-User Development: 10th International Symposium, IS-EUD 2025, Munich, Germany, June 16–18, 2025, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15713)
by Maristella Matera Albrecht Schmidt Carmen Santoro Andrea BellucciThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on End-User Development, IS-EUD 2025, held in Munich, Germany, during June 16–18, 2025. The 13 full papers and 8 short papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 25 submissions. These papers have been organized under the following topical sections: Automation, Sustainability, and Smart Environments; Democratizing AI and Programming; AI for End-User Empowerment: Personalization andWellbeing; and EUD Principles, Methodologies, and Participatory Cultures.
Russian Policy Towards Mongolia, 1911–1952: When Mongolia Fought the Red
by Batsaikhan Ookhnoi EmgentThis study analyzes the Soviet Union&’s strategic interests and policies toward Mongolia, emphasizing Joseph Stalin&’s perception of its geopolitical importance. It examines why Mongolia&’s independence was a key condition Stalin set at the Yalta Summit for the Soviet declaration of war on Japan. While existing research has explored Soviet-Mongolian relations, this study utilizes newly declassified archival materials from Russia, Mongolia, and Japan to reassess Stalin&’s strategic vision and interactions with Mongolian leaders. The research argues that Soviet policy was primarily driven by economic interests, with political considerations playing a secondary role. It also highlights the alignment between Mongolian national aspirations and Russian strategic objectives, particularly since the 1910s. By incorporating previously unexamined sources, this study offers a more nuanced understanding of Soviet-Mongolian relations and Mongolia&’s role in Soviet Far Eastern strategy, shedding light on its historical path to sovereignty and its significance in regional power dynamics.
Critical Friendship as a Self-Study Research Tool: A Comprehensive Resource Exploring the Complexities (Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices #27)
by Elizabeth Petroelje Stolle Charlotte Frambaugh-KritzerThis book provides qualitative scholars, particularly those in self-study, with timely research and practical resources for applying critical friendship as a research tool. Drawing on over two decades of engagement as critical friends, the authors advocate for critical friendship as a means to enhance research rigor. Long valued within self-study methodology, critical friendship offers researchers opportunities for collaboration, inquiry, and reflection. Despite its widespread use, ambiguity persists about its enactment. This book addresses the need for a comprehensive resource on critical friendship application focused solely on the theoretical and methodological understanding of critical friendship. It offers clarity on tools while exploring the complexities of critical friendship. This book makes a significant contribution to the field by expanding on key topics such as trustworthiness, characteristics of critical friendship, and the selection and evaluation of critical friends. It is designed for both seasoned and novice qualitative self-study scholars, providing insight for those seeking to integrate critical friendship into their research practice.
Reliability of CMOS Analog ICs (Analog Circuits and Signal Processing)
by Hakan Kuntman Deniz Özenli Fırat Kaçar Yasin ÖzçelepThis book presents recent advances in reliability investigation of MOS transistors and their applications. Theory and experimental results are discussed, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of the techniques presented. Readers will be enabled to improve their designs in application areas of analog signal processing, ranging from very low frequencies at several Hz levels of biomedical signals to RF applications operating at GHz level, from EEG signals to cognitive radio and encrypted communications or low-noise amplifiers in wireless communications.
Short-cut Demand Elasticities and Other Convenient Approaches to Consumer Demand
by Kenneth W. Clements Haiyan Liu Eliyathamby A. Selvanathan Saroja Selvanathan Marc Jim Mariano George VerikiosThis book provides answers to analysts&’ need to know about elasticities of demand, with a unique two-track approach. The first gives a self-contained, non-technical rendition, accessible to those with limited background. The second track contains the underlying theory, derivations, and some more advanced material. Subsequent chapters deal with the demand for food and other groups of goods, the system-wide approach, and the demand side of EDM and CGE models. This convenient source book will be valuable to students, consultants, business economists and government policy analysts. Clarity of exposition and economic intuition is emphasised throughout. &“In this remarkable book, the authors bridge the gap between sophisticated consumer demand theory and the practical world of economic modeling. Their guidance will be invaluable to anyone aiming to shed light on the economic impact of public policies.&” Thomas W. Hertel, Distinguished Professor and Executive Director, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Purdue University &“The elasticity of demand is a key parameter in economics - whether for micro studies or large-scale models. This book illuminates on short-cut approaches for measuring this elasticity and provides derivations and applications. It is a valuable resource for both students and seasoned economists.&” Paul Burke, Professor and Head, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics and Deputy Director, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy, Australian National University &“This book endears itself to me with its honest approach to determining elasticities for use in policy analysis. In Chapter 1