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- PublicationAn assessment of the legal and regulatory framework supporting the implementation of the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) in Kenya(2024)This study sought to establish the elements that constitute comprehensive legal and regulatory landscape for successful digital identity system establishment and implementation. Subsequently, the study sought to assess whether these elements were present in the establishment and implementation of the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) in Kenya. The study adopted a qualitative approach, data was obtained firstly, through literature review that provided background information to the study. Secondly, semi structured interviews were undertaken on purposively selected key informants. The study established that the elements that constitute a robust legal and regulatory framework for digital identity (ID) establishment and implementation include presence of a constitutional provision on the right to privacy; existence of a digital ID law governing the establishment of the system; amendment of laws relating to the registration of persons; existence of a data protection law; existence of an overarching law governing the digital economy among others. Largely, most of these elements were present in Kenya. However, the legislative approach adopted in crafting digital ID law in Kenya was wanting. This has undermined effective implementation of the NIIM system by among other things eroding public confidence in the system. The study concluded that effective operation of the system hinged on the existence of a robust and comprehensive legal and regulatory framework that will engender users’ trust in the system. In this regard, the study recommended review of the existing legal framework to ensure that it underpins both the foundational and functional aspects of the NIIM system.
6 9 - PublicationGrowth of the sandy isthmus of tyre and ensuing relocation of its harbors(2024)The renowned Phoenician city of Tyre was settled on a small coastal island from which it resisted invasions and sieges for centuries. In 332 BCE, the city was taken when Alexander-the-Great built a 750 m-long causeway to seize the island. The causeway interrupted longshore sediment transport, forcing sand to accumulate along the causeway, creating a isthmus that today still connects the island to the mainland. This isthmus is no less than 530 m wide and 13 m high. We studied the impact of isthmus growth on city development during Antiquity, by combining archeological data, core stratigraphy, and multibeam bathymetry to track the paleogeographic evolution of the land-facing coast of Tyre, from the Holocene marine transgression up to today. In Phoenician time (900-300 BCE), sea-level markers indicate that relative sea level lied more than 2.5 m below current sea level, defining a 1500 × 600 m rocky island, 450 m longer in the south than the modern rocky headland. Between the island and the mainland, diffracted/refracted waves built a submerged sand bank that rests on eroded transgressive lagoonal clays. Along the mainland-facing coast of Tyre Island, Phoenician walls were built on the emerged end of the sand bank. Middle infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) shows that the sand of the bank and its successor isthmus is made of carbonate clasts (90–100%). 36Sr/37Sr ratios further indicate that these are modern bioclastic sands. Coeval, heterogeneous clay-rich sediments were deposited between the rocky island, and the sand bank. We interpret these as harbor sediments, deposited behind buried and/or submerged Phoenician breakwaters. The sand bank inflated dramatically after the building of Alexander's causeway, rising 5 m during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It rose another 4 m–8 m in successive stages during Byzantine and Medieval times, up to the 19th century. The rapid growth of the sandy isthmus after 332 BCE led to the demise and burial of the harbors that had been developed along the mainland-facing coast. The Phoenician southern harbor of Tyre appears to have been buried in Roman times during the repurposing of the SE corner of the island for monumental baths. We interpret this repurposing as a response to the growth of the sandy isthmus, and suggest that the northern Phoenician harbor was then relocated to its present position. Subsequent relative sea level rise led to the erosion of the landfill overlying the southern harbor, exposing the formerly buried port on the seafloor.
4 - PublicationDURATION MODELS FOR CREDIT RATING MIGRATION: EVIDENCE FROM THE FINANCIAL CRISIS(2018)We introduce a specific duration model to analyze the prediction of the credit rating migration. We consider hazard rate processes based on multi‐state autoregressive conditional duration models. To take account of the economic context, we model the conditional mean of the duration between two ratings by means of a latent process. To this purpose, a dynamic‐ordered probit model is developed to describe the directions taken by the ratings in the presence of multiple states. As an illustration, we study the migration of credit rating during periods before and after the financial crisis. ( JEL C14, C41, G24)
3Scopus© Citations 2 - PublicationThe impact of fintech-based eco-friendly incentives in improving sustainable environmental performance: A mediating-moderating model(2024)China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, responsible for a substantial portion of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions. Many researchers investigated this issue; however, the literature is silent on how FinTech-based incentives can improve environmental performance. The research aims to shed light on the complex relationships among FinTech incentives, green consumer behavior, environmental consciousness, and environmental performance. Data was collected from 380 respondents representing diverse roles in the manufacturing industry. We used Smart-PLS and SPSS to test our hypothesis. The results confirm a positive relationship between FinTech incentives and green consumer behavior. However, consumer demographics and environmental awareness do not significantly moderate this relationship. The mediation analysis reveals that green consumer behavior mediates the relationship between FinTech incentives and environmental performance, while environmental consciousness mediates the relationship between FinTech incentives and green consumer behavior. Additionally, green consumer behavior mediates the relationship between environmental consciousness and environmental performance. The study's findings suggest that FinTech incentives effectively encourage eco-friendly choices, positively influencing environmental performance. This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers and businesses seeking to design effective environmental strategies and promote sustainability in the manufacturing industry. By leveraging FinTech incentives to encourage eco-friendly choices and foster environmental consciousness, businesses can contribute to a more sustainable future, aligning with global efforts to address environmental challenges and foster responsible consumption patterns in China and beyond.
Scopus© Citations 6 10 - PublicationLithium-Induced Oxygen Vacancies in MnO2@MXene for High-Performance Zinc–Air Batteries(2024)The traditional methods for creating oxygen vacancies in materials present several challenges and limitations, such as high preparation temperatures, limited oxygen vacancy generation, and morphological destruction, which hinder the application of transition metal oxides in the field of zinc–air batteries (ZABs). In order to address these limitations, we have introduced a pioneering lithium reduction strategy for generating oxygen vacancies in δ-MnO2@MXene composite materials. This strategy stands out for its simplicity of implementation, applicability at room temperature, and preservation of the material’s structural integrity. This research demonstrates that aqueous Ov-MnO2@MXene-5, with introduced oxygen vacancies, exhibits an outstanding oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with an ORR half-wave potential reaching 0.787 V. DFT calculations have demonstrated that the enhanced activity could be attributed to adjustments in the electronic structure and alterations in adsorption bond lengths. These adjustments result from the introduction of oxygen vacancies, which in turn promote electron transport and catalytic activity. In the context of zinc–air batteries, cells with Ov-MnO2@MXene-5 as the air cathode exhibit outstanding performance, featuring a significantly improved maximum power density (198.3 mW cm–2) and long-term cycling stability. Through the innovative strategy of introducing oxygen vacancies, this study has successfully enhanced the electrochemical catalytic performance of MnO2, overcoming the limitations associated with traditional methods for creating oxygen vacancies. Consequently, this research opens up new avenues and directions for nonprecious metal catalyst application in ZABs.
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