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The present work aims to prepare biocomposites blend based on linear low density polyethylene/ starch without using harmful chemicals to improve the adhesion between two phases. Also, the efficiency of essential oils as green plasticizers and natural antimicrobial agents were evaluated.

Barrier properties and biodegradation behavior of linear low density polyethylene/starch (LLDPE/starch) blends plasticized with different essential oils including moringa oleifera and castor oils wereassessed as a comparison with traditional plasticizer such as glycerol. Biodegradation behavior forLLDPE/starch blends was monitored by soil burial test. The composted samples were recovered then washed followed by drying, and weighting samples after 30, 60, and 90 days to assess the change in weight loss. Also, mechanical properties including retention values of tensile strength and elongation at break were measured before and after composting. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to evaluate the change in the morphology of the polymeric blends. In addition to, the antimicrobial activity of plasticized LLDPE/starch blends films was evaluated using a standard plate counting technique.

The results illustrate that the water vapor transition rate increases from 2.5 g m⁻² 24 h⁻¹ for LLDPE/5starch to 4.21 g m⁻² 24 h⁻¹ and 4.43 g m⁻² 24 h⁻¹ for castor and moringa oleifera respectively. Also, the retained tensile strength values of all blends decrease gradually with increasing composting period. Unplasticized LLDPE/5starch showed highest tensile strength retention of 91.6% compared to the other blends that were 89.61, 88.49 and 86.91 for the plasticized LLDPE/5starch with glycerol, castor and M. oleifera oils respectively. As well as, the presence of essential oils in LLDPE/ starch blends increase the inhibition growth of escherichia coli, candida albicans and staphylococcus aureus.

The objective of this work is to develop cost-effective and environmentally-friendly methods for preparing biodegradable polymers suitable for packaging applications.

This chapter investigates the presence of a difference in the systemic risk level between Islamic and conventional banks in Bangladesh. The authors compare systemic resilience of three types of banks: fully fledged Islamic banks, purely conventional banks (CB), and CB with Islamic windows. The authors use the market-based systemic risk measures of marginal expected shortfall and systemic risk to identify which type is more vulnerable to a systemic event. The authors also use ΔCoVaR to identify which type contributes more to a systemic event. Using a sample of observations on 27 publicly traded banks operating over the 2005–2014 period, the authors find that CB is the least resilient sector to a systemic event, and is the one that has the highest contribution to systemic risk during crisis times.

This study seeks to explore the importance of digital platforms in restoring global supply chains interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the research focuses on internally developed digital platforms and their potential to ensure supply chain continuity between developed and emerging markets.

Multiple comparative case studies have been selected for the research methodology. Eight cases concerning digital platform implementation for global SC management – four from developed countries and four from emerging markets – have been selected. The four pairs of cases represent four global supply chain mechanisms.

The results revealed that the use of internally developed digital platforms serves as a quick solution for immediate problems caused by ripple effects in global supply chain and negative environmental conditions. Digital platforms could therefore facilitate reciprocal monitoring and information exchanges between SC partners in different countries.

The digital platform research stream is in its early stages. Research thus far has mostly focused on externally developed digital platforms managed by an orchestrator. The platforms' usefulness in the dialogue between developed and emerging markets requires further exploration.

This paper aims to emphasize economic complexity, tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), renewable energy consumption and foreign direct investment (FDI) as the determinants of carbon emissions.

These economies rely on the tourism sector, and Asian countries rank among the top tourism economies worldwide in terms of tourism receipts. This study uses a series of empirical estimators, i.e. cross-sectional augmented auto-regression distributive lag and panel cointegration, to validate the main hypotheses.

The econometric results confirm an inverted U-shaped association between economic complexity and carbon emissions, validating the economic complexity index induced environment Kuznets curve hypothesis for the selected Asian economies.

Finally, the empirical results admit articulating some imperative policy suggestions to attain a sustainable environment on behalf of outcomes.

Furthermore, ICT and renewable energy consumption are environment-friendly indicators, while FDI and the international tourism industry increase environmental pressure in selected countries. In addition, this study also explores the interaction between renewable energy and ICT with FDI and their effects on carbon emissions. Interestingly, both interaction terms positively respond to the environmental correction process.

Because ICT with FDI may not reduce environmental pollution unless the energy used in FDI projects is greener. Moreover, in Asian economies, industrial and other sectors could increase environmental quality via the role of ICT in FDI.

修正亚洲前 8 大经济体的旅游环境库兹涅茨曲线假设：ict 和可再生能源消耗的作用

这些经济体依赖旅游业, 就旅游收入而言, 亚洲国家在全球旅游经济体中名列前茅。本研究使用一系列经验估计量, 即 CS-ARDL 和面板协整来验证我们的主要假设。

本文强调经济复杂性、旅游、信息和通信技术 (ICT)、可再生能源消费和外国直接投资 (FDI) 作为碳排放的决定因素

计量经济学结果证实了经济复杂性与碳排放之间的倒 U 型关联, 验证了 ECI 对选定亚洲经济体的环境库兹涅茨曲线 (EKC) 假设。

最后, 实证结果承认阐明了一些必要的政策建议, 以代表结果实现可持续环境。

此外, 信息通信技术和可再生能源消耗是环境友好型指标, 而外国直接投资和国际旅游业增加了选定国家的环境压力。此外, 本研究还探讨了可再生能源和 ICT 与外国直接投资之间的相互作用及其对碳排放的影响。有趣的是, 这两个交互项都对环境校正过程做出了积极响应。

ICT 与 FDI 可能不会减少环境污染, 除非 FDI 项目中的能源使用更环保。此外, 在亚洲经济体中, 工业和其他部门可以通过 ICT 在 FDI 中的作用提高环境质量。

环境库兹涅茨曲线; 外商直接投资;信息和通信技术; 可再生能源;旅游;亚洲主要旅游经济体

文章类型： 研究型论文

The innovativeness of dressmakers is a concern to respondents to satisfy their clothing needs. The purpose of this study is to determine the criteria that respondents use to judge the quality of clothing and its influences on the innovative ability of dressmakers in the clothing manufacturing industries.

Three hundred and ninety-seven (397) respondents in the Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana filled out a questionnaire, and the results were used to compile data for the study. The sample size was calculated using Miller and Brewer formula. The data was analysed using structural equational modelling with the SmartPLS v.4 software.

The results showed that respondents are very interested in the calibre of clothing produced by their dressmakers. However, the study revealed that when evaluating the quality of a garment, respondents do not simply accept what has been sewn for them but also consider the performance, appearance, fit and shape of the garment. Findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between garment appearance quality (t = 2.605; p < 0.05), garment performance quality (t = 3.915; p < 0.05), garment shape quality (t = 6.248; p <0.05) and fashion innovations. Subsequently, the evaluation of garment fit quality by respondents revealed it does not bring about innovations (t = 1.310; p > 0.05).

The continuous evaluation of custom-made clothing from customers will go a long way towards highlighting the relative criteria they use to evaluate the innovation of dressmakers. This will help improve the creativity of the dressmakers since such feedback will help them understand and innovate their production skills to meet the preferences of customers.

The present study provides an in-depth understanding of how garment quality evaluation by customers influences the innovation of dressmakers in Takoradi, Ghana. The constructs were developed for the study to capture the appropriate data from customers for the study. This presents an evaluation criterion on four garment quality variables imperative for use or modification by other studies.

The role institutional quality plays in the rising pace of globalization and its associated health effects remain unclear in the literature. This study, therefore, empirically examined the moderating role of institutional quality on the globalization-health outcomes nexus in Nigeria, a country with a relatively weak health system.

The study employed Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) to estimate the empirical models. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Canonical Cointegration Regression (CCR) techniques were thereafter used to check the consistency and robustness of our results. Annual time-series data spanning from 1984 to 2020 were sourced from the World Development Indicator, KOF Globalization Index, International Countries Risk Guide (ICRG) and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin databases.

The results revealed that overall globalization and its three dimensional components (economic, political and social globalization) adversely affect life expectancy in their separate models, but increased life expectancy significantly after their interaction with government effectiveness. Also, real GDP, health aids, government recurrent health expenditure are other determinants of life expectancy in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government should put in place appropriate mechanisms directed toward building and sustaining government effectiveness. This will help mitigate the negative effects of globalization and utilize its net positive benefits to improve life expectancy in Nigeria.

The research is the first to comprehensively examine the moderating impact of institutional quality on the nexus between overall globalization as well as its three dimensional components (economic, political and social) on health outcomes in Nigeria.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of the business climate on the sustainability of Cameroonian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in times of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

To achieve this purpose, the study proceed with a quantitative analysis using the simple LOGIT model on a sample of 52 individuals.

Through the administration of questionnaires and estimations, results reveal that certain variables such as the taxation regime of the enterprise, the different types of taxes paid by the enterprise, the frequency of payment of income tax, the nature of the training of managers, the clauses of the debt contracts with banks/EMFs (Microfinance institution), the time taken to apply for a loan from the bank and the nature of the manager’s training have a negative influence on the sustainability of Cameroonian SMEs during COVID-19, while others such as the evolution of financial profitability in the context of the coronavirus pandemic in Cameroon, the company’s sector of activity and the main methods of financing the SME have a positive influence on the sustainability of Cameroonian SMEs during COVID-19 pandemic. The improvement of the business climate by the institutional authorities is, therefore, essential in the perspective of an eventual development of the country; the said development cannot take place without capitalizing on the potential for income and job creation by SMEs.

The first limitation is related to the size of the sample and also to the specificity of our study. In fact, the study is conducted among individuals/actors likely to have access to information on the business climate and sustainability of Cameroonian SMEs at the time of COVID-19 encountered in the city of Yaoundé. In this context, the sample size is considered to be small (52). This element does not immediately allow the results of the present research to be generalized to all regions where SMEs are located in Cameroon, as other criteria or other elements must still be taken into account and the results obtained must, therefore, be interpreted with caution. This research could be deepened in the future by considering more business climate variables on the one hand and a larger sample size extended to all cities in Cameroon on the other.

The results of this research confirm the importance of institutional bodies establishing a rigorous policy of support for businesses. Such a policy would contribute to improving the business climate and extend beyond mere resilience.

The originality of this study lies in the fact that it looks at the sustainability of SMEs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon using a simple LOGIT econometric model.

This study aims to analyze the effect of religiosity (RE), halal knowledge (HK) and halal certification (HC), attitudes, subjective norms and vaccine quality on the Muslim community’s intention to use halal vaccines in Indonesia.

This study involved 725 Muslim respondents in 32 Indonesian provinces. The model used was based on the theory of reasoned action development with the partial least squares structural equation modeling as the data processing tool.

The study discovered that RE, HK and HC did not affect the intention of Muslims to use halal vaccines. In addition, the MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia – Indonesia Council of Ulama) fatwa permitting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine despite the haram ingredients was considered an excuse for Muslims to administer non-halal vaccines. However, several parties disagreed on the fatwa because the emergency legal standing for its permissibility did not apply to all regions. The reason was that each had different rates of confirmed cases, ranging from high-risk areas to those with zero confirmed Covid-19 cases.

This study examines the Muslim community’s intention toward using halal vaccines in several regions in Indonesia. In addition, this study conducted in-depth interviews as samples in several regions. This study also conducted interviews to determine the public’s views on government obligation about the Covid-19 vaccine. Finally, this study proposes a vaccine to avoid the possibility of controversy over the use of non-halal vaccines.