scholarly journals Does Mobile Phone Penetration Affect Divorce Rate? Evidence from China

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaping Zhang ◽  
Mingwang Cheng ◽  
Xinyu Wei ◽  
Xiaomei Gong

Marital happiness is an important symbol of social harmony and can help promote sustainable economic and social development. In recent years, the rapid rise of the divorce rate in China, a country where the divorce rate had previously been low, has attracted wide attention. However, few articles have focused on the popularization of information and communication technology's impact on China’s rising divorce rate in recent years. As a first attempt, the provincial panel data during the period 2001–2016 is applied to study quantitatively the relationship between mobile phone penetration and the divorce rate. In order to get more reliable estimation results, this paper uses two indicators to measure the divorce rate, and quantile regression is applied for further analysis. Additionally, one-year to five-year lag times of the mobile phone penetration are used as the core explanatory variables in order to analyse the lagging effect of mobile phone penetration on divorce rate. The result shows that the correlation between the mobile phone penetration and the divorce rate was statistically positive significant in China during the period 2001–2016. Furthermore, the paper also finds that mobile phone penetration had the greatest impact on divorce rate in central China, followed by eastern China, but it was not obvious in western China during this period. From a technological perspective, this paper provides some possible explanations for the rising divorce rate in China in recent years, and further enriches the relevant research on the impact of the development of information and communication technology on societal changes.

Author(s):  
Rulong Zhuang ◽  
Kena Mi ◽  
Zhangwei Feng

Industrial co-agglomeration plays a significant role in the moving up of the manufacturing industry in the value chain and in transforming China from a manufacturing giant into a world manufacturing power. This study establishes a co-aggregation index to explore spatio-temporal changes of the co-agglomeration between manufacturing and producer services in 30 provinces of China from 2004 to 2019. Furthermore, we use spatial Durbin model to analyze the impact of industrial co-agglomeration on air pollution reduction. We find that (1) the co-agglomeration index varies remarkably at spatio-temporal scale; (2) high co-agglomeration index is mainly distributed in eastern and central China, while low co-agglomeration index is mainly located in the western region; (3) the co-agglomeration index presents a cluster pattern among provinces, with the cluster of high value in eastern China and the cluster of low value in western China; and (4) the co-agglomeration between manufacturing and producer services is proven effetely to reduce air pollution, which is accompanied with spatial spillover effect. We also provided policy implications in line with diverse industries, multi hierarchies, and different regions, promoting the coordination of manufacturing and producer services and improving air quality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 04008
Author(s):  
Fumin Deng ◽  
Hui Zhu ◽  
Xuedong Liang

Regional green development can commendably abide by the theory of dissipative structure. The relative dissipative characteristics taken on by regional development are analyzed, in which the energy factors and resources factors are incorporated into the green economic development and green environment support subsystems (2GE system) in line with the definite input characteristics. A more representative indicator system is established, with positive and negative entropy indexes involved. As Brusselator model and information entropy method are employed to calculate the data of 30 China’s provinces from 2008 to 2015, the findings bespeak that green development in China lays particular stress on green economic development assuming higher environment pressure and cost. The development among various regions is getting progressively and evidently different, which is manifested as potent economic base and abundant natural resources in the Eastern China; the backward green economic development and the progress of green environment in Central China; the pursuit of green economic development at the expense of the green environment in Western China and Northeastern China.


Author(s):  
Osumanu Alhassan ◽  
Oscar Opoku Agyemang Opoku

Despite the major role played by rural and community banks in economic development and in the financial climate, their performance over a decade now have not been up to expectations. They continue to experience huge challenges due to innovations in technology as well as globalization which create opportunities for growth. The study was to examine the impact of liquidity on rural and community banks in the Eastern Region of Ghana selected from eleven (11) banks for the period of ten years from 2007 – 2016. The study used panel data and secondary data to collate the ratios from all the selected rural and community banks. A regression model was developed with Return on Asset as the dependent variable accompanied with other six explanatory variables. It was revealed that quality of loan portfolio ratio; capital ratio and loan to total assets had significant and positive relationship with profitability. It was also revealed that shocks in all the liquidity variables had one or other implications on profitability. Finally, based on finding seven, which states that cost to income has negative and significant effect on profitability, the study recommended that management must adopt information and communication technology to reduce cost and easy access to banks’ product in the form of Automated Teller Machine.  


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 417
Author(s):  
Zaenuddin Hudi Prasojo

<p class="IIABSBARU1">Community members living in borderland areas in Indonesia tended to be clasified as under-developed society in development aspects. Study on the borderland areas is still limited both in quantity and the impact of the study. Nanga Badau located in borderland between West Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Serawak (Malaysia) is one of the under-developed borderland area. This paper revealed the dynamic issues and the existence of local tradition in the context of globalization. It was showed that the original attitude of warn, friendly, and respect visitors express their openess toward global trend but still keep on local style. They are also realized on their position among global community. The open access abroad effected in the development of the interaction, information, and communication patterns among Iban Dayak. Sophisticated devices like mobile phone and television are familiar among Iban dayak in borderland area.</p><p class="IKa-ABSTRAK">***</p>Masyarakat perbatasan yang ada di Indonesia cenderung masuk dalam kelompok masyarakat yang tertinggal dari berbagai aspek pembangunan. Kajian mengenai masyarakat lokal di wilayah-wilayah perbatasan di Indonesia belum terlalu meng­gembirakan baik dari segi jumlah maupun dari segi dampak hasil kajian yang berupa aksi kebijakan pasca kajian. Nanga Badau yang terletak di daerah per­batasan Kalimantan Barat (Indonesia) dan Serawak (Malaysia) merupakan salah satu wilayah perbatasan yang tertinggal. Tulisan ini memoret isu-isu dinamika dan eksistensi tradisi lokal dalam kerangka globalisasi. Tampak bahwa sikap ramah dan menghormati pendatang merupakan salah satu bentuk nyata bahwa mereka sangat terbuka dengan adanya arus global dan lokal. Mereka juga me­miliki kesadaran diri akan posisi mereka sebagai bagian dari penduduk dunia. Adanya ruang interaksi bagi dunia luar, seperti mudahnya akses keluar masuk ke negara lain mengakibatkan pola interaksi, informasi dan komunikasi etnis Iban menjadi berkembang. Hal tersebut dapat dilihat pada aktivitas masyarakat Iban sehari-hari yang telah memanfaatkan dan menggunakan perangkat <em>handphone</em>, televisi dan teknologi modern lainnya.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 10787-10800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Feng ◽  
Jianping Li ◽  
Hong Liao ◽  
Jianlei Zhu

Abstract. The high aerosol concentration (AC) over eastern China has attracted attention from both science and society. Based on the simulations of a chemical transport model using a fixed emissions level, the possible impact of the previous autumn North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) combined with the simultaneous El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the boreal winter AC over eastern China is investigated. We find that the NAO only manifests its negative impacts on the AC during its negative phase over central China, and a significant positive influence on the distribution of AC is observed over south China only during the warm events of ENSO. The impact of the previous NAO on the AC occurs via an anomalous sea surface temperature tripole pattern by which a teleconnection wave train is induced that results in anomalous convergence over central China. In contrast, the occurrence of ENSO events may induce an anomalous shift in the western Pacific subtropical high and result in anomalous southwesterlies over south China. The anomalous circulations associated with a negative NAO and El Niño are not favorable for the transport of AC and correspond to worsening air conditions over central and south China. The results highlight the fact that the combined effects of tropical and extratropical systems play a considerable role in affecting the boreal winter AC over eastern China.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (22) ◽  
pp. 14107-14117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deming Han ◽  
Yingge Ma ◽  
Cheng Huang ◽  
Xufeng Zhang ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract. Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a form of toxic pollutant that can be transported across the globe and accumulated in the bodies of wildlife and humans. A nationwide geographical investigation considering atmospheric PFAAs via a passive air sampler (PAS) based on XAD (a styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer) was conducted in 23 different provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions in China, which provides an excellent chance to investigate their occurrences, spatial trends, and potential sources. The total atmospheric concentrations of 13 PFAAs (n=268) were 6.19–292.57 pg m−3, with an average value of 39.84±28.08 pg m−3, which were higher than other urban levels but lower than point source measurements. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the dominant PFAA (20.6 %), followed by perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFPeA). An increasing seasonal trend of PFAA concentrations was shown as summer < autumn < spring < winter, which may be initiated by stagnant meteorological conditions. Spatially, the content of PFAAs displayed a declining gradient trend of central China > northern China > eastern China > north-eastern China > south-western China > north-western China > southern China, and Henan contributed the largest proportion of PFAAs. Four sources of PFAAs were identified using a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, including PFOS-based products (26.1 %), products based on PFOA and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA; 36.6 %), degradation products of fluorotelomer-based products (15.5 %), and an unknown source (21.8 %).


Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 1221-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Zhou ◽  
Xiao-Lei Zhang ◽  
Jin-Li Li ◽  
Fu-Xing Zhu

The dicarboximide fungicide dimethachlon has been widely used for controlling Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in China for more than a decade. To assess the current status of dimethachlon resistance in S. sclerotiorum in China, 2,424 isolates were collected from disease-infected oilseed rape and soybean plants in five provinces of China in 2011 and 2012, and dimethachlon resistance was monitored by mycelial growth inhibition method on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Dimethachlon at 5 μg/ml was used as a discriminatory dose to detect resistance in all isolates, and 50% effective concentration values were determined for all dimethachlon-resistant isolates and some sensitive isolates. No dimethachlon resistance was detected in isolates from Anhui province (eastern China), Gansu province (northwestern China), and Qinghai province (western China). In Hunan province (central China), 3 of 268 (1.12%) isolates collected from oilseed rape plants in 2012 were resistant to dimethachlon, and the resistance ratios for the three resistant isolates were 4.56, 32.70, and 105.53, respectively. In Heilongjiang province (northeastern China), 8 of 243 (3.29%) isolates collected from soybean plants in 2011 were resistant to dimethachlon, with resistance ratios of 5.57 to 94.80; 11 of 409 (2.69%) isolates collected in 2012 were resistant to dimethachlon, with resistance ratios of 3.21 to 9.69. Cross-resistance studies showed that there was positive cross-resistance between dimethachlon and iprodione, procymidone, and the N-phenyl carbamate fungicide diethofencarb. No cross-resistance was found between dimethachlon and carbendazim, tebuconazole, kresoxim-methyl, thiram, and boscalid. Compared with the sensitive isolates of S. sclerotiorum, the field-dimethachlon-resistant isolates were more sensitive to osmotic pressure, grew more slowly on PDA media, and were less pathogenic on leaves of oilseed rape.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 855-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Shi ◽  
Kangmin Wen ◽  
Linli Cui

Abstract. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the frequencies of four types of high-impact weather (HIW), i.e. snowfall, thunderstorms, fog and hailstorms, were analysed in China during 1959–2014. Results indicate a significant decrease in the number of snowfall days, thunderstorm days and thunderstorm spells in all six regions of China, with regional decreasing rates of 0.1–3.4 days, 1.6–5.1 days and 0.23–0.77 times per decade respectively. The number of foggy days, hailstorm days and snowfall spells decreased at rates of 0.2–1.8 days, 0.1–0.7 days and 0.14–0.44 times per decade respectively in almost all regions and fog and hailstorm spells decreased at rates of 0.06–0.17 and 0.001–0.043 times per decade respectively in most regions of China. Spatially, there was more snowfall in northeastern China and western China, and more thunderstorms in southern China and southwestern China. The number of fog events was larger in some high mountain stations, eastern China and central China. Hailstorms were concentrated on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Over the past 56 years, snowfall days, thunderstorm days and thunderstorm spells decreased in most parts of China, and hailstorm days decreased in northeastern China, most parts of northern China and Tibet, southern Qinghai and western Sichuan. The spatial trends of foggy days, foggy spells, snowfall spells and hailstorm spells were not significant in most parts of China. With global warming, some types of HIW are likely to increase in their intensities, so more mitigation and adaptation strategies are still essential for local government and the public in China.


2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1191-1200
Author(s):  
Ahmad Mohammad Obeid Gharaibeh ◽  
Adel Mohammed Sarea

The main objective of this study is to empirically examine the impact of leverage and certain firm-characteristics that are believed to have significant effects on the decision to use debt and on the value of the firm. The sample is composed of 48 companies listed in the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) representing four different sectors. The study uses actual and historical panel data set obtained from the published annual reports of individual firms in addition to the publications of KSE. The study was accomplished using 8 years of data with a total of 239 observations representing the study period 2006-2013. The study uses descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple-regression analyses to examine the impact of explanatory variables on the value of the firm. The study findings lead to the conclusion that capital structure (leveraging) is the most influential factor on firm’s value. Business risk, previous year’s value (one-year lagged ROA), dividends payout ratio, size, growth opportunities and liquidity of the firm are found to have significant influence on the firm’s value in Model 1 (where ROA is used as a proxy for the value of the firm). In model 2 (i.e., where ROE is used as a proxy of the firm’s value), the findings reveal that capital structure (leveraging); firm’s size, growth opportunities and liquidity of the firm are significant influential of the firm’s value. The study is valuable to academicians, finance managers, policy makers and other stakeholders as it fills the gap of literature by providing up-to-date evidence of the impact of capital structure and other firm specific variables on the value of the firm in Kuwait.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 175-186
Author(s):  
Anthony Simonofski ◽  
Benoît Vanderose ◽  
Antoine Clarinval ◽  
Monique Snoeck

In recent years, information and communication technologies (ICT) have allowed governments to improve their internal functioning and to improve the delivery of information and services to their users. This application of ICT in governments has been conceptualized as “e-government”. However, more recently, smart cities emerged as a locally-embedded paradigm that proposes the design of innovative solutions across all domains of our everyday life (mobility, environment, economy, education, quality of life, and governance) with ICT as an enabler. In their recent evolutions, these two concepts have advocated for increased involvement of their stakeholders (citizens, businesses, public servants, etc.) through user-participation methods to support the design of their projects. This article intends to examine how these methods impact an e-government project and, more particularly, to find out which challenges and benefits practitioners experience. In order to reach that goal, we studied the case of the city of La Louvière (Belgium) through a one year plus study following action research’s best practices. This article contributes at several levels. First, it describes the challenges and benefits experienced with participation methods in a concrete project. Second, it proposes an e-government implementation process enhanced with these methods. Third, this article discusses the similarities and differences between e-government and smart cities through the lens of participation methods.


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