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• Remittances implicated in land system maintenance and transformation. • Remittances and land change seldom a primary focus of research. • Four non-exclusive pathways identified for impacts of remittance expenditures on land systems. • Remittance expenditures associated with six types of land system changes. • Four avenues for future research identified to advance understanding of remittance-land dynamics. Remittances—funds sent by migrants to family and friends back home—are an important source of global monetary flows, and they have implications for the maintenance and transformation of land systems. A number of published reviews have synthesized work on a variety of aspects of remittances (e.g., rural livelihoods, disasters, and economic development). To our knowledge, there are no reviews of work investigating the linkages between remittances and land change, broadly understood. This knowledge gap is important to address because researchers have recognized that remittances flows are a mechanism that helps to explain how migration can affect land change. Thus, understanding the specific roles remittances play in land system changes should help to clarify the multiple processes associated with migration and their independent and interactive effects. To address the state of knowledge about the connection between remittances and land systems, this paper conducts a systematic review. Our review of 51 journal articles finds that the linkages uncovered were commonly subtle and/or indirect. Very few studies looked at the direct connections between receipt of remittances and quantitative changes in land. Most commonly, the relationship between remittances and land change was found to occur through pathways from labor migration to household income to agricultural development and productivity. We find four non-exclusive pathways through which households spend remittances with consequent changes to land systems: (1) agricultural crops and livestock, (2) agricultural labor and technologies, (3) land purchases, and (4) non-agricultural purchases and consumables. In the papers reviewed, these expenditures are linked to various land system change outcomes, including land use change, soil degradation, pasture degradation, afforestation/deforestation/degradation, agricultural intensification/extensification/diversification, and no impact. These findings suggest four avenues for future research. One avenue is the use of the theoretical lens of telecoupling to understand how remittances may produce wider-scale changes in land systems. A second avenue is further examination of the impacts of shocks and disturbances to remittance flows on land change both in migrant sending and in remittance receiving areas. A third avenue is scholarship that examines the extent that household uses of remittances have a "ripple effect" on land uses in nearby interlinked systems. A fourth avenue for future work is the use of spatially explicit modeling that leverages land cover and land use data based on imagery and other geospatial information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although broadband Internet infrastructure is acknowledged as a key ingredient to competitiveness, an unfortunate aspect of current work is the dominant focus on households. Given the need for more research on the multidimensional relationship between broadband and businesses, or the broadband-business nexus, this study estimates econometric models to evaluate the impact of early broadband availability on future levels of business activity. Model results suggest regions with an early advantage in broadband provision had more business growth than other regions. Model results also highlight long-lasting spatial effects on business activity stemming from broadband spillovers from core hubs to neighboring areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is recognized that the Internet and entrepreneurial opportunity are linked, the majority of studies analyzing business use of the Internet focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address a need for adoption studies focused on new ventures, which differ from SMEs in terms of organizational stage and number of employees, this study analyzes survey data from entrepreneurs to understand factors that influence the adoption of multiple Internet and social media platforms, and the role of business incubation facilities in providing information technology assistance to these ventures. Regression analysis of survey data reveal that prior entrepreneurial experience was the most important factor in explaining a diverse number of Internet application and social media use. This finding likely stems from differences in cognitive frameworks between novice and experienced entrepreneurs, which impacts their ability to recognize opportunities and respond to technological change. The location of a new venture within a business incubation facility did not help in the diverse use of Internet applications. This result did vary by gender as model results highlighted that women in business incubation facilities were more likely to use a diversity of Internet applications than those not located in these facilities. These findings point to policy implications regarding the implementation of technology training programs for female entrepreneurs, and digital awareness/ training for novice entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While disparities in broadband in rural areas are well documented, little research exists about broadband in tribal communities. This gap means we lack information about the trajectory of broadband deployment in tribal areas. It also means we lack comparative information about the similarities or differences in the trajectory of broadband deployment in tribal areas compared to non-tribal areas (e.g. urban and rural areas). To address this gap in our knowledge, this study utilizes longitudinal tract data constructed from information in the FCC Form 477 database to analyze broadband provision in tribal areas from 2014 to 2020. Empirical results show that rural tribes may be falling further behind the rest of the nation in broadband provision, while metropolitan tribal areas now enjoy better provision levels, on average, than their non-tribal counterparts. Additionally, the nuances of broadband distributions across tribal, rural, and urban areas make clear that a one-size-fits-all policy to aid tribal communities is inappropriate to address these and other related challenges. This is especially true as concerns about the intersection of federal broadband policy with tribal sovereignty and self-determination emerge. • This study is a longitudinal analysis of broadband provision in tribal areas. • Rural tribal areas falling behind rest of the nation in broadband provision. • Metropolitan tribal areas enjoy better provision levels than non-tribal counterparts. • Need for a policy focus on rural, tribal areas. • Customized policies that work in concert with tribal sovereignty needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems with currently available broadband data sources highlight the pressing need for novel data analytical methods and tools that enable policy makers to explore broadband market dynamics. Given this pressing need, the goal of this paper is to discuss the current state-of-the-art in geovisual analytic tools that could be applied to broadband analysis and demonstrate how these toolkits may be applied to answer important policy questions about the spatio-temporal evolution of broadband markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remittances are an important source of cash flows for lower-middle income countries, but may also enhance vulnerability to shocks if these financial flows are concentrated among a few sources. We utilize descriptive statistics and panel econometric models estimated via generalized least squares (GLS) to investigate whether remittances are a source of vulnerability for the newly independent states (NIS) arising from the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, who receive a substantial proportion of remittance flows from the Russian Federation. Analytical results reveal remittance inflows from the Russian Federation to the NIS, are more significant than remittance inflows from the Russian Federation to all other countries. Model results also indicate remittances to the NIS are more susceptible to geopolitical and economic shocks affecting the Russian Federation than are remittance inflows to other countries. From a policy perspective, our results suggest policymakers should strive to eliminate barriers to migration between countries to reduce the likelihood of concentrated financial flows, since concentrated remittances sources represent potential exposure to economic and geopolitical shocks of sending countries. [Display omitted] • Investigate remittance network vulnerability when inflows are undiversified. • Focus analysis on newly independent states (NIS) from dissolution of Soviet Union. • Remittances do not enhance economic vitality of NIS relative to other countries. • NIS remittances from the Russian Federation more significant than other countries. • NIS remittances more susceptible to shocks to Russian Federation than other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billions of people globally, living with various degrees of water insecurity, obtain their household and drinking water from diverse sources that can absorb a disproportionate amount of a household's income. In theory, there are income and expenditure thresholds associated with effective mitigation of household water insecurity, but there is little empirical research about these mechanisms and thresholds in low- and middle-income settings. This study used data from 3655 households from 23 water-insecure sites in 20 countries to explore the relationship between cash water expenditures (measured as a Z -score, percent of income, and Z -score of percent of income) and a household water insecurity score, and whether income moderated that relationship. We also assessed whether water expenditures moderated the relationships between water insecurity and both food insecurity and perceived stress. Using tobit mixed effects regression models, we observed a positive association between multiple measures of water expenditures and a household water insecurity score, controlling for demographic characteristics and accounting for clustering within neighborhoods and study sites. The positive relationships between water expenditures and water insecurity persisted even when adjusted for income, while income was independently negatively associated with water insecurity. Water expenditures were also positively associated with food insecurity and perceived stress. These results underscore the complex relationships between water insecurity, food insecurity, and perceived stress and suggest that water infrastructure interventions that increase water costs to households without anti-poverty and income generation interventions will likely exacerbate experiences of household water insecurity, especially for the lowest-income households. Unlabelled Image • We assessed relationships between water expenditures, income, and water insecurity. • Higher household water expenditures were associated with greater water insecurity. • Higher water expenditures were associated with food insecurity and perceived stress. • We observed no income threshold for households overcoming water insecurity. • Water projects that increase household costs should be paired with anti-poverty measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino-aromatic compounds, 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene (ANT), and 2,4-diaminotoluene (DAT) are carcinogens and environmentally persistent pollutants. In this study, we investigated their degradation by natural manganese peroxidase (nMnP) derived from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and recombinant manganese peroxidase packaged in vaults (vMnP). Encapsulation of manganese peroxidase (MnP) in ribonucleoprotein nanoparticle cages, called vaults, was achieved by creating recombinant vaults in yeast Pichia pastoris. Vault packaging increased the stability of MnP by locally sequestering multiple copies of the enzyme. Within 96 h, both vMnP and nMnP catalyzed over 72% removal of ANT in-vitro , which indicates that vault packaging did not limit substrate diffusion. It was observed that vMnP was more efficient than nMnP and P. chrysosporium for the catalysis of target contaminants. Only 57% of ANT was degraded by P. chrysosporium even when MnP activity reached about 480 U L−1 in cultures. At 1.5 U L−1 initial activity, vMnP achieved 38% of ANT and 51% of DAT degradation, whereas even 2.7 times higher activity of nMnP showed insignificant biodegradation of both compounds. These results imply that due to protection by vault cages, vMnP has lower inactivation rates. Thus, it works effectively at lower dosage for a longer duration compared to nMnP without requiring frequent replenishment. Collectively, these results indicate that fungal enzymes packaged in vault nanoparticles are more stable and active, and they would be effective in biodegradation of energetic compounds in industrial processes, waste treatment, and contaminated environments. Image 108 • Manganese peroxidase (MnP) was produced, purified, and packaged in vault nanocages. • Vault-MnP degraded 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene (ANT) and 2,4-diaminotoluene (DAT). • ANT and DAT catalysis rates for vault-MnP were higher than those for native MnP. • Vault packaging does not limit substrate diffusion to the enzymes' active sites. • Fungal enzymes packaged in vaults are more active, concentrated, and stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]