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This study aims to provide empirical evidence on the return and volatility spillover structures between Bitcoin, Fintech stocks and Asian-Pacific equity markets over time and during different market conditions, and their implications for portfolio management.

We use Time-varying parameter vector autoregressive and quantile frequency connectedness approach models for the connectedness framework, in conjunction with Diebold and Yilmaz’s connectivity approach. Additionally, we use the minimum connectedness portfolio model to highlight implications for portfolio management.

Regarding the uncertainty of the whole system, we show a small contribution from Bitcoin and Fintech, with a higher contribution from the four Asian Tigers (Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand). The quantile and frequency analyses also demonstrate that the link among assets is symmetric, with short-term spillovers having the largest influence. Finally, Bitcoins and Fintech stocks are excellent diversification and hedging instruments for Asian equity investors.

There is an instantaneous, symmetric and dynamic return and volatility spillover between Asian stock markets, Fintech and Bitcoin. This conclusion should be considered by investors and portfolio managers when creating risk diversification strategies, as well as by policymakers when implementing their financial stability policies.

The study’s major contribution is to analyze the volatility spillover between Bitcoin, Fintech and Asian stock markets, which is dynamic, symmetric and immediate.

There are multiple threats that cause consumers to be vulnerable in the marketplace, with poverty being a leading cause. Impoverishment often negatively impacts access to multiple categories of goods and services that consumers require to experience a reasonable quality of life. While there is research that explores the underlying factors that lead to resource deficits and marketplace restrictions, as well as their physical and emotional outcomes, an understanding of what is necessary to survive and thrive across societies is more elusive. To this end, our chapter carefully examines the concept of consumption adequacy (CA), which historically captures consumer needs for food and potable water, socially acceptable clothing adapted to weather conditions, safe housing that provides for privacy needs of occupants, preventative and remedial health care, and opportunities to grow and advance through education and training. After briefly summarizing the extant literature, each is described in turn, and ways of empirically investigating them across societies are advanced. This chapter closes with both marketer and public policy implications.

This paper aims to concentrate on recent innovations in flexible wearable sensor technology tailored for monitoring vital signals within the contexts of wearable sensors and systems developed specifically for monitoring health and fitness metrics.

In recent decades, wearable sensors for monitoring vital signals in sports and health have advanced greatly. Vital signals include electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyography, inertial data, body motions, cardiac rate and bodily fluids like blood and sweating, making them a good choice for sensing devices.

This report reviewed reputable journal articles on wearable sensors for vital signal monitoring, focusing on multimode and integrated multi-dimensional capabilities like structure, accuracy and nature of the devices, which may offer a more versatile and comprehensive solution.

The paper provides essential information on the present obstacles and challenges in this domain and provide a glimpse into the future directions of wearable sensors for the detection of these crucial signals. Importantly, it is evident that the integration of modern fabricating techniques, stretchable electronic devices, the Internet of Things and the application of artificial intelligence algorithms has significantly improved the capacity to efficiently monitor and leverage these signals for human health monitoring, including disease prediction.

This paper aims to document the effect of shariah compliance on stock price synchronicity.

This paper uses the data of non-financial firms from India and various estimation procedures (pooled OLS and instrument variable regression) to test the arguments presented in this paper. The time period of the study ranges between 2000 and 2019.

The results show that shariah-compliant firms have significantly higher levels of synchronicity than non-compliant firms. The findings hold after comprehensive inclusion of relevant controls and to a number of sensitivity tests. The authors attribute this result to the unique financial characteristics (lower levels of leverage, liquidity and cash) of shariah-compliant firms. The paper argues that these characteristics are related to better information environment which is responsible for higher levels of synchronicity. The paper also shows that the difference in the synchronicity levels of the two groups is less pronounced for those shariah-compliant firms that have relatively high levels of leverage and cash ratios.

The authors believe that this is an initial attempt to document the impact of shariah compliance on stock price synchronicity.

The purpose of this research is to ascertain the feasibility of fabricating polymer optical fibers (POFs) based textile structures by knitting with Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) based optical fibers for textile sensor application. It has long been established that by using the principles of physics, POFs have the capability to function as sensors, detecting strain, temperature and other variables. However, POF applications such as strain and pressure sensing using knitting techniques has since not been very successful due to a number of reasons. Commercially available PMMA-based optical fibers tend to be fragile and susceptible to breakages when subjected to stress during the knitting processes. Also light transmitted within these fibers is prone to leakage due to the curvature that results when optical fibers are interlaced or interlooped within fabric structures.

Using Stoll’s multi-gauge CMS 350 HP knitting machine, five fabric structures namely, 1 × 4 float knit structure, tunnel inlay knit structure, 3:1 fleece fabric and 2:1 fleece fabric structure respectively were used to knit sensor samples. The samples were subsequently tested for length of illumination and sensitivity relative to applied pressure.

The results of this preliminary study establish that embedding plastic optical fibers into a knitted structure during the fabric formation process for soft strain sensor application possible. The best illumination performance was recorded for tunnel inlay structure which had an average of 94 cm course length of POF being illuminated. Sensor sensitivity experiments also establish that the relative spectral intensity of the fiber is sensitive to both light and pressure. Problems encountered and recommendations for further research have also been discussed and proffered.

Due to resource limitations, an innovative technique (use of precision weight set) was used to apply pressure to the sensors. Consequently, information regarding the extent of corresponding sensor deformation has not been used in this initial analysis.

Because the fundamental step toward finding a solution to any engineering problem is the acquisition of reliable data, and considering the fact that most of the popular technologies used for soft textile sensors are still bedeviled with the problem of signal instability and noise, the success of this application thus has the tendency to promote the wide spread adoption of POF sensors for smart apparel applications.

As far as research on soft strain sensors is concerned, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to have attempted to knit deformable sensors using commercially available POFs.

Young prisoners are one of the most vulnerable groups in society for mental health problems and ill-being. Therefore, there is a crucial need to understand their physical, psychological and social situations. This study aims to explore young Cambodian prisoners’ experiences and perceptions of mental health and well-being, their determinants and their coping strategies.

Six focus group discussions were carried out in three prisons with a total of 48 young prisoners between the ages of 15 and 24 years (50% women, 50% men). Semi-structured questions guided the discussions, and thematic analysis was applied to analyse the data.

Young prisoners reported multifaceted experiences of mental health and well-being. The majority described adverse mental health experiences, while some revealed better well-being, partly influenced by the socio-economic support from outside the prisons and previous involvement or not in drug abuse. The experience of physical overcrowding without emotional attachment among the fellow prisoners was perceived as the overarching determinant of loneliness and mental health problems, while socio-emotional support and rituals were described as the most important coping mechanisms.

This pioneering study from Cambodia gives young prisoners an opportunity to voice their experiences and perceptions of mental health and well-being in the prison setting. The findings in this study underline the importance of prison authorities tackling overcrowding to promote well-being and reduce mental health problems. Also, the coping mechanisms outlined by the participants should be considered when planning psychosocial interventions.