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Assessing sugarcane farmers’ intentions towards World Trade Organisation-driven sugar sector policy reforms in Thailand
Get PDFGiven the importance of the sugarcane sector, reforms could significantly affect the structure and economy of Thai agriculture. This study evaluates the intended responses of Thai sugarcane farmers to a set of policy reforms informed by the 2016 World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute, which requires the liberalisation of Thailand’s sugar sector. A mixed-methods approach, beginning with stakeholder consultations, was used to design three policy scenarios: (1) government proposal (2016 government reform proposals), (2) protectionism (higher support), and (3) libertarian
(lower support). A survey of 462 farmers stratified by region and farm size was conducted to assess their intention to continue or exit sugarcane farming under each scenario. The results indicated that reforms, particularly under the libertarian scenario, could significantly reduce the
number of sugarcane farmers and production areas. Approximately half (48.7 %) of the respondents
indicated an intention to exit under this scenario, compared to 32.3 % under the government proposal and 22 % under protectionism. Farmers’ decisions were generally binary,
either maintaining the status quo or exiting entirely, with exits increasing as the support cuts deepened. Responses varied by farm size and specialisation level, with small, less-specialised farms being the most vulnerable under the government proposal and protectionism scenarios.
Conversely, medium-sized farms were the most adversely impacted under the libertarian scenario (56.5 % indicating exit). Probit regression identified additional determinants of exit intentions, including sex, farming experience, region, harvesting and transportation methods, and the
presence of a family successor and farm advisor. These findings provide crucial insights for policymakers aiming to balance WTO compliance with the sustainability of Thailand’s sugarcane sector. This is the first study to incorporate stakeholder-designed policy scenarios, offering a
realistic projection of farmers’ responses to hypothetical, WTO-compliant reforms
Heat stress monitoring, modelling, and mitigation in a dairy cattle building in Reading, UK: impacts of current and projected heatwaves
Get PDFHeat stress in dairy cattle buildings is a pressing challenge under global warming. While building climate resilience is as critical as improving animal thermal resilience, limited research has evaluated the effectiveness of building adaptations in specific spaces, such as cattle housing and milking parlours, particularly under extreme climate conditions. This study addresses this gap by assessing the impacts of observed and projected heatwaves on dairy housing and a milking parlour and possible mitigation solutions, through indoor heat stress measurements and dynamic livestock building thermal modelling. We advance the modelling capability by incorporating realistic sensible and latent heat dissipation from dairy cattle, accounting for body mass, daily milk production, and ambient temperatures. Measurements during the 2021 UK Heatwave revealed consistently higher indoor Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) levels compared to outdoors. The milking parlour experienced more severe heat stress (Level 3: Severe) than the housing (Level 2: Moderate) due to higher internal heat gains and poor ventilation, with notable differences between morning and afternoon milking times. Projections for the 2080s heatwave indicated that both spaces would experience heat stress day and night, with severity reaching Level 4 (Emergency) for most of the time. Under current heatwave conditions, solar reflective roof paint proved effective for the housing, while hybrid ventilation was effective for the milking parlour. However, these strategies were insufficient for future extreme heatwaves, emphasizing the need for advanced, tailored building adaptations. This study highlights the critical importance of designing climate-resilient dairy buildings to safeguard animal welfare and productivity in a warming world
Strong intermodel differences and biases in CMIP6 simulations of PM2.5, aerosol optical depth, and precipitation over Africa
Get PDFPoor air quality and precipitation change are strong, rapidly changing, and possibly linked drivers of physical hazards in sub-Saharan Africa. Future projections of sub-Saharan air quality and precipitation remain uncertain due to differences in model representations of aerosol, aerosol–precipitation interactions, and unclear future aerosol emission pathways. In this study, we evaluate the performance of CMIP6 models in simulating PM2.5, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and precipitation over Africa relative to a range of observational and re- analysis products, including novel observational datasets, over the 1981–2023 period. While models accurately capture the seasonal cycle of PM2.5 concentrations over most regions, the concentration magnitudes show strong intermodel diversity. Dust AOD shows a generally accurate seasonal spatial distribution, with multi-model mean (MMM) pattern correlation coefficients within 0.77–0.94, despite strong intermodel diversity in magnitude. Sea- sonal spatial patterns of non-dust AOD are poorly represented, with MMM pattern correlation coefficients of 0.25–0.58 and the poorest performance during September through November. Emission inventory inaccuracies may explain systematic biases for non-dust AOD fields, with differences in circulation and precipitation patterns, as well as aerosol treatment causing intermodel diversity. The magnitude and annual progression of precipitation over both the east and west African monsoon regions are well captured, though there is poorer performance in simulating the east African monsoon. Biases found relate to the intertropical convergence zone, more apparent over east Africa, and rainfall magnitude, more apparent over west Africa. This evaluation highlights strong in- termodel diversity in the representation of African air quality and climate and identifies model performance over sub-Saharan Africa and the reasons behind the biases as critical gaps to address for improving confidence in climate projections
Time is length in self-similar logarithmic aging of physically crosslinked semiflexible polymer networks
No full textPhysical aging in polymers is a fundamental yet poorly understood phenomenon, as diverse macromolecular systems exhibit remarkably similar slow dynamics. Through molecular dynamics simulations of physically crosslinked networks composed of semiflexible polymers, we identify a previously unexplored class of self-similar aging. The network undergoes ultra-slow coarsening characterized by a logarithmically growing mesh size, L(t)∼ln t, which governs the spatial organization, cohesive and bending energies, and the aging dynamics of the system. This single time-dependent length scale defines an internal clock, giving rise to spatio-temporal self-similarity of both structure and dynamics – offering a perspective on aging in soft and disordered materials
The dual role of video-based eWOM in an online digital environment
No full textThe substantial growth of platforms like YouTube highlights the heightened personal interaction offered by video-based eWOM. This study investigates the dual role of video-based eWOM in the digital era, contrasting it with traditional text based reviews. Expanding on the existing literature predominantly focused on text-based eWOM, this study analyzes the impact of video-based eWOM on characteristics and perceived value in the context of review generation and consumption. Leveraging relative anonymity and social presence theory, we explore how platform identity policies influence review content. Employing AI speech recognition, text analysis, and empirical analysis, our findings challenge the expected effectiveness of video-based eWOM as opinion leaders in generating informative reviews. The study provides theoretical insights into the evolving dynamics of eWOM in the digital marketing landscape, offering valuable guidance for marketing strategies and consumer behavior analysis
Gender diversity in corporate leadership: implications for risk and market behavior
Get PDFThis thesis contributes to the growing literature on gender diversity in corporate leadership by
examining its implications for risk and market behavior. Across its three main chapters, the thesis
explores different dimensions of gender diversity within executive and boardroom settings. First,
I investigate the relationship between board gender diversity and stock price crash risk, using a
panel dataset of publicly listed UK firms. The findings reveal that board gender diversity does not
have a statistically significant effect on crash risk. Furthermore, I examine the Davies Report as a
policy intervention intended to promote female board representation. The results show that the
increase in female directors following the report did not lead to a significant change in the
association between board gender diversity and stock price crash risk.
Next, I investigate the impact of female CFOs on stock price crash risk using a sample of UK listed public firms. The analysis reveals a negative and statistically significant association between
the presence of female CFOs and crash risk, suggesting that firms led by female CFOs are less
likely to experience extreme negative returns. Additionally, I show that this effect is more
pronounced in firms characterized by less CEO power, higher levels of information opacity, or
greater exposure to risk; conditions under which the role of the CFO in shaping financial
transparency and risk management is especially critical.
Finally, I explore how financial markets respond to the appointment of female executives. The
results indicate that, on average, neither the bond market nor the stock market exhibit a statistically
significant reaction to such appointments. However, further analysis reveals that the bond market
responds positively to female outside appointments, suggesting that bondholders may interpret
external female hires as a signal of positive organizational change or improved governance
Techno-nationalism and capability development in the global pharmaceuticals industry, 1918–1970
Get PDFTechno-nationalism intensifies deglobalisation and so presents new risks in international business, with government policy increasing multinational corporation (MNC) costs through targeting their technology inflows and outflows in various ways. However, recent scholarship in international business has focused exclusively on the current geopolitical tensions between the US and China. We adopt a longer-term perspective that permits us to offer a revised definition of techno-nationalism less embedded in the present-day context. We then review three episodes of historical techno-nationalism by the U.S. and U.K. governments targeting the acquisition of pharmaceuticals technological capabilities from the then-technological leaders between 1918 and 1970. This review suggests that the success of techno-nationalist policies was less associated with the absolute level of costs imposed on MNCs and more associated with: the absorptive capacities of the host economies’ domestic industries; the ease with which the targeted MNCs were able to develop mitigation strategies; and, our main contribution, the different mechanisms used and targets focused on by governments. We develop a typology of successful techno-nationalist policies from this historic survey to highlight that government policies might vary between those that differentiate between either technology-push or demand-pull mechanisms and those that focus on either firm-based or location-based targets
A multi-level examination of performance in innovation ecosystems: board, asset scale, technology, and government support
Get PDFWe investigate how the firm’s board structure (i.e. CEO duality or independence) and its asset scale at the micro level, the industry’s technological intensity at the meso level, and the government’s initiatives at the macro level influence firms’ digital innovation performance in the innovation ecosystem of the Chinese manufacturing industry. Drawing on a longitudinal study of 1,098 firms sourced from the CSMAR database, we utilise a co-evolutionary multi-level model for the exploration. Our findings reveal that firms led by independent board members with large-scale assets and that have received government subsidies are more likely to achieve superior digital innovation performance. Furthermore, the impact of micro-level factors varies with technological intensity, with medium and high-tech firms showing more significant innovation performance improvements. We suggest that firms maintain a board composition with a balanced mix of independents with objective oversight and non- independents with strategic influence and allocate their resources to capitalise on emerging technological trends to perform better in innovation ecosystems. Firms should not solely depend on government support but align their resource basis and governance structures to leverage technology and incentives effectively. Policymakers should craft targeted initiatives depending on the innovation ecosystems’ technological intensity and the firms’ resource endowments
Exploring uncertainty in dynamical future changes in Sahel precipitation: the extratropical influence
Get PDFThe future changes in Sahel precipitation have significant societal implications. Yet, the projections in Sahel precipitation remain highly uncertain, partly due to strong differences across climate models in projected sea surface temperature (SST) and its effects on the atmospheric circulation. This study investigates the effects of North Atlantic and Mediterranean SST changes on future Sahel precipitation through sensitivity experiments conducted with three atmospheric models. We confirm that the warming of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean SSTs is one of the main reasons for the discrepancies
between climate model projections of Sahel precipitation. Warming in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean enhances the monsoon circulation and increases precipitation over the Sahel, primarily through dynamical effects driven by energy gradients. At the same time, we identify non-linear responses to the Atlantic warming and substantial differences between the results of each model. Thus, reducing uncertainty in Sahel precipitation projections calls for improved understanding of two issues: first, Northern Hemisphere SST changes and their representation in climate models, and second, their effects on Sahel precipitation. Additionally, we find that uncertainty in future SST changes contributes to uncertainty in
high-impact weather events
Potatoes & drought stress: improving methods and investigating the utility of canopy traits to inform irrigation
Get PDFAs an extremely drought susceptible crop, potato production is expected to be
severely affected by climate change, due to the reduced seasonalrainfall predicted
in many areas. To maintain or improve potato yields under these conditions,
drought tolerant cultivars must be developed, irrigation infrastructure must be
improved, and irrigation systems must become more efficient. However, potato is
an under researched crop relative to the nutritional value it contributes to the food
system. Of the research that has been conducted, many pot studies have likely
been affected by the confounding effects of small pots on plant morphophysiology.
Therefore, this thesis presents the first investigations of this effect in potato,
demonstrating the cultivar-specific confounding effects of small pots on potato
morphology. Further data show this is primarily a result of inadequate irrigation
under supposedly well-watered conditions, diminishing the relative effects of
water-restriction. These results provide methodological recommendations for
further potted potato research, which were utilised in further experiments. These
showed that canopy temperatures, but not SPAD values, reliably increase due to
water-restriction in potted potato. It was also found that canopy temperatures
return to baseline with the resumption of well-watered conditions, implying the
potential for canopy temperatures to be integrated into a temperature-controlled
irrigation system. Thus, the final study presented here investigates the efficacy of
such a system. This system was limited by its sample size and by infection of the
plants with blight, but it shows that the challenges threatening potato production
may be mitigated with further investigation and refinement of similar systems