Industrial Electrification and Efficiency: Decomposition Evidence from the Korean Industrial Sector

For this study, we conducted a decomposition analysis of industrial electricity consumption based on the logarithmic mean Divisia index approach. An empirical dataset consisting of 11 industrial sectors in Korea from 2000 to 2018 was used. The three-factor decomposition equation was extended to include four factors by decomposing the energy intensity effect into electrification and electricity consumption efficiency effects. The empirical results are summarized as follows: The increase in electricity consumption in the Korean industrial sector from 2000 to 2018 is mostly caused by the production effect. While the structure effect decreases electricity consumption, the intensity effect increases it. The key findings indicate that the hidden electrification effect can be confusing to researchers with regard to the intensity effect. The empirical evidence suggests that the intensity effect has a positive effect on electricity consumption induced by the electrification effect, although the efficiency effect continuously decreased electricity consumption. The decomposition results of some sectors show that electrification, rather than the production effect, contributed the most to the increase in electricity consumption. This implies that while replacing fuel with electricity has been successfully achieved in several sectors, there are still challenges regarding increasing energy efficiency and expanding clean electricity generation.

Experimental investigation of structural and operational factor effects on speed performance of wave cleaving catamarans

В статье приводятся результаты экспериментального исследования влияния конструктивных факторов на ходовые качества перспективного волнорассекающего пассажирского катамарана. Цель работы – поиск принципиальных технических решений по облику катамарана, обеспечивающих повышенные ходовые качества на тихой воде, в условиях волнения и экономическую эффективность. Оценено влияние скорости хода на ходовую посадку, гидродинамическое сопротивление, буксировочную и потребную мощность волнорассекающего катамарана. Выявлена эффективность применения транцевого интерцептора на волнорассекающем катамаране. Обсуждается рациональный выбор перемещения (выдвига) транцевого интерцептора при заданных значениях водоизмещения и эксплуатационной скорости. Выявлена целесообразность перехода от двулапых кронштейнов гребных валов к однолапым. Определено изменение потребной мощности при переходе от двулапого кронштейна к однолапому. Дана количественная оценка влияния выступающих частей (рулей и кронштейнов) на буксировочное сопротивление модели. Оценено взаимное влияние выдвига интерцептора и угла статического дифферента на характеристики ходкости при движении катамарана со скоростью экономического хода и эксплуатационной скоростью. Выявлена зависимость дополнительного буксировочного сопротивления модели на волнении от формы соединительного моста катамарана. Результаты исследований использованы при проектировании современного экологичного пассажирского катамарана проекта «Ecocruiser». The paper presents results of experimental study of structural factor effects on speed performance of a promising wave-cleaving passenger catamaran. The work purpose consists in searching for basic engineering solutions on the catamaran appearance that provide increased speed performance in still water and in seas, as well as economical efficiency. Effects of travel speed on operating trim, flow resistance, towrope power and power requirements of a wave-cleaving catamaran are evaluated. Effectiveness of using a transom intercepter in a wave-cleaving catamaran was identified. Rational selection of transom intercepter movement (advance) at specified displacement and operational speed values are discussed. Expedience of transition from two-leg propeller struts to single-leg ones is shown. Change of the power requirements at transition from two-leg propeller struts to single-leg ones is evaluated. Effects of projecting parts (rudders and propeller struts) on the model towrope resistance are evaluated quantitatively. Mutual effects of intercepter advance and static trim angle on the propulsion qualities under catamaran operation at economical and service speeds are evaluated. Dependence of the model additional towrope resistance in seas on the catamaran cross-deck structure shape are derived. The investigation results were used for design of a state-of-art ecological passenger catamaran “Ecocruiser”.

Sustainable Banking, Market Power, and Efficiency: Effects on Banks’ Profitability and Risk

The financial crisis seriously damaged the reputation of the banking sector, as well as its profitability and risk of insolvency, which led many banks to adopt a sustainable approach aimed at balancing long-term goals with short-term performance pressures. This article analyses how sustainable banking practices affect the profitability and the insolvency risk of banks. Moreover, we examine how sustainable strategies determine the effects of market power and efficiency on bank profitability. We used a two-step System-GMM to analyze an unbalanced panel of 1236 banks from 48 countries over the period 2015–2019. We found that sustainable banking practices increased profitability, and market power was an important determinant of profitability among conventional banks, but not among sustainable banks. Higher levels of cost scale efficiency led to greater profitability for both sustainable and conventional banks. However, there was no significant relationship between sustainable banking and insolvency risk. These results indicate that the traditional determinants of bank profitability are not relevant in explaining the superior profits of sustainable banks, which suggests the emergence of a new paradigm related to sustainability among the drivers of bank profitability.

Super platforms, big data, and competition law: the Japanese approach in contrast with the USA and EU

ABSTRACT This article examines antitrust issues concerning digital platforms equipped with big data. Recent initiatives by the Japanese competition agency are highlighted, comparing them with those by the USA and EU competition authorities. First examined is whether competition among platforms would result in a select few super platforms with market power, concluding that AI with machine learning has augmented the power of super platforms with strong AI-capability, leading to increased importance of merger control over acquisitions by platforms. Next scrutinized is the argument for utility-regulation to be imposed on super platforms, concluding that wide support is limited to data portability, leaving competition law as the key tool for addressing super platforms, its core tool being the provision against exclusionary conduct, enforcement of which, initially, concerns whether to order super platforms to render their data accessible to their rivals. Passive refusal-to-share data needs to be scrutinized under the essential facility doctrine. Beyond passive refusal, platforms’ exclusionary conduct requires competition agencies to weigh the conduct’s exclusionary effects against its efficiency effects. Finally addressed is exploitative abuse, explaining its relation to consumer protection, concluding that competition law enforcement on exploitative abuse should be minimized, since it accompanies risk of over-enforcement.

The Impact of Foreign Technology and Embodied R&D on Productivity in Internationally Oriented and High-Technology Industries in Egypt, 2006–2009

This paper investigates the domestic productivity and spillover effects of foreign technology and embodied R&D on Egyptian manufacturing industries, 2006 to 2009. It also analyses the heterogeneous sectoral effects of technology transfer by focusing specifically on the productivity effects on highly internationalized and technology-intensive industries. These are expected to have greater absorptive capacity with respect to foreign technology and therefore larger productivity effects because of their greater exposure to foreign competition and greater technological capacity respectively. This study is the first to analyse the efficiency effects of foreign technology by classifying industries in this manner. It finds that foreign technology and embodied R&D have positive and significant industry-specific effects on domestic productivity and TFP in technology-intensive industries but that these are weaker in internationally oriented industries. The study suggests that only technological-intensive industries in Egypt have sufficient absorptive capacity to assimilate foreign technology effectively. The paper’s findings highlight the key role of foreign technology in domestic productivity growth, subject to the absorptive capacity of the domestic labour force, and the need for improved policies to promote the domestic benefits of technology transfer through the accumulation of local technological competences.

Ketamine derived Nasal Spray for Depression - A review

Depression is a mood disorder; it affects a person's life in all terms of his daily life. Normally depressions are mood swings exposed as feelings which may be sadness, loss, anger, even laughter. Depression now stands first than any other psychological illness is causing increased mortality in the population. Major depressive disorders [MDD] is one of the major causes of mortality in the population. So, antidepressants are used which could relieve the subject from the effects of Depression. Ketamine is a recently developed drug to fortify the qualities of an antidepressant. This article is the review of previous research articles that were done on ketamine and its effects on Depression as a nasal spray. A systematic review is done on various aspects of ketamine on Depression. Efficiency, effects and a few other factors are analyzed in a comparative manner. Depression should be considered as a global issue. Ketamine being efficient as an antidepressant than many other drugs should be brought into the medicinal market as a nasal spray. Intranasal ketamine was directed into the body passing biphasic stage 1. It avoids most of the inhibitory pathways. Their effects are stronger and more effective in the form of a nasal spray. Short term and long-term effects should be analyzed. Further research is the need of the hour many more animal and clinical trials should be done to know about its complete purpose to humanity.