Bücher veröffentlicht von World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd

This Handbook presents recent trends and new developments in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) research within the realms of business, finance, and sustainability. Divided into three distinct parts, it encompasses 19 chapters that offer insightful studies conducted in diverse national environments and organizational settings.Part I focuses on DEA applications in business, including healthcare, supply chain management, and governmental organizations. Part II delves into the application of DEA in banking and finance, providing valuable insights into the efficiency and performance of financial institutions. Part III explores DEA's diverse applications in sustainability, addressing topics such as sustainability indicators, resource mobilization, food production, and farming. In essence, this Handbook stands as an invaluable reference work for stakeholders seeking to optimize organizational efficiency and performance across a variety of sectors.

Our current understanding of nature is in terms of matter that is acted on by forces. There are four fundamental forces, of which three are described by so-called gauge theories, a type of quantum field theory. The fourth force, gravity, is best described by general relativity, and our traditional ways of thinking about gauge theories and gravity look completely different from each other.In recent years, an exciting new correspondence called the "double copy" has emerged, which suggests that the above theories may be much more closely related than previously thought. Inspired by previous work in string theory, it originated in the study of how particles interact, but has since been generalised to show that many gravitational quantities can be simply obtained by recycling simpler gauge theory results. This has significant practical applications - such as new calculational tools for astrophysics - but is also of conceptual importance, in suggesting that our current ways of thinking about fundamental physics are hiding a vast underlying structure.This book reviews our current theories of fundamental physics, before describing in detail how the double copy was discovered, how it can be applied to different types of object in gauge or gravity theory, and what its current and future applications are. No prior knowledge of quantum field theory or string theory is assumed, such that the book will be of interest to a broad audience of physicists and mathematicians.

According to World Bank (2021), the economic recovery post-COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been uneven and tumultuous. Reasons for this include exposure to oil-price fluctuations, the impact of pandemic, public demonstrations, and political instability. Although the MENA region encompasses a variety of countries - wealthy, stable and oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as less secure countries such as Iraq and Syria - it plays an important role in the global economy.Handbook of Banking and Finance in the MENA Region explores the trends in finance and banking of the MENA region, including theoretical and empirical perspectives from researchers around the globe. The first part of the book explores numerous reforms in the region's banking and finance, including digital technology, financial technology (fintech) and green finance. While financial inclusion in the Gulf Cooperation Council is much higher, the other countries in the MENA region have yet to overcome this trend, and the second part of the book provides specific case studies of ways in which banks have contributed to the region. The final section of the book considers macroeconomic factors and financial development. Together these perspectives enrich the discussion of facts and development challenges in the finance and banking of the MENA region as a whole.

Fintech and Green Investment: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities is a comprehensive resource that provides insight into the difficulties and future potential of the transition to green investments through the fintech revolution.This book focuses on how the intersection of fintech and green investment can be used to overcome challenges and create new opportunities. It discusses how fintech is rapidly transforming the financial sector landscape and blurring the boundaries of financial firms and the sector more widely, resulting in a paradigm shift that has various policy implications. The importance of broadening monitoring horizons and reassessing the role of financial regulation in this new landscape is also considered.Covering a wide range of areas in finance, this book is a collection of scientific articles and case studies from a variety of countries. It is suitable for anyone interested in understanding the impact of fintech on green investment, offering valuable insights into how the transformative power of fintech can be harnessed to create a sustainable future.

Green finance plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable development by mobilizing financial resources toward environmentally sustainable projects. It enables the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, which is essential for achieving global climate goals. Green Finance and Sustainable Development Goals explores how, by aligning financial investments with sustainable development objectives, green finance can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The first part of the book examines the connection between climate change and green finance in emerging markets and developing countries, with a particular focus on the impact of globalization and financial development on climate change. The second part of the book focuses on environmental disclosure, standards, and their relevance, with a specific focus on how European countries have implemented green finance to support sustainable development and achieve climate goals. In the third and final part of the book, the authors discuss green finance and sustainable development goals from a global perspective, examining the role of finance and renewable energy transition in supporting sustainable economic development, and how this can be applied to green recovery post-COVID-19.The book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the relationship between green finance and sustainable development goals, offering insights and potential solutions for researchers, investors, and policymakers. It also includes real-life case studies, empirical analyses, and policy recommendations from scholars around the world, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding and addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainable finance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably wreaked havoc on global trade, profoundly affecting people's lives and having a significant impact on economic growth worldwide. Many people regard COVID-19 as "the fury of nature." However, even during the context, and now aftermath, of the pandemic there are still ongoing critical problems facing the world that have not cooled down - one of which is climate change. The recent unusual and extreme weather conditions have thrust climate change into the media limelight and to the forefront of the public agenda. Nowadays, climate change receives special attention from many organizations, countries and governments worldwide because of its profound influence on the global economy and people's lives. Natural disasters and prolonged drought can destroy infrastructure; threaten crops, food production, as well as human life; and lead to mass migration. The effects of climate change are evident everywhere globally and appear to be more severe than ever before.Handbook of Environmental and Green Finance contains conceptual, empirical, and policy papers that provide an insightful and timely read for researchers, investors, and policymakers interested in sustainable finance, development finance, and alternative finance to combat climate change. Throughout this book, readers are offered a global analysis of the current state of the sustainable finance sector and provided with potential solutions to address obstacles in this field.

This book presents a comprehensive coverage of smart structures, from the basic concepts to a wide spectrum of critical applications, including piezoelectric-based sensors, actuators, and self-sensing actuators. Throughout the book, attempts have been made to develop electrical analogies of the structural/piezoelectric interactions.The book is organized into seven chapters. The first three chapters cover the basic concepts of structural dynamics, control, piezoelectric actuators, and piezoelectric sensors. The following four chapters cover a wide range of important applications in active vibration control, passive shunted piezoelectric networks, comprehensive piezoelectric energy harvesting technology, and piezoelectric-based periodic and metamaterial structures. Every chapter concludes with several problems.