International Journal of Integrated Research and Practice
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Blockchain Integration in Trade Finance: A Commercial Perspective
Get PDFTrade finance has been on the forefront in underpinning international commerce but because of inefficiency, excessive transaction cost, and fraud and lack of transparency has failed to carry out its functions effectively. The use of paper-based procedures and a large number of intermediaries disrupt the working process and restrict the possibility of financing, especially when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this case, blockchain technology has transformed to be revolutionary in nature and is able to simplify operations, save money and enhance trust among the stakeholders. The paper explains the blockchain place in trade finance as a business problem in relation to its implementation, prospects, and problems to make the industry practices change.
The paper states advantages of blockchain in decentralized archiving, smart contracts and real-time check-ups that reduces the utilization of intermediaries and document manipulation threats. Case studies of international banking consortia along with pilot projects have demonstrated efficiency, speed and security improvement in supply chains. Additionally, the introduction of the blockchain will result in enhanced financial inclusion since it will enable SMEs to access more credit facilities as they will have their trade history transparent and verifiable.
However, yet, the paper also points to the commercial barriers to adoption that can include regulatory uncertainty, as well as, incompatibility between blockchain systems and interoperability as well as the significant investment in technological infrastructure. Even though big financial institutions are actively thinking about the solutions based on blockchain, their large-scale implementation will occur only with the coordination between the regulators, financial organizations, and technology providers as the means of standardization.
The analysis concludes that blockchain will have a great potential to revolutionize the trade finance, making it more transparent, more trustful, and efficient. Nevertheless, it will get its commercial benefits through the structural, legal and operational barriers which hinder its scalability currently. To conclude, the paper finds that blockchain is not a substitute of the conventional systems, though it is a new related system that would contribute to the modernization of trade finance in the globalized economy
The Posthuman Condition: Artificial Intelligence and Identity in Speculative English Fiction
Get PDFThe ever-accelerating speed of advancing artificial intelligence (AI) has led to a very serious reconsideration concerning the nature of being human, and speculative English fiction has been unusually accurate and deep in retrospectively probing that question. This paper focuses on examining how some of the contemporary and late-20 th century speculative fiction works reinvent the concept of human identity and its presence within the posthuman futures envisaged by AI. With the assistance of novels and short stories by writers as Ian McEwan, Kazuo Ishiguro and William Gibson, the research explores narrative techniques used to challenge conventional borders between humans and the machine, organic and artificial consciousnesses. In the paper, these writings are placed into the context of the posthumanist philosophy in which the focus is on the breakdown of the anthropocentric model of reality and the rise of hybrid identities. The analysis conducted on textual levels shows that the speculative fiction often uses the image of an AI in a manner which is not only aimed at the creation of technological oddities but as the means of reflecting the vulnerability, flexibility, and ethical limits of human selfdefinition. Memories being mutilated, artificial bodies being human, emotions being faked and the responsibility of doing these things bring back Swiftian themes of memory manipulation, embodied artificiality, emotional simulation and ethical responsibility, all of which leave the reader questioning whether it is consciousness or embodiment that makes the difference between being human. The analysis also points to the ways in which these narratives avoid the attractiveness of easy dystopia/utopia binaries, with the construction of intricate moral terrains where human and AI selves form webs of co-development. Dedicated to exploring the relations between the issues of narrative form and specific thematic inquiry, the paper will show that speculative English fiction can be deemed as a critical laboratory, within which one may explore philosophical inquiries into the nature of identity as applied to the era of intelligent machines. In the end, the study claims that this fiction does not only anticipate a change in technology but also engage in the formation of culture with the cultural constructions of the posthuman condition
Comparative Pathology of Neurodegeneration: Linking Microglial Senescence to Protein Aggregation
Get PDFThe Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are neurodegenerative disorders that have two pathological characteristics in common: the piling up of misfolded proteins and chronic neuroinflammation. Rising evidence supports the idea that microglia, the central nervous system resident immune cells, have long been known as reactive responders but also must be regarded as active drivers of disease pathology. The following paper examines the comparative pathology of neurodegeneration among discrete disorders with an emphasis on how microglial senescence can be viewed as a unifying process coupling protein aggregation with neurodegeneration. I use analysis of post-mortem human brain tissue and pertinent animal models to determine convergent changes in microglial morphology, gene expression and secretory signature during senescence. These characteristics are dystrophic branching, defective phagocytosis ability, and pro-inflammatory cytokine up-regulation. Notably, senescence of microglia in turn also decreases the clearance of pathological aggregates like amyloid-B, a-synuclein, and TDP-43 and constitutes a feed-forward loop as the accumulation of protein deposits continues to worsen inflammatory signaling and oxidative stresses, which are further disabling microglia. Both common and disease-specific interaction between microglial senescence and aggregateprone proteins is identified by comparative evaluation. In AAD, dystrophic microglia tends to aggregate in proximity to amyloid plaques, when compared to AAD, in Parkinson, the senescence signatures are more linked to nigrostriatal Lewy bodies. Microglial senescence in ALS associates with the broad-based pathology and loss of cortical-spinal tract with TDP-43. This paper combines neuropathological data with molecular and experimental findings to propose a model framework: Microglial senescence may therefore represent an essential pivot point between protein aggregate formation and the neurodegeneration. Intervention in senescence-related pathways, in order to rejuvenate microglial function or up-regulate aggregate clearance, may be a widely applicable therapeutic approach. Together, these results emphasize the potential of the cross-disease comparative method in terms of elucidating the complicated interactions between innate immune age-related changes and proteostatic breakdown in the brain
Data Governance in the Age of Big Data and AI
Get PDFBig Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are growing by the hour and have transformed the worth and threat of online information. With organizations becoming more reliant on datadriven insight, proper data governance has evolved into a strategic business process, as it allows to ensure the quality of data, its security, ethical treatment, and alignment with regulatory demands. This paper reviews the dynamic data governance models in light of big, heterogeneous and rapidly moving datasets, as well as the distinct issues posed by AI systems. It also describes the overlap of the policy, technology and ethics issue areas, notably how AI can help and complicate governance by automating, predictively analyzing and making decisions via algorithms. Some of the key aspects to consider are data quality in heterogeneous settings, mitigating biases that possibly can be enhanced by AI models, and ensuring transparency in the process of decision making that is automated. Such regulatory environments as GDPR, CCPA, etc, and even newer approaches towards regulation addressing AI are examined to determine their influence on the governance practices. Metadata management and data lineage tracking and strong access controls are also discussed as key building blocks of accountability and trust in the study. Based on the cases within the industry and recent outputs of scholars, the paper suggests a model of the adaptive governance that incorporates the continuous review, collaboration with stakeholders, and the ethical oversight. The characteristics of the model include proactive risk management and the integration of governance principles into AI leading to direct commitments to AI creation and application processes. We can now see next generation data governance in the world of Big Data and AI requiring a transition of compliance-centered approaches with rules set in stone to more fluid systems of context-sensitive situational strategies balancing innovation with liability. Companies which manage to implement such frameworks will be in a better position to realize the transformative power of AI and protect the faith that stakeholders place in them as well as withstand the shifting dynamic legal and ethical requirements
Digital Lending Platforms: Creditworthiness Assessment Using AI
Get PDFThe explosive growth in digital lending platforms is changing the old credit world as we knew it and making available to the borrowers quicker rates of access to financial services and posing new challenges to lenders regarding risk measurement. This paper describes the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in credit risk assessment, highlighting the possibility of its use in improving decision-making and default prevention along with promoting financial inclusion. As digital lenders use machine learning, natural language processing and predictive analytics to digest ample amounts of diverse data, including transactional history and social behavior as well as alternative data sources, more precise, real-time analyses of borrower reliability can be made. In this study, the performance of different AI models, such as decision trees, random forests, neural networks and ensembles approaches, in warning credit risk and streamlining approval of loans is investigated. A comparison feature illustrates the performance, interpretability, and scalability of such models that meet operational efficiency as well as regulatory compliance. Also, the paper explores the issues surrounding AI-based credit assessment, like data privacy, AI-bias and ethics in AI, offering several frameworks in reducing threats whilst maintaining transparency and fairness. Evidence suggests that AIbased credit scoring models can be more accurate, faster, and dynamic than the existing methods of credit evaluation, especially in the emerging economies where formal credit histories are scant. It ends with a hire of provocative conclusions in the form of strategic tips that financial institutions should adhere to incorporate AI in a responsible way with a combination of creating a continuous monitoring of the models, variety of data sources (inclusion), and compliance to ethical lending concepts. Through technological innovations and in-depth risk management, AI-led digital lending services can transform the model of credit evaluation and enhance better access to financial opportunities, as well as contribute to sustainable development of the digital economy
Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Risks, Rewards, and Regulatory Gaps
Get PDFDecentralized Finance ( DeFi ) has become one of the most disruptive technologies in the blockchain ecosystem with borderless, permissionless and programmable alternatives to traditional financial services. DeFi has grown as an ecosystem to allow people to lend, borrow, trade, and earn through the use of smart contracts and distributed ledgers, without requiring a centralized asset custodian. On the one hand, innovations are expected to further improve the transparency, efficiency, and financial inclusion of the industry; however, on the other hand, they pose a range of risks that question the stability and sustainability of the industry. Important issues that many people should know about relate to weaknesses in the code of smart contracts, risks of liquidity, governance assaults, and the influx of market volatility on users. Besides, the pseudonymous character of the blockchain transactions is characterized by concerns involved with fraud, money laundering and the risk of misuse of financial system. Concurrently, lack of harmonized regulation systems has created a disunified environment where regulation quality is either non-existent or highly variable along the lines of sectors. This presents a regulatory vacuum that not only makes risk management difficult, but also puts institutional adoption and long term integration in the mainstream finance into doubt. In contrast, the blistering pace of innovation in DeFi illuminates its potential to democratite access to capital, decrease transaction costs and transform globalfinancial infrastructures. In this paper, the critical nature of both rewards and risks inherent in DeFi and the current regulatory solutions to this issue and its weaknesses will be discussed. Withvention to further case study examples and potential governance solutions, the study seeks to answer the question of how DeFi can be developed in a sound and accountable manner. To sum up, the paper highlights that there is a need to have a balance of both protecting users, innovation and systemic resilience in an increasingly digital financial environment.
Cross-Border E-commerce: Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-COVID World
Get PDFDue to the rate at which transnational e-commerce has taken a turn, the business world has revolutionized the global trade and all companies, irrespective of their size, can now easily access the global consumers in ways never before. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically disturbed this ecosystem with grave challenges and opportunities to firms in the digital marketplaces. By discussing the consumer behavior changes, supply chain, technology adoption and regulation, this paper explains the future of cross-border e-commerce after the COVID-19. Online shopping also became faster due to the pandemic because mobility is limited, and the vulnerabilities manifest themselves in the form of logistics bottlenecks, increased expenses of shipping, and uneven access to the Internet in different geographical locations. Meanwhile, the crisis also introduced new trends to the payment system, final mile delivery, and online marketing, i.e., in the more recent markets, where habits of online shopping have proven to thrive. Another point to note in the research is the utilization of digital platforms by the SMEs to unravel the market barriers to accessibility and larger firms that invested heavily in automation, artificial intelligence, and blockchain as a way of promoting efficiency and trust towards cross-border transactions. Among the issues of the post-pandemic era are cybersecurity threats, the absence of certainty in the trade policy, adherence to contradictory data privacy regulations. On the other hand, it has the prospects of increasing the reach to international buyers, improving customer experience by a factor of personalization, and implementing sustainable practices to address the increase of responsible consumption demand. The conclusion of the paper is that the resilience of cross-border e-commerce lies in concerted initiatives by the governments, business and technology suppliers in the creation of inclusive online trading environment. The regulatory harmonization, infrastructure investment, and the digital literacy will assist the stakeholders to design the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic into a blueprint of a more sustainable and equal global e-commerce
Organizational Agility as a Response to Market Disruption
Get PDFAs the world today has a highly competitive and volatile economy, which is becoming more and more global, organizations are being exposed to continuous turbulence, in the form of technological advances, changes in consumer tastes, regulatory changes and crises, which are never expected to come. Such shocks interfere with predictability of business model and compel the business firms to evolve at short notice so as to retain performance and competitiveness. This article talks of an organizational agility as a strategic response to market discontinuity, and it raises the issue of the significance of such response as the mechanism of survival, as well as long-term benefit. Organizational agility could be defined as the ability of a business firm to sense the shift, which is emerging, and to mobilize resources fast and make decisions in time without influencing the operations of the business. The paper discusses how agility can be manifested in three dimensions such as strategic agility, agility operational and people agility. Strategic agility relies on re-thinking the business models, embracing innovation, and relying on the partnership to capture new opportunities. The agile approach of operations focuses its attention on versatile organization, adaptability, and the introduction of digital technologies as a means of enhancing responsiveness. People agility apply pressure on leadership, workforce resilience and a culture of encouraging unlimited learning and empowerment. On the basis of the present case studies, it can be analyzed that more agile organizations have a better position to handle the risks and take advantage of the new markets and turn the disruption to the growth opportunities. However, agility is more not simple; firms must balance the speed and stability as well as limitations of resources and decide reactively. The paper concludes that organizational agility cannot be viewed as a luxury feature but a skill that needs to be provided in order to be able to cope with the uncertainty. Organizations can use disruption to become a force of sustainable success through institutionalization of agility through commitment by leaders, structural flexibility and organizational culture of adaptability
Culturally Responsive Teaching in Physical Education: Bridging Diversity and Inclusion
Get PDFCulturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a highly significant model in the learning context that aims at considering the implementation of the cultural context of students in learning process. CRT plays a major role in the creation of inclusive, equitable and engaging learning settings within the physical education (PE) environment. This paper discusses the application of culturally responsive in PE and how an educator can bridge the gap of diversity and inclusion to enhance student participation, motivation, and well-being. According to the extensive literature study and empirical research, the article identifies the key tenets of CRT including recognition of cultural identities, adjusting instructional practices according to different learning styles and promoting culturally relevant activities. Furthermore, the paper will pay attention to the problems that PE teachers might face such as implicit biases, standardized curriculum, and the deficit of professional development opportunities that might make the successful implementation of CRT more challenging. According to the qualitative analysis of the classroom practices, case study, and experience of teachers, this paper reveals that culturally responsive PE does not only facilitate physical development, but also supports social-emotional learning, cross-cultural realization, and student empowerment. A number of recommendations are given on how the curriculum can be developed, the way teachers can be trained and the community engaged to make the PE environment more inclusive and sensitive to cultural diversity. The integration of CRT to physical education is indicative of the possible change in the historic teaching methods that fosters a setting in which all learners, irrespective of their cultural heritage, can enjoy equal benefit of engaging in meaningful and inspiring experiences of physical activities. The given research highlights the importance of continuous research and policy endorsement to institutionalize culturally responsive practices in PE and eventually make learning environment fairer and more inclusive
ICT-Enabled Inclusive Education for Learners with Disabilities
Get PDFThe concept of inclusive education has become an important model of providing equitable access to learning among learners with disabilities. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can revolutionize the inclusive education offering adaptive tools, customized learning services, and content that are easily accessible and aligned with various learning demands. This paper discusses how ICT can be used to support inclusive learning among disabled learners with special focus on how technology can be used to alleviate the disabilities of a disabled learner in terms of accessibility, involvement, and academic performance. This paper has offered a review of the current literature on ICT-based interventions of learning which involve assistive devices, online learning platforms and interactive software, and how these interventions have been successfully used to improve participation and facilitate learning of students with physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments. The study highlights the significance of incorporating ICT in pedagogical procedures and curriculum development in order to create a favorable learning environment. Such issues as insufficient teacher training, technological resources, socio-economic factors are discussed to learn what hinders the successful implementation of the ICT. Moreover, the paper also explores perceptions of educators, learners, and policymakers towards the use of ICT tools and the given information sheds light on the strategies that should be utilized in order to maximize inclusive education. The derived conclusions reveal that ICT does not only contribute to the individualized learning process, but it also promotes teamwork, motivation and confidence of the learners with disabilities. Nonetheless to be sustainable, it must have policy frameworks, capacity building and community engagement that will help make technology interventions available, equitable and situational. They have concluded the paper by requesting the assumption of the holistic approach of integrating the technological advances, inclusive teaching and stakeholder engagements to achieve the relevant educational outcomes to all leaners. The study also forms part of the growing literature on the same issue of ICT application in inclusive learning and it has provided possible recommendations to the educators, policymakers and researchers who may endeavor to provide more inclusive and equitable learning environments