Article
Psychology, Developmental
Natalie Goulter, Yoon S. Hur, Damon E. Jones, Jennifer Godwin, Robert J. McMahon, Kenneth A. Dodge, Jennifer E. Lansford, John E. Lochman, John E. Bates, Gregory S. Pettit, D. Max Crowley
Summary: This study examines the association between kindergarten conduct problems and the long-term costs of criminal activities, medical services, and government expenses. The findings show that early-starting conduct problems are significantly associated with increased costs in criminal activities and medical services. This information can be valuable for policymakers to invest in research and programs that focus on the early childhood stage.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sidhartha Sondh, Darshit S. Upadhyay, Sanjay Patel, Rajesh N. Patel
Summary: The article explores the significant problem of untreated Municipal solid waste accumulation in the modern world, emphasizing the necessity of an efficient and sustainable MSW management system for environmental preservation and sustainable development.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tomasz Jedynak, Krzysztof Wasowicz
Summary: The study highlights the inadequacy of solely focusing on the financial and operational aspects in assessing the efficiency and service quality of municipally owned corporations (MOCs). It emphasizes the need to take into account criteria that measure service quality in addition to financial metrics when evaluating these companies. The research developed a method for measuring the comprehensive performance of MOCs and emphasizes the importance of considering multiple criteria, including financial and service quality, in the assessment of these companies.
Article
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Hui Jie Li, Deqing Tan
Summary: The purpose of this study is to find strategies to enhance pollution oversight by local governments and reduce government-enterprise collusion levels. The study also investigates factors influencing pollution control efforts at incineration plants. The findings provide valuable insights for central governments worldwide on regulating waste incineration practices.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kashif Naseer Qureshi, Ayesha Khan, Syed Umair Ullah Jamil, Bhisham Sharma, Gwanggil Jeon
Summary: Solid waste management is an urgent concern that requires attention from citizens and government stakeholders. This paper analyzes the challenges faced in waste management and proposes a technological solution to address these issues. The solution utilizes sensor-based technologies, cellular networks, and social media to monitor waste in urban areas and ensure efficient collection. The experiment results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Xiaobin Dong, Xiaowan Wang, Hejie Wei, Bojie Fu, Jijun Wang, Michelle Uriarte-Ruiz
Summary: Study of the supply of ecosystem services in the Loess Plateau has received much attention, but the demand from local farmers has been neglected. Currently, economic demands of most farmers cannot be satisfied by the incomes derived from ecosystem services.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2021)
Article
Business
Hongji Xie, Shulin Xu, Zefeng Tong
Summary: This study investigates the impact of local government debt (LGD) on corporate earnings management using a sample of 25,624 firm-year observations from 2007 to 2019. The results indicate that LGD encourages firms to engage in earnings management, particularly income-decreasing earnings management. The findings are robust to different econometric methods and heterogeneous analyses suggest that the effect of LGD on earnings management is more pronounced in politically dependent firms and is moderated by external governance mechanisms. Moreover, it is found that tax enforcement serves as an underlying channel through which LGD affects earnings management.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EMERGING MARKETS
(2023)
Article
Urban Studies
L. Ignacio Saldivia-Gonzatti, Gil Jannes, Jesus Barreal
Summary: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing waste sorting behaviors by using longitudinal data from 945 municipalities in Catalonia from 2000 to 2019. Econometric models are estimated to identify geographic, demographic, socioeconomic, and policy design determinants of sorted municipal solid waste collection (SMSWC) rates at a municipal level. The findings provide new insights on the effects of geographic conditions, unemployment, and foreign population on waste management behaviors, contradicting earlier theoretical expectations. The empirical evidence suggests that active waste collection policies can effectively increase the rate of sorted waste collection to achieve recycling goals set by European Union legislation and the Spanish Waste Law. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of considering demographic trends and differences in waste sorting behavior among social groups when addressing waste management issues.
Article
Oncology
Ranailla Lima Bandeira dos Santos, Vera Lucia Edais Pepe, Claudia Garcia Serpa Osorio-de-Castro
Summary: This study investigates the procurement patterns and avoidable expenditure of selected antineoplastic agents used for treating breast cancer by public bodies in Brazil. The findings suggest that employing strategies to expand the centralization of purchases can reduce differences in purchasing amounts and prices among different categories of buyers, thereby improving access to breast cancer medicines in the public sector.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aiqin Wang, Xuyang Chen, Xu Wang, Jia Wei, Liying Song
Summary: This study analyzes the impact of the Chinese central government's waste separation policies on residents' satisfaction levels and service determinants. The findings show that there are differences in satisfaction levels between urban and rural regions, with higher satisfaction levels in rural areas. The determinants of satisfaction also vary by region.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maria Assunta Barchiesi, Roberta Costa, Francesca Di Pillo
Summary: Promoting Agenda 2030 through Circular Economy transition requires improving waste system management and increasing separate collection. This research investigates the effect of compliance with environmental legislation by Italian municipalities on the total cost of municipal solid waste management. The study analyzes a large dataset of 1914 municipalities and finds regional variations in the impact of environmental compliance on waste management costs.
Article
Ophthalmology
Thomas Rogerson, Liana Dedina, Michael Goggin, Weng Onn Chan
Summary: This study is the first quantification of medical waste associated with intravitreal injections, and it used a real-time sorting method. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in the amount of medical waste produced using this easily implementable approach.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhaowen Liu, Daan Schraven, Martin de Jong, Marcel Hertogh
Summary: Rapid global urbanization and changes in people's lifestyles have led to an increase in waste generation and more complex waste types. Many local governments have invested in municipal solid waste infrastructure (MSWI) to implement circular strategies in response to these changes. This paper aims to explore the interdependencies between MSWI and the local social system, and validate the systemic nature of MSWI. The study reviews current MSW treatment methods and infrastructure, interrogates system-oriented concepts, and uses a conceptual model to map the interdependencies in a MSWI system. Empirical validation of the model is done through a case study of the Dutch city of Almere, which identifies the social systems that contribute to the development of the MSWIS.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Ingrid Pappel, Valentyna Tsap, Dirk Draheim
Summary: This article presents the results of an ongoing, long-term, large-scale, cross-organizational action research project aimed at developing a reusable model for the systematic introduction of e-governance into local governments. The project involved cooperation with 126 local governments in Estonia and covered interdisciplinary aspects in the legal, managerial, and technological spheres. The e-LocGov model, with major building blocks addressing key challenges in e-governance introduction, was explained comprehensively along with the research methodology and theoretical background.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EMERGING TOPICS IN COMPUTING
(2021)
Article
Business, Finance
Xiaokun Wei, Qingsong Ruan, Dayong Lv, Mengsha Liu, Jie Wu
Summary: Using data from 2011 to 2019, this paper examines the impact of air pollution on local government financing costs in China. The results indicate that cities with severe air pollution experience higher spreads on municipal corporate bonds, suggesting increased financing costs. Additionally, air pollution is associated with lower economic growth, decreased population, and worse fiscal conditions, which support the hypothesis that it weakens implicit guarantees for municipal corporate bonds. The study also finds that the detrimental effect of air pollution is more significant for bonds without explicit guarantees and issued by local government financing vehicles in less marketized regions.
BORSA ISTANBUL REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Economics
Germa Bel, Stephan Joseph, Ferran A. Mazaira-Font
Summary: The study reveals that the moratorium implemented by the newly elected City Council of Barcelona on hotel construction led to a significant increase in hotel prices, indicating the protection of the interests of local industry incumbents.
APPLIED ECONOMICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Albalate, Germa Bel, Francisco Gonzalez-Gomez, Andres J. Picazo-Tadeo
Summary: This paper examines the concentration dynamics in the Spanish market for urban water service provided by private contract operators from 2000 to 2020. The study finds that the market is highly concentrated, with concentration increasing until 2007, declining after the passing of Law 30/2007 on Public Sector Contracts and Organic Law 8/2007 on Political Party Financing, and rising again from 2016 onwards. This trend is attributed to strategic behavior by the two leading operators, who acquire smaller companies with a significant presence in regional markets. Legislative reforms are proposed to safeguard competition space.
Article
Management
Thomas Elston, Germa Bel
Summary: Resilient organizations can maintain functioning during unexpected adversity, and collaboration plays a significant role in enhancing resilience. However, collaboration may also impede rapid and flexible decision-making. Through a case study on 'inter-municipal' collaboration in England, we find that collaboration partly limited the decline in service accuracy but did not protect service speed.
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Economics
Daniel Albalate, Germa Bel, Ferran A. Mazaira-Font
Summary: The study shows that nature and geography play a key role in economic growth and social welfare. Data analysis suggests that policies that are not aligned with nature and geography can have negative effects on economic performance.
JOURNAL OF REGIONAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Regional & Urban Planning
Germa Bel, Ivo Bischoff, Sara Blaka, Mattia Casula, Jakub Lysek, Pawel Swianiewicz, Antonio F. Tavares, Bart Voorn
Summary: This article compares inter-municipal cooperation in seven countries with different institutional settings and investigates the rules of governance and how they deal with the multiple principal problem. The authors find that in almost all cases, all participating municipalities are represented on the supervisory board of the cooperative entity.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Political Science
Daniel Albalate, Germa Bel, Ferran A. Mazaira-Font
Summary: This article examines the impact of the cessation of terrorism and the pro-independence movement in Catalonia on intergroup conflict in Spain. The study finds that the end of terrorism has improved attitudes between the Basque national minority and the rest of Spain, while attitudes from Catalans towards the rest of Spain have worsened.
POLITICS GROUPS AND IDENTITIES
(2023)
Article
Political Science
Gustav Egede Hansen, Germa Bel, Ole Helby Petersen
Summary: This study examines the impact of government contracting out on workers' wages and employment in the public and private sectors. The findings show a significant decline in work income and employment for workers overall, with major differences among different groups. Female, low-skilled, and younger workers are more adversely affected by government contracting out.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND THEORY
(2023)
Article
Development Studies
Oscar Gasulla, Germa Bel, Ferran A. Mazaira-Font
Summary: This study investigates whether weak executive federalism in the USA was beneficial or damaging for COVID-19 management. A policy response model is formulated for subnational governments, taking into account the national government's preferred policy and other factors, with both incomplete and complete information. Econometric techniques are used to test the derived hypotheses. The results suggest that ideological and political biases were more influential in a situation of incomplete information, while they were found to be irrelevant when information was complete.
CAMBRIDGE JOURNAL OF REGIONS ECONOMY AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Xavier Fageda, Reinaldo Fioravanti, Andy Ricover, Eduardo Cafe, Mariano Ansaldo
Summary: This paper empirically examines the determinants of air cargo supply in Latin American and Caribbean countries using city-pair data from 2011 to 2020. The study finds that air cargo supply tends to concentrate in airports located in highly populated cities. The relationship between income and air cargo supply is complex, but it shows a consistent positive effect on dedicated cargo flights. Distance has a negative relationship with air cargo supply in belly cargo. Low-cost airlines stimulate cargo supply in passenger flights but not in dedicated cargo flights. Free trade agreements positively contribute to air cargo supply, particularly in belly cargo and intra-regional routes. The quality of the infrastructure at the airport of origin positively impacts air cargo supply in dedicated flights and extra-regional routes. Intense competition between airlines and the use of wide-body aircraft have a positive effect on cargo supply.
Article
Management
Germa Bel, Thomas Elston
Summary: This study examines the impact of time and timing on public service collaborations, specifically on the financial performance of inter-municipal partnerships for solid waste collection in Catalonia. The findings suggest that the cost advantages of cooperation declined over time due to population growth and reduced interdependence between municipalities. The timing of cooperation does not affect savings, although early adopters and followers have different policy objectives.
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Public Administration
Marianna Sebo, Germa Bel
Summary: This article examines an initiative in Barcelona where citizens monitor public services using a feedback system, and analyzes how socioeconomic factors, political activism, and partisan alignment influence citizen complaints. The results show that political participation is related to a higher propensity to complain.
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Law
Germa Bel
Summary: The relationship between government size and corruption is complex, with the type of government intervention in the economy being more crucial than government size. Fiscal burden shows no significant relationship with corruption, while regulatory quality is consistently and significantly positively associated with corruption. Legal origins and democratic experience also play a role in explaining differences in corruption levels.
REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
(2022)
Article
Management
Germa Bel, Alejandro Belerdas-Castro
Summary: Cooperation between different levels of government is an efficient tool for expanding fire protection services, while privatization does not show a significant relationship with costs incurred by the government.
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Management
Daniel Albalate, Germa Bel, Eoin Reeves
Summary: Recent studies have found that service characteristics and institutional factors play a significant role in the implementation of re-municipalization, particularly the strong network characteristics which are associated with lower probabilities of implementation and longer processes. Interestingly, the re-municipalization of personal services is more likely to be fully implemented and finalized faster. Moreover, the probability of implementing reforms increased after the great recession.
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Political Science
Germa Bel, Marc Esteve, Juan Carlos Garrido, Jose Luis Zafra-Gomez
Summary: This study examines the effects of different forms of corporatization on public service costs, finding that services provided by public corporations are not less costly than those provided by public agencies, and that public services offered by mixed corporations with government majorities tend to cost more.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yui Kawasaki, Sayaka Nagao-Sato, Misa Shimpo, Kahori Fujisaki, Emi Yoshii, Rie Akamatsu, Petra Warschburger
Summary: This study qualitatively describes sustainable dietary behaviors (SDBs) that Japanese and German adults can implement in their lives, and quantitatively compares the similarities and differences in understanding SDBs between the two samples. The study found that Japanese participants were more focused on food waste prevention, while German participants were more focused on solving environmental problems.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kechun Chen, Yuan Ding, Liming Yang, Zhihao Wang, Haoxuan Yu, Difan Fang, Yufa Feng, Liying Hu, Chenxi Xu, Penghui Shao, Xubiao Luo, Liang Chen
Summary: This study proposes a targeted repair scheme for the recovery of graphite anodes from spent LIBs by systematically characterizing and analyzing the structure and composition of spent graphite (SG). The results show that the repair scheme achieves effective SG repair and the repaired graphite anode displays excellent lithium storage performance.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Takao Ueda, Shigeki Koyanaka, Tatsuya Oki
Summary: Fires caused by accidental crushing of batteries are a serious issue in the e-waste recycling process. A new in-line sorting system that uses X-ray scanning and deep learning has been developed to accurately detect batteries. Through a validation study, the system achieved higher accuracy compared to other existing programs.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hannes Geist, Frank Balle
Summary: Research on circular economy often lacks empirical data, especially in the theory of circular process design and design for remanufacturing. This study systematically collected and analyzed engineering data on seven remanufacturing processes in the European automotive remanufacturing industry for the first time, providing empirical support for circular engineering challenges, potentials, and solutions.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Li, Fan Lue, Nanlin Liao, Hua Zhang, Na Yang, Pinjing He
Summary: This study assesses and predicts the greenhouse gas emissions on the timeline as waste treatment technologies develop in Shanghai from 1991 to 2025 using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The findings demonstrate that GHG emission has reached net-zero in 2019 owing to the application of alternative technologies and waste segregation.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bingchun Liu, Haoyang Wang, Xiaoqin Liang, Yibo Wang, Zijie Feng
Summary: The expansion of the photovoltaic market has resulted in a significant increase in PV waste. Therefore, conducting scientific research to determine the importance of the circular economy for sustainable growth in the PV industry is essential. The study demonstrates that accurate prediction of PV installed capacity and quantifying the importance of recycling in balancing the supply and demand of raw materials can be achieved through a multi-factor installed capacity prediction model and recovery potential prediction.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Chuanzhen Zhang, Baojing Gu, Xia Liang, Shu Kee Lam, Yi Zhou, Deli Chen
Summary: Reactive nitrogen is crucial for agriculture and human nutrition, but mismanagement can have detrimental effects on human health and ecosystem services, hindering the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards nitrogen-related targets varies across countries, highlighting the need for integrated management to achieve overall synergies.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alessandro Gatto, Marijke Kuiper, Corina van Middelaar, Hans van Meijl
Summary: This study examines the economic and environmental effects of transitioning towards more circular food systems in the European Union (EU27) by feeding animals with low-opportunity-cost feed and better utilizing local feed resources. The results show that providing subsidies for circularity and promoting the use of low-cost feed can increase animal production, but also have negative impacts on land use and emissions. On the other hand, promoting domestic feed sourcing through import tariffs can decrease animal production and greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. However, complementary policies are needed to mitigate drawbacks and enhance benefits of a more circular agri-food system.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinbo Zhang, Liu Chen, Yulei Xie, Pingjian Yang, Zheng Li, Huaicheng Guo, Yang Zhang, Lirong Liu
Summary: This study examines the impact of carbon taxes on low-carbon development and climate change mitigation. By constructing a cross-system bi-layer model, the study finds that reasonable carbon taxes can promote the stability of the energy network, reduce carbon emissions and air pollutants, and optimize production efficiency and the structure of the energy system. This study contributes to a better understanding of the effects and implementation pathways of carbon taxes.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Konstantin Born, Mehmet Metehan Ciftci
Summary: Increasing recycling of metals is important for reducing reliance on mining, but it cannot fully meet future metal demand. Primary production of metals is expected to continue rising, highlighting the need for alternative circular economy strategies such as demand reduction and mitigating harmful impacts of primary metal production.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yinqiu Ma, Lin Huang, Jiahui Li, Wei Cao, Yumei Cai
Summary: Afforestation and reforestation, such as China's Grain for Green Program, have shown to effectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to carbon sink capacity. This study highlights the significant carbon potential of the program and its potential application in other countries to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Arlind Dervishaj, Kjartan Gudmundsson
Summary: This paper reviews digital tools for supporting the Circular Economy (CE) in the built environment and provides suggestions. The study identifies limitations in the functionalities of current tools, including a lack of representative data for LCA and underdeveloped circularity indicators. Further development is needed in terms of interoperability aspects, integration of more sources of data for LCA and circularity, and possibilities for a comprehensive evaluation of design choices.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mohamadreza Y. Azarfam, Anuj Maheshwari, Frank D. Blum, Siddhesh Chaudhari, Clinton Switzer, Ranji Vaidyanathan, Jay C. Hanan, Sudheer Bandla
Summary: This study introduces a feasible method for manufacturing recycled composites using post-consumer carpets and recycled resin. The resulting composites have impressive strength and modulus, surpassing commercial thermoplastics and making them suitable for structural applications. This research presents a promising approach to address carpet landfilling and reduce reliance on additives.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pujiang Shi, Tianle Huang, Hong Kit Lim, Chiew Kei Tan, Jong-Min Lee, Chor Yong Tay
Summary: This study developed a highly porous bioadaptive 3D sponge-like construct from plastic materials in discarded keyboards for advanced in vitro applications. The findings demonstrate the potential of using discarded keyboards as a waste-to-resource feedstock to achieve waste reduction and maximize value-capture.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kuo-Jui Wu, Hailing Qiu, Caiyan Huang, Anthony S. F. Chiu, Ming-Lang Tseng
Summary: Government resource allocation practices for achieving carbon neutrality should be guided by dynamic system theory to identify potential dynamics. Carbon intensity control dynamics have a significant influence on other dynamics.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
