This study presents AgroInsect, a hybrid edge-cloud framework for agricultural pest monitoring that integrates on-device deep learning inference with server-side geostatistical mapping into a unified, field-deployable smartphone workflow. Three lightweight YOLO variants (YOLOv5n, YOLOv8n, and YOLOv11n) were trained and benchmarked under three TensorFlow Lite quantization schemes (Float32, Float16, and INT8), evaluating detection accuracy (mAP@0.5, mAP@0.5:0.95), inference latency, energy consumption, and thermal behavior on a mid-range Android device. YOLOv11n-INT8 was selected for deployment, achieving mAP@0.5 of 79.3% with a model size of only 2.98 MB and an estimated battery drain of 8.0% h−1. The system detects four pest species of agronomic relevance to soybean and maize crops in Brazil (Diabrotica speciosa, Dalbulus maidis, Diceraeus spp., and Spodoptera frugiperda) directly on the device, while geolocation is automatically extracted from image EXIF metadata and validated against farm boundaries using the Haversine formula. Detection records are synchronized to a cloud database, where Ordinary Kriging (PyKrige) generates continuous pest density surfaces that are returned to the mobile interface for visualization. Field evaluation achieved 95.1% overall accuracy and F1-scores of 0.94 or higher for all species. Kriging validation under dense synthetic sampling yielded R2 up to 0.9656 (species-dependent), with performance degrading under sparse conditions (R2=0.41–0.68 at 200 × 200 grids). Kriging was further validated against Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) using leave-one-out cross-validation on real field detections (n=79), which showed comparable point-prediction accuracy between the two methods, while Kriging preserved more spatial variance and captured a larger share of the observed infestation hotspot. Our approach integrates on-device pest detection, automated georeferenced validation, and server-side geostatistical mapping within a single operational pipeline, offering a practical tool for Integrated Pest Management in low-connectivity rural environments.
Waste management remains a critical grand challenge in African countries. While entrepreneurship has been a viable strategy for addressing this challenge, it is fraught with constraints. This study investigates the strategies orchestrated by entrepreneurs to navigate adversity in Waste management and ensure the social and economic viability of their ventures. Based on 37 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and management personnel from 14 Waste management companies in Ghana, our findings reveal that entrepreneurs face formal, informal and market-related challenges that limit scalability and increase business attrition. In response, they deploy market, nonmarket social and nonmarket political strategies, with success largely dependent on their environmental and relational managerial competencies. Our paper contributes to the nexus of entrepreneurship and grand challenges by providing an integrative framework that captures the full journey of entrepreneurial efforts in tackling waste management challenges. Moreover, we offer practical implications for policymakers and entrepreneurs seeking to foster sustainable Waste management solutions in Africa.
Construction project delays remain a persistent issue, often exacerbated by variation orders that adversely affect both financial and environmental performance, even in the UK. Although Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) have been increasingly employed to mitigate delays and improve efficiency, limited research has examined how variations affect small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopting MMC in the UK construction sector. Given the pivotal role of SMEs and their financial vulnerability, this study examines the key challenges posed by variation orders for SMEs adopting MMC, with the broader aim of enhancing future project performance. Employing a two-stage iterative methodology, the research first identifies challenges through a comprehensive literature review, followed by a questionnaire survey and expert interviews. The resulting data were analysed thematically and statistically using SPSS and subsequently validated through a detailed case study involving interviews and document analysis. The findings highlight three principal clusters of challenges: operational, contractual, and module alteration-related, of which operational issues, particularly cost discrepancies, client approval delays, and rework, exert the most significant influence. The study provides a structured understanding of these interlinked challenges and underscores the need for targeted mitigation strategies to improve productivity and performance among UK construction SMEs engaged in MMC projects.
This study examines the dynamic and asymmetric connectedness among global sustainability-focused financial markets, including clean energy, the hydrogen market, ESG, carbon markets, and green bonds. The study uses an integrated methodological framework—Quantile-TVP-VAR, connectedness network, and Wavelet coherence—examining spillovers across market regimes and investment horizons. The results reveal that spillover among sustainability markets largely depends on markets’ regimes and frequency horizons. Specifically, the study found that at lower and higher quantiles, clean energy, ESG, and hydrogen markets act as net transmitters. Whilst, at higher quantiles, green bonds and carbon markets absorb systemic shocks and stabilise sustainability markets. The frequency distribution highlights a prominent connectedness in the short-term frequency horizons, while moderate at medium and long-run. The study recommends that diversification benefits are temporary and regime-dependent, while portfolio risk management must be horizon-specific. The hydrogen and clean energy markets can be used for resilience enhancement in sustainability-focused portfolios. Moreover, carbon and green bonds can improve market liquidity and stabilise the sustainable finance framework.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate whether diversification stabilizes bank lending over the business cycle, with a particular focus on differences between Islamic and conventional banks in dual-banking systems.Design/methodology/approachUsing a dynamic panel of 65 banks from the Gulf Cooperation Council between 2008 and 2021, the analysis uses the system generalized method of moments estimator to examine the effects of loan and income diversification, measured using inverse Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (inverse HHI) indicators, on credit cyclicality.FindingsThe results reveal a nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship between GDP growth and credit expansion. Conventional banks remain procyclical throughout the cycle, while Islamic banks are procyclical mainly during downturns. Income diversification supports overall credit growth but increases procyclicality in highly diversified conventional banks. Loan portfolio diversification reduces procyclicality in both bank types, particularly at moderate diversification levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on Gulf Cooperation Council banks and may not generalize to other banking systems. Future research could explore broader regional contexts and alternative diversification measures beyond inverse HHI-based measures.Practical implicationsPolicymakers should consider institutional and portfolio differences in macroprudential frameworks, encouraging loan diversification while carefully monitoring the systemic risks of income-based expansion.Social implicationsThis study shows how diversification strategies influence credit stability over the business cycle in dual-banking systems. By identifying when loan diversification dampens procyclicality and when income diversification may amplify it, the findings inform macroprudential policy design aimed at reducing excessive credit contractions. In bank-based economies, a more stable credit supply supports the continuity of investment and the resilience of small businesses. The results also contribute to a more balanced understanding of Islamic and conventional banking models, highlighting that financial resilience depends on portfolio structure rather than institutional form alone.Originality/valueThis study offers novel evidence on the nonlinear and bank-type-specific effects of diversification on lending cyclicality, providing policy-relevant insights for dual-banking systems.
