A principal component analysis of sulfur concentrations in the western United States

Volatile markets and economic environments can significantly distort the shape and smoothness of yield curve movements. This study explores the influence of movements in United States interest rates on South African interest rates. This study aims to identify the main underlying movements present in the United States and South African yield curves and to further determine the dominant factors that are responsible for driving South African interest rate movements. The principal settings for the study were the United States and South African markets representing, respectively, a developed and developing market. Principal component analysis was used to discern the major drivers of developing and developed market interest rates. The findings show that the principal component analysis technique is able to effectively classify and quantify the movements of yield curves across both markets in terms of three main factors, namely level, slope and curvature shifts. During certain periods, South African yield curve changes were largely driven by variations in United States interest rates and the rand/dollar exchange rate. Results also demonstrated that a volatile market and economic environment can significantly distort the shape and smoothness of yield curve movements.

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Categorizing Organic Grain Buyers in the Midwestern United States

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12125169 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 5169

Author(s):

Ariana P. Torres ◽

Nicholas A. Lancaster ◽

Luiz H. B. Vilas Boas

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Personal Values ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Barriers To Entry ◽

Midwestern United States ◽

Grain Market ◽

Payment Timing ◽

Three Components

Though the demand for organic grains is increasing, domestic supply is falling short. One of the major barriers to entry in the organic grain market for producers is the inability to identify an appropriate buyer, as well as a lack of understanding buyer perceptions, assistance offered, and contracting strategies. While classifications of organic producers exist, and have helped researchers and policymakers develop incentives, no such classification exists for organic grain buyers. Previous works have identified communication gaps between buyers and producers of organic grains, yet buyers’ beliefs and requirements regarding organic grain are not well documented in literature. Drawing from the personal values theory, this study proposes the categorization of organic grain buyers based on their commitment to the organic industry, with categories such as committed organic and pragmatic organic. We profiled grain purchases, buying arrangements, grain requirements, relationships, and business characteristics by buyer type. Means comparisons among groups showed that committed organic buyers seem to be primarily driven by social focus values, while pragmatic organic buyers tend to show values related to personal focus. A principal component analysis suggested the existence of three components constructed by contract-, perceptions-, and relationship-oriented characteristics in buyers. Our results allowed us to identify potential marketing opportunities by providing insight regarding types of assistance offered by buyers, how to build and maintain a relationship with buyers, types of purchasing agreements used, and purchasing agreement characteristics and requirements. Industry stakeholders can use this information to identify appropriate buyers based on times contracts are signed, payment timing, storage and transportation requirements, and the amount of organic practice documentation buyers require. Our categorization can provide the foundation for further research in the organic grain industry.

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Identifying the Key Barriers to Promote Sustainable Construction in the United States: A Principal Component Analysis

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12125088 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 5088

Author(s):

Ali Karji ◽

Mostafa Namian ◽

Mohammadsoroush Tafazzoli

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Current Practice ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Sustainable Construction ◽

Adverse Impacts ◽

Industry Professionals

The need to build more facilities has intensified the inherited adverse impacts of the construction industry on the triple bottom lines of sustainability (i.e., people, planet, and profit). The current practice of sustainability in the construction industry is far from reaching the targeted green goals. In order to foster these endeavors, this study aims to explore sustainable construction barriers in the United States. To achieve the objective, first, 12 sustainability barriers were identified based on an excessive and comprehensive literature review and solicitation of experts’ opinions to validate the barriers. Next, a questionnaire survey was developed and distributed among 135 industry professionals to evaluate the relative importance of factors. To offer a practical solution, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the data and find the most effective barriers. The results show that four major barriers, including (1) pre-construction constraints, (2) managerial constraints, (3) legislative constraints, and (4) financial and planning constraints are the most influential challenges that the industry faces to foster sustainable construction. Practical solutions are suggested to tackle sustainable construction barriers. The findings of this study are beneficial to the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry members along with owners and policymakers.

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