Integrating remote sensing and 3-PG model to simulate the biomass and carbon stock of Larix olgensis plantation

Accurate estimations of biomass and its temporal dynamics are crucial for monitoring the carbon cycle in forest ecosystems and assessing forest carbon sequestration potentials.Recent studies have shown that integrating process-based models(PBMs)with remote sensing data can enhance simulations from stand to regional scales,significantly improving the ability to simulate forest growth and carbon stock dynamics.However,the utilization of PBMs for large-scale simulation of larch carbon storage distribution is still limited.In this study,we applied the parameterized 3-PG(Physiological Principles Predicting Growth)model across the Mengjiagang Forest Farm(MFF)to make broad-scale predictions of the biomass and carbon stocks of Larix olgensis plantation.The model was used to simulate average diameter at breast height(DBH)and total biomass,which were later validated with a wide range of observation data including sample plot data,forest management inventory data,and airborne laser scanning data.The results showed that the 3-PG model had relatively high accuracy for predicting both DBH and total biomass at stand and regional scale,with determination coefficients ranging from 0.78 to 0.88.Based on the estimation of total biomass,we successfully produced a carbon stock map of the Larix olgensis plantation in MFF with a spatial resolution of 20 m,which helps with relevant management advice.These findings indicate that the integration of 3-PG model and remote sensing data can well predict the biomass and carbon stock at regional and even larger scales.In addition,this integration facilitates the evaluation of forest carbon sequestration capacity and the development of forest management plans.

Carbon stock estimation in halophytic wooded savannas of Uruguay:An ecosystem approach

Savannas constitute a mixture of trees and shrub patches with a more continuous herbaceous understory.The contribution of this biome to the soil organic carbon(SOC)and above-ground biomass(AGB)carbon(C)stock globally is significant.However,they are frequently subjected to land use changes,promoting increases in CO_(2) emissions.In Uruguay,subtropical wooded savannas cover around 100,000 ha,of which approximately 28%is circumscribed to sodic soils(i.e.,subtropical halophytic wooded savannas).Nevertheless,there is little background about the contribution of each ecosystem component to the C stock as well as site-specific allometric equations.The study was conducted in 5 ha of subtropical halophytic wooded savannas of the national protected area Esteros y Algarrobales del Rio Uruguay.This work aimed to estimate the contribution of the main ecosystem components(e.g.,soil,trees,shrubs,and herbaceous plants)to the C stock.Site-specific allometric equations for the most frequent tree species and shrub genus were fitted based on basal diameter(BD)and total height(H).The fitted equations accounted for between 77%and 98%of the aerial biomass variance of Netuma affinis and Vachellia caven.For shrubs(Baccharis sp.),the adjusted equation accounted for 86%of total aerial biomass.C stock for the entire system was 116.71±11.07 Mg·ha^(-1),of which 90.7%was allocated in the soil,8.3%in the trees,0.8%in the herbaceous plants,and 0.2%in the shrubs.These results highlight the importance of subtropical halophytic wooded savannas as C sinks and their relevance in the mitigation of global warming under a climate change scenario.

Growth, Population Parameters and Stock Status of Sarotherodon galilaeus in Samandeni Reservoir, Burkina Faso

Mango tilapia, Sarotherodon galilaeus is one of the most caught fish species in the Samandeni multi-species fishing sites of which, few data on its biology and exploitation are available. The study aimed to Assess the stock status of S. galilaeus. Sampling was conducted from March, 2021 to February 2022 based on commercial fish catches to analyze growth parameters, first sexual maturity size and harvest status of the stock. A total of 572 specimens including 297 females and 275 males were examined. The stock assessment was performed by using the Length based Bayesian method of Biomass (LBB) and that of growth by the ELEFAN method. The growth parameters showed a seasonality of growth and females appeared to grow faster than males. On the other hand, males had a greater asymptotic length than females. Results on the estimated length of fish at first maturity showed that females firstly reached the maturity compared to males. The relative biomass (B/B0) estimated for the stock was higher than the relative biomass that produces maximum sustainable yield (BMSY/B0) indicating healthy biomass. In addition, the length at first sexual maturity was less than the length at the first catch, indicating the absence of overfishing of growth. In addition, extending the study to the various stocks of the reservoir would be important for the sustainable management of the Samandeni high economic fishing area.

Tree mycorrhizal associations determine how biodiversity,large trees,and environmental factors drive aboveground carbon stock in temperate forests

Biodiversity,large trees,and environmental conditions such as climate and soil have important effects on forest carbon stocks.However,recent studies in temperate forests suggest that the relative importance of these factors depends on tree mycorrhizal associations,whereby large-tree effects may be driven by ectomycorrhizal(EM)trees,diversity effects may be driven by arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)trees,and environment effects may depend on differential climate and soil preferences of AM and EM trees.To test this hypothesis,we used forest-inventory data consisting of over 80,000 trees from 631 temperate-forest plots(30 m×30 m)across Northeast China to examine how biodiversity(species diversity and ecological uniqueness),large trees(top 1%of tree diameters),and environmental factors(climate and soil nutrients)differently regulate aboveground carbon stocks of AM trees,EM trees,and AM and EM trees combined(i.e.total aboveground carbon stock).We found that large trees had a positive effect on both AM and EM tree carbon stocks.However,biodiversity and environmental factors had opposite effects on AM vs.EM tree carbon stocks.Specifically,the two components of biodiversity had positive effects on AM tree carbon stocks,but negative effects on EM tree carbon stocks.Environmental heterogeneity(mean annual temperature and soil nutrients)also exhibited contrasting effects on AM and EM tree carbon stocks.Consequently,for the total carbon stock,the positive large-tree effect far surpasses the diversity and environment effect.This is mainly because when integrating AM and EM tree carbon stock into total carbon stock,the opposite diversity-effect(also environment-effect)on AM vs.EM tree carbon stock counteracts each other while the consistent positive large-tree effect on AM and EM tree carbon stock is amplified.In summary,this study emphasized a mycorrhizal viewpoint to better understand the determinants of overarching aboveground carbon profile across regional forests.

Transcriptional regulation of MdPIN7 by MdARF19 during gravityinduced formation of adventitious root GSA in self-rooted apple stock

Self-rooted apple stock is widely used for apple production.However,the shallowness of the adventitious roots in self-rooted apple stock leads to poor performance in the barren orchards of China.This is because of the considerable difference in the development of a gravitropic set-point angle(GSA)between self-rooted apple stock and seedling rootstock.Therefore,it is crucial to study the molecular mechanism of adventitious root GSA in self-rooted apple stock for breeding self-rooted and deep-rooted apple rootstock cultivars.An apple auxin response factor MdARF19 functioned to establish the adventitious root GSA of self-rooted apple stock in response to gravity and auxin signals.MdARF19 bound directly to the MdPIN7 promoter,activating its transcriptional expression and thus regulating the formation of the adventitious root GSA in 12-2 self-rooted apple stock.However,MdARF19 influenced the expression of auxin efflux carriers(MdPIN3 and MdPIN10)and the establishment of adventitious root GSA of self-rooted apple stock in response to gravity signals by direct activation of MdFLP.Our findings provide new information on the transcriptional regulation of MdPIN7 by auxin response factor MdARF19 in the regulation of the adventitious root GSA of self-rooted apple stock in response to gravity and auxin signals.

Structured Multi-Head Attention Stock Index Prediction Method Based Adaptive Public Opinion Sentiment Vector

The present study examines the impact of short-term public opinion sentiment on the secondary market,with a focus on the potential for such sentiment to cause dramatic stock price fluctuations and increase investment risk.The quantification of investment sentiment indicators and the persistent analysis of their impact has been a complex and significant area of research.In this paper,a structured multi-head attention stock index prediction method based adaptive public opinion sentiment vector is proposed.The proposedmethod utilizes an innovative approach to transform numerous investor comments on social platforms over time into public opinion sentiment vectors expressing complex sentiments.It then analyzes the continuous impact of these vectors on the market through the use of aggregating techniques and public opinion data via a structured multi-head attention mechanism.The experimental results demonstrate that the public opinion sentiment vector can provide more comprehensive feedback on market sentiment than traditional sentiment polarity analysis.Furthermore,the multi-head attention mechanism is shown to improve prediction accuracy through attention convergence on each type of input information separately.Themean absolute percentage error(MAPE)of the proposedmethod is 0.463%,a reduction of 0.294% compared to the benchmark attention algorithm.Additionally,the market backtesting results indicate that the return was 24.560%,an improvement of 8.202% compared to the benchmark algorithm.These results suggest that themarket trading strategy based on thismethod has the potential to improve trading profits.

The Impact of Short Selling Disclosure Regulatory Constraint on the Lending Market and Stock Ownership

We examine the impact of the short sell disclosure(SSD)regime on the stock lending market and investor behaviors,employing a staggered difference-indifference(DiD)methodology.Our research reveals that the introduction of the disclosure regime enhances market transparency,resulting in a diminished appeal of stock ownership in the lending market for active investors.This shift is accompanied by a reduction in information leakage risks and longer loan durations.Specifically,our analysis reveals a significant decrease in the risk of loan recall by 4.87%,accompanied by an average increase of 23.72%in loan duration for short selling activities.Furthermore,the cost associated with short-sell disclosure causes a decline in both lending supply and short demand.

The changes in soil organic carbon stock and quality across a subalpine forest successional series

Soil organic carbon(SOC)affects the function of terrestrial ecosystem and plays a vital role in global carbon cycle.Yet,large uncertainty still existed regarding the changes in SOC stock and quality with forest succession.Here,the stock and quality of SOC at 1-m soil profile were investigated across a subalpine forest series,including shrub,deciduous broad-leaved forest,broadleaf-conifer mixed forest,middle-age coniferous forest and mature coniferous forest,which located at southeast of Tibetan Plateau.The results showed that SOC stock ranged from 9.8 to29.9 kg·m^(-2),and exhibited a hump-shaped response pattern across the forest successional series.The highest and lowest SOC stock was observed in the mixed forest and shrub forest,respectively.The SOC stock had no significant relationships with soil temperature and litter stock,but was positively correlated with wood debris stock.Meanwhile,the average percentages of polysaccharides,lignins,aromatics and aliphatics based on FTIR spectroscopy were 79.89%,0.94%,18.87%and 0.29%,respectively.Furthermore,the percentage of polysaccharides exhibited an increasing pattern across the forest successional series except for the sudden decreasing in the mixed forest,while the proportions of lignins,aromatics and aliphatics exhibited a decreasing pattern across the forest successional series except for the sudden increasing in the mixed forest.Consequently,the humification indices(HIs)were highest in the mixed forest compared to the other four successional stages,which means that the SOC quality in mixed forest was worse than other successional stages.In addition,the SOC stock,recalcitrant fractions and HIs decreased with increasing soil depth,while the polysaccharides exhibited an increasing pattern.These findings demonstrate that the mixed forest had higher SOC stock and worse SOC quality than other successional stages.The high proportion of SOC stock(66%at depth of 20-100 cm)and better SOC quality(lower HIs)indicate that deep soil have tremendous potential to store SOC and needs more attention under global chan ge.

Design Strategies and Practice Paths for Improving Urban Quality in the Stock Era

In the middle and later stages of urbanization development,the growth of the real estate industry will stagnate,and urban renewal will become the mainstream.With the advancement of urban renewal,there are still problems in improving the quality of cities in the stock era and their design strategies.This paper analyzed the Linping Old City organic renewal project and the Xishui River ecological governance project in the stock era of urban quality improvement by sorting out the current development status,historical background,planning types,and design strategies of quality improvement in the stock era from the perspective of urban renewal,combining with project overview,main problems,design methods,and design content.Urban renewal is the leading direction for promoting urban development and construction on a global scale,and countries formulate different plans and practices based on their local characteristics.Urban renewal strategies should be diversified,and focus on livable environments,urban characteristics,etc.,while considering human factors,green innovation,etc.,in order to achieve smart community management and enhance the economic and social benefits brought by urban attractiveness.For successful cases such as the Linping Old City and Xishui River ecological governance project,corresponding urban quality improvement strategies and implementation plans should be formulated according to local conditions,with emphasis on social participation and people’s livelihood improvement.This study can help urban planning pay more attention to rational utilization and upgrading of existing urban resources,adapt to the current urban development situation,and promote sustainable urban development.

Stock Type Prediction Based on Multiple Machine Learning Methods

Stocks in the Chinese stock market can be divided into ST stocks and normal stocks, so to prevent investors from buying potential ST stocks, this paper first performs SMOTEENN oversampling data preprocessing for the ST stock category, and selects 139 financial indicators and technical factor as predictive features. Then, it combines the Boruta algorithm and Copula entropy method for feature selection, effectively improving the machine learning model’s performance in ST stock classification, with the AUC values of the two models reaching 98% on the test set. In the model selection and optimization, this paper uses six major models, including logistic regression, XGBoost, AdaBoost, LightGBM, Catboost, and MLP, for modeling and optimizes them using the Optuna framework. Ultimately, XGBoost model is selected as the best model because its AUC value exceeds 95% and its running time is less. Finally, the XGBoost model is explained using the SHAP theory and the interaction between features is discovered, further improving the model’s accuracy and AUC value by about 0.6%, verifying the effectiveness of the model.

Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models for Stock Price Prediction: Leveraging LSTM for Real-Time Forecasting

The research focuses on improving predictive accuracy in the financial sector through the exploration of machine learning algorithms for stock price prediction. The research follows an organized process combining Agile Scrum and the Obtain, Scrub, Explore, Model, and iNterpret (OSEMN) methodology. Six machine learning models, namely Linear Forecast, Naive Forecast, Simple Moving Average with weekly window (SMA 5), Simple Moving Average with monthly window (SMA 20), Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), are compared and evaluated through Mean Absolute Error (MAE), with the LSTM model performing the best, showcasing its potential for practical financial applications. A Django web application “Predict It” is developed to implement the LSTM model. Ethical concerns related to predictive modeling in finance are addressed. Data quality, algorithm choice, feature engineering, and preprocessing techniques are emphasized for better model performance. The research acknowledges limitations and suggests future research directions, aiming to equip investors and financial professionals with reliable predictive models for dynamic markets.

Exploring the Relationship Between Patent Forward Citation and Stock Return Rate Using Empirical Data of China Stock Market

A novel indicator called price-citation was proposed.Based on the company integrated patent database of China listed companies of common stocks(A-shares)with the stock price and the stock return rate data,more than two thousand of A-shares from 2017 to 2020 were selected.The effect of the traditional patent forward citation and the price-citation for discriminating the stock return rate was thoroughly analyzed via ANOVA.The A-shares of forward citation counts above the average showed higher stock return rate means than the A-shares having patents but receiving no forward citations.The price-citation,combining both the financial and patent attributes,defined as the multiplication of the current stock price and the currently receiving forward citation count,showed its excellence in discriminating the stock return rate.The A-shares of higher price-citation showed significantly higher stock return rate means while the A-shares of lower price-citation showed significantly lowest stock return rate means.The price-citation effect had not been changed by COVID-19 though COVID-19 affected the social and economic environment to a considerable extent in 2020.

Soil Organic Carbon Stock Variation under Different Soil Types and Land Uses in the Sub-Humid Noun Plain, Western Cameroon

This study was conducted to assess the current stock of soil organic carbon under different agricultural land uses, soil types and soil depths in the Noun plain in western Cameroon. Three sites were selected for the study, namely Mangoum, Makeka and Fossang, representative of the three dominant soil types of the noun plain (Andosols, Acrisols and Ferralsols). Three land uses were selected per site including natural vegetation, agroforest and crop field. Soil was sampled at three depths;0 - 20 cm, 20 - 40 cm, and 40 - 60 cm. Analysis of variance showed that soil type did not significantly influence carbon storage, but rather land uses and soil depth. SOCS decreased significantly with depth in all the sites, with an average stock of 66.3 ± 15.8 tC/ha at 0 - 20 cm, compared to an average stock of 33.3 ± 7.4 tC/ha at 40 - 60 cm. SOCS was significantly highest in the natural formation with 57.2 ± 19.7 tC/ha, and lowest in cultivated fields, at 37.7 ± 10.6 tC/ha. Andosols, with their high content of coarse fragments, stored less organic carbon than Ferralsols and Acrisols.

National Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Inventories under Different Mangrove Forest Types in Gabon

Gabonese’s estuary is an important coastal mangrove setting and soil plays a key role in mangrove carbon storage in mangrove forests. However, the spatial variation in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage remain unclear. To address this gap, determining the SOC spatial variation in Gabonese’s estuarine is essential for better understanding the global carbon cycle. The present study compared soil organic carbon between northern and southern sites in different mangrove forest, Rhizophora racemosa and Avicennia germinans. The results showed that the mean SOC stocks at 1 m depth were 256.28 ± 127.29 MgC ha−1. Among the different regions, SOC in northern zone was significantly (p p < 0.001). The deeper layers contained higher SOC stocks (254.62 ± 128.09 MgC ha−1) than upper layers (55.42 ± 25.37 MgC ha−1). The study highlights that low deforestation rate have led to less CO2 (705.3 Mg CO2e ha−1 - 922.62 Mg CO2e ha−1) emissions than most sediment carbon-rich mangroves in the world. These results highlight the influence of soil texture and mangrove forest types on the mangrove SOC stocks. The first national comparison of soil organic carbon stocks between mangroves and upland tropical forests indicated SOC stocks were two times more in mangroves soils (51.21 ± 45.00 MgC ha−1) than primary (20.33 ± 12.7 MgC ha−1), savanna and cropland (21.71 ± 15.10 MgC ha−1). We find that mangroves in this study emit lower dioxide-carbon equivalent emissions. This study highlights the importance of national inventories of soil organic carbon and can be used as a baseline on the role of mangroves in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation but the variation in SOC stocks indicates the need for further national data.

Research on the Dynamic Volatility Relationship between Chinese and U.S. Stock Markets Based on the DCC-GARCH Model under the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study utilizes the Dynamic Conditional Correlation-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (DCC-GARCH) model to investigate the dynamic relationship between Chinese and U.S. stock markets amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, a univariate GARCH model is developed to derive residual sequences, which are then used to estimate the DCC model parameters. The research reveals a significant rise in the interconnection between the Chinese and U.S. stock markets during the pandemic. The S&P 500 index displayed higher sensitivity and greater volatility in response to the pandemic, whereas the CSI 300 index showed superior resilience and stability. Analysis and model estimation suggest that the market’s dependence on historical data has intensified and its sensitivity to recent shocks has heightened. Predictions from the model indicate increased market volatility during the pandemic. While the model is proficient in capturing market trends, there remains potential for enhancing the accuracy of specific volatility predictions. The study proposes recommendations for policymakers and investors, highlighting the importance of improved cooperation in international financial market regulation and investor education.

Stock Price Prediction Based on the Bi-GRU-Attention Model

The stock market, as one of the hotspots in the financial field, forms a data system with a huge volume of data and complex relationships between various factors, making stock price prediction an area of keen interest for further in-depth mining and research. Mathematical statistics methods struggle to deal with nonlinear relationships in practical applications, making it difficult to explore deep information about stocks. Meanwhile, machine learning methods, particularly neural network models and composite models, which have achieved outstanding results in other fields, are being applied to the stock market with significant results. However, researchers have found that these methods do not grasp the essential information of the data as well as expected. In response to these issues, researchers are exploring better neural network models and combining them with other methods to analyze stock data. Thus, this paper proposes the ABiGRU composite model, which combines the attention mechanism and bidirectional gated recurrent unit (GRU) that can effectively extract data features for stock price prediction research. Models such as LSTM, GRU, and Bi-LSTM are selected for comparative experiments. To ensure the credibility and representativeness of the research data, daily stock price indices of BYD are chosen for closing price prediction studies across different models. The results show that the ABiGRU model has a lower prediction error and better fitting effect on three index-based stock prices, enhancing the learning efficiency of the neural network model and demonstrating good prediction stability. This suggests that the ABiGRU model is highly adaptable for stock price prediction.

China’s Monetary Policy Impacts on Money and Stock Markets

This study investigated the impact of China’s monetary policy on both the money market and stock markets,assuming that non-policy variables would not respond contemporaneously to changes in policy variables.Monetary policy adjustments are swiftly observed in money markets and gradually extend to the stock market.The study examined the effects of monetary policy shocks using three primary instruments:interest rate policy,reserve requirement ratio,and open market operations.Monthly data from 2007 to 2013 were analyzed using vector error correction(VEC)models.The findings suggest a likely presence of long-lasting and stable relationships among monetary policy,the money market,and stock markets.This research holds practical implications for Chinese policymakers,particularly in managing the challenges associated with fluctuation risks linked to high foreign exchange reserves,aiming to achieve autonomy in monetary policy and formulate effective monetary strategies to stimulate economic growth.

Dietary organic acids ameliorate high stocking density stress-induced intestinal inflammation through the restoration of intestinal microbiota in broilers

Background:High stocking density(HSD)stress has detrimental effects on growth performance,intestinal barrier function,and intestinal microbiota in intensive animal production.Organic acids(OA)are widely used as feed addi-tives for their ability to improve growth performance and intestinal health in poultry.However,whether dietary OA can ameliorate HSD stress-induced impaired intestinal barrier in broilers remains elusive.In this study,a total of 528 one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated into 3 treatments with 12 replicates per treatment including 10 birds for normal stocking density and 17 birds for HSD.The dietary treatments were as follows:1)Normal stocking density+basal diet;2)HSD+basal diets;3)HSD+OA.Results:HSD stress can induce increased levels of serum corticosterone,lipopolysaccharides,interleukin-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α,and down-regulated mRNA expression of ZO-1,resulting in compromised growth performance of broilers(P<0.05).Dietary OA could significantly reduce levels of serum corticosterone,lipopolysaccharides,interleukin-1β,and tumor necrosis factor-α,which were accompanied by up-regulated interleukin-10,mRNA expres-sion of ZO-1,and growth performance(P<0.05).Moreover,OA could down-regulate the mRNA expression of TLR4 and MyD88 to inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway(P<0.05).Additionally,HSD stress significantly decreased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and disturbed the balance of microbial ecosystems,whereas OA significantly increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and restored the disordered gut microbiota by reducing competitive and exploita-tive interactions in microbial communities(P<0.05).Meanwhile,OA significantly increased the content of acetic and butyric acids,which showed significant correlations with intestinal inflammation indicators(P<0.05).Conclusions:Dietary OA ameliorated intestinal inflammation and growth performance of broilers through restor-ing the disordered gut microbial compositions and interactions induced by HSD and elevating short-chain fatty acid production to inhibit the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.These findings demonstrated the critical role of intestinal microbiota in mediating the HSD-induced inflammatory responses,contributing to exploring nutritional strategies to alleviate HSD-induced stress in animals.

COVID‑19 and tourism sector stock price in Spain:medium‑term relationship through dynamic regression models

The global pandemic,coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),has significantly affected tourism,especially in Spain,as it was among the first countries to be affected by the pandemic and is among the world’s biggest tourist destinations.Stock market values are responding to the evolution of the pandemic,especially in the case of tourist companies.Therefore,being able to quantify this relationship allows us to predict the effect of the pandemic on shares in the tourism sector,thereby improving the response to the crisis by policymakers and investors.Accordingly,a dynamic regression model was developed to predict the behavior of shares in the Spanish tourism sector according to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in the medium term.It has been confirmed that both the number of deaths and cases are good predictors of abnormal stock prices in the tourism sector.

Survey of feature selection and extraction techniques for stock market prediction

In stock market forecasting,the identification of critical features that affect the performance of machine learning(ML)models is crucial to achieve accurate stock price predictions.Several review papers in the literature have focused on various ML,statistical,and deep learning-based methods used in stock market forecasting.However,no survey study has explored feature selection and extraction techniques for stock market forecasting.This survey presents a detailed analysis of 32 research works that use a combination of feature study and ML approaches in various stock market applications.We conduct a systematic search for articles in the Scopus and Web of Science databases for the years 2011–2022.We review a variety of feature selection and feature extraction approaches that have been successfully applied in the stock market analyses presented in the articles.We also describe the combination of feature analysis techniques and ML methods and evaluate their performance.Moreover,we present other survey articles,stock market input and output data,and analyses based on various factors.We find that correlation criteria,random forest,principal component analysis,and autoencoder are the most widely used feature selection and extraction techniques with the best prediction accuracy for various stock market applications.