bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platiniferous Tetra-Auricupride: A Case Study from the Bolshoy Khailyk Placer Deposit, Western Sayans, Russia
Authors: Barkov Andrei Y. , Tamura Nobumichi , Shvedov Gennadiy I. , Stan Camelia V. , Ma Chi , Winkler Björn , Martin Robert F.
Published: March 2019

Tetra-auricupride, ideally AuCu, represents the only species showing the coexistence of Au with an elevated level of Pt, as in the case of a detrital grain studied structurally for the first time, from an ophiolite-associated placer at Bolshoy Khailyk, western Sayans, Russia. We infer that tetra-auricupride can incorporate as much as ~30 mol. % of a “PtCu” component, apparently without significant modification of the unit cell. The unit-cell parameters of platiniferous tetra-auricupride are: a 2.790(1) Å, c 3.641(4) Å, with c/a = 1.305, which are close to those reported for ordered AuCu(I) in the system Au–Cu, and close also to the cell parameters of tetraferroplatinum (PtFe), which both appear to crystallize in the same space group, P4/mmm. These intermetallic compounds and natural alloys are thus isostructural. The closeness of their structures presumably allows Pt to replace Au atoms so readily. The high extent of Cu + Au enrichment is considered to be a reflection of geochemical evolution and buildup in levels of the incompatible Cu and Au with subordinate Pt in a remaining volume of melt at low levels of fO2 and fS2 in the system.
Bark Extract of the Amazonian Tree Endopleura uchi (Humiriaceae) Extends Lifespan and Enhances Stress Resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Peixoto Herbenya , Roxo Mariana , Silva Emerson , Valente Karla , Braun Markus , Wang Xiaojuan , Wink Michael
Published: March 2019

Endopleura uchi (Huber) Cuatrec (Humiriaceae), known as uxi or uxi-amarelo in Brazil, is an endemic tree of the Amazon forest. In traditional medicine, its stem bark is used to treat a variety of health disorders, including cancer, diabetes, arthritis, uterine inflammation, and gynecological infections. According to HPLC analysis, the main constituent of the bark extract is the polyphenol bergenin. In the current study, we demonstrate by in vitro and in vivo experiments the antioxidant potential of a water extract from the stem bark of E. uchi. When tested in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, the extract enhanced stress resistance via the DAF-16/FOXO pathway. Additionally, the extract promoted an increase in the lifespan of the worms independent from caloric restriction. It also attenuated the age-related muscle function decline and formation of polyQ40 plaques, as a model for Huntington’s disease. Thus, these data support anti-aging and anti-oxidant properties of E. uchi, which has not yet been described. More studies are needed to assess the real benefits of E. uchi bark for human health and its toxicological profile.
A Smart Epoxy Composite Based on Phase Change Microcapsules: Preparation, Microstructure, Thermal and Dynamic Mechanical Performances
Authors: Hu Qinghong , Chen Yan , Hong Jiaoling , Jin Shan , Zou Guangjin , Chen Ling , Chen Da-Zhu
Published: March 2019

Microencapsulated phase change materials (MicroPCMs)-incorporated in epoxy composites have drawn increasing interest due to their promising application potential in the fields of thermal energy storage and temperature regulation. However, the study on the effect of MicroPCMs on their microstructure, thermal and viscoelastic properties is quite limited. Herein, a new type of smart epoxy composite incorporated with polyurea (PU)-shelled MicroPCMs was fabricated via solution casting method. Field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images revealed that the MicroPCMs were uniformly distributed in the epoxy matrix. The thermal stabilities, conductivities, phase change properties, and dynamic mechanical behaviors of the composite were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal constant analyzer and infrared thermography. The results suggested that the heat storage ability of the composites was improved by increasing the MicroPCMs content. The thermal stability of MicroPCMs was found to be enhanced after incorporation into the matrix, and the MicroPCMs-incorporated epoxy composites showed a good thermal cycling reliability. Moreover, the incorporation of MicroPCMs reduced the composites’ storage modulus but increased the glass transition temperature (Tg) as a result of their restriction to the chain motion of epoxy resin. Besides, a less marked heating effect for the composite was explored through infrared thermography analysis, demonstrating the good prospect for temperature regulation application.
Naturally Lignan-Rich Foods: A Dietary Tool for Health Promotion?
Authors: Rodríguez-García Carmen , Sánchez-Quesada Cristina , Toledo Estefanía , Delgado-Rodríguez Miguel , Gaforio José J.
Published: March 2019

Dietary guidelines universally advise adherence to plant-based diets. Plant-based foods confer considerable health benefits, partly attributable to their abundant micronutrient (e.g., polyphenol) content. Interest in polyphenols is largely focused on the contribution of their antioxidant activity to the prevention of various disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Polyphenols are classified into groups, such as stilbenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and others. Lignans, which possess a steroid-like chemical structure and are defined as phytoestrogens, are of particular interest to researchers. Traditionally, health benefits attributed to lignans have included a lowered risk of heart disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and breast cancer. However, the intake of naturally lignan-rich foods varies with the type of diet. Consequently, based on the latest humans’ findings and gathered information on lignan-rich foods collected from Phenol Explorer database this review focuses on the potential health benefits attributable to the consumption of different diets containing naturally lignan-rich foods. Current evidence highlight the bioactive properties of lignans as human health-promoting molecules. Thus, dietary intake of lignan-rich foods could be a useful way to bolster the prevention of chronic illness, such as certain types of cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Single-Piece Solid Contact Cu2+-Selective Electrodes Based on a Synthesized Macrocyclic Calix[4]arene Derivative as a Neutral Carrier Ionophore
Authors: E. Amr Abd El-Galil , Al-Omar Mohamed A. , H. Kamel Ayman , A. Elsayed Elsayed
Published: March 2019

Herein, a facile route leading to good single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) dispersion or poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) based single-piece nanocomposite membrane is proposed for trace determination of Cu2+ ions. The single-piece solid contact Cu2+-selective electrodes were prepared after drop casting the membrane mixture on the glassy-carbon substrates. The prepared potentiometric sensors revealed a Nernstian response slope of 27.8 ± 0.3 and 28.1 ± 0.4 mV/decade over the linearity range 1.0 × 10−3 to 2.0 × 10−9 and 1.0 × 10−3 to 1.0 × 10−9 M with detection limits of 5.4 × 10−10 and 5.0 × 10−10 M for sensors based on SWCNTs and PEDOT/PSS, respectively. Excellent long-term potential stability and high hydrophobicity of the nanocomposite membrane are recorded for the prepared sensors due to the inherent high capacitance of SWCNT used as a solid contact material. The sensors exhibited high selectivity for Cu2+ ions at pH 4.5 over other common ions. The sensors were applied for Cu2+ assessment in tap water and different tea samples. The proposed sensors were robust, reliable and considered as appealing sensors for copper (II) detection in different complex matrices.
The Role of Tocotrienol in Protecting Against Metabolic Diseases
Authors: Pang Kok-Lun , Chin Kok-Yong
Published: March 2019

Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, and these two metabolic conditions cause significant healthcare burden worldwide. Chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress due to exposure of cells to excess nutrients in obesity may trigger insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. Tocotrienol, as a functional food component with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cell signaling-mediating effects, may be a potential agent to complement the current management of obesity and diabetes. The review aimed to summarize the current evidence on the anti-obesity and antidiabetic effects of tocotrienol. Previous studies showed that tocotrienol could suppress adipogenesis and, subsequently, reduce body weight and fat mass in animals. This was achieved by regulating pathways of lipid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. It could also reduce the expression of transcription factors regulating adipogenesis and increase apoptosis of adipocytes. In diabetic models, tocotrienol was shown to improve glucose homeostasis. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors was suggested to be responsible for these effects. Tocotrienol also prevented multiple systemic complications due to obesity and diabetes in animal models through suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress. Several clinical trials have been conducted to validate the antidiabetic of tocotrienol, but the results were heterogeneous. There is no evidence showing the anti-obesity effects of tocotrienol in humans. Considering the limitations of the current studies, tocotrienol has the potential to be a functional food component to aid in the management of patients with obesity and diabetes.
An Evidence-Based Objective Study Protocol for Evaluating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Indices Following Concussion: The Neary Protocol
Authors: Neary J. Patrick , Singh Jyotpal , Bishop Scott A. , Dech Ryan T. , Butz Matthew J. A. , Len Trevor K.
Published: March 2019

Introduction: The prevalence and incidence of sport-related concussion have continued to increase over the past decade, and researchers from various backgrounds strive for evidenced-based clinical assessment and management. When diagnosing and managing a concussion, a battery of tests from several domains (e.g., symptom reporting, neurocognitive, physiology) must be used. In this study, we propose and develop an objective, evidence-based protocol to assess the pathophysiology of the brain by using non-invasive methods. Methods: Contact sport athletes (n = 300) will be assessed at the beginning of the season in a healthy state to establish baseline values, and then prospectively followed if a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) occurs on approximately days 1–2, 3–5, 7–10, 21, 30, and subsequently thereafter, depending on the severity of injury. The protocol includes spontaneous measurements at rest, during head postural change, controlled breathing maneuvers for cerebrovascular reactivity, a neurovascular coupling stimuli, and a baroreflex/autoregulation maneuver. Physiological data collection will include cerebral blood flow velocity, cerebral oxygenation, respiratory gases for end-tidal oxygen and carbon dioxide, finger photoplethysmography for blood pressure, seismocardiography for cardiac mechanics, and electrocardiography. Conclusion, Limitations, and Ethics: The protocol will provide an objective, physiological evidence-based approach in an attempt to better diagnose concussion to aid in return-to-play or -learn. Ethics approval has been granted by the University Research Ethics Board.
Maternal Flavonoids Intake Reverts Depression-Like Behaviour in Rat Female Offspring
Authors: de la Garza Ana Laura , Garza-Cuellar Miguel A. , Silva-Hernandez Ivan A. , Cardenas-Perez Robbi E. , Reyes-Castro Luis A. , Zambrano Elena , Gonzalez-Hernandez Brenda , Garza-Ocañas Lourdes , Fuentes-Mera Lizeth , Camacho Alberto
Published: March 2019

Maternal hypercaloric exposure during pregnancy and lactation is a risk factor for developing diseases associated with inflammation such as obesity, diabetes and, neurological diseases in the offspring. Neuroinflammation might modulate neuronal activation and flavonoids are dietary compounds that have been proven to exert anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of maternal supplementation with flavonoids (kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and narirutin) on the prevention of depression-like behaviour in the female offspring of dams fed with an obesogenic diet during the perinatal period. Maternal programming was induced by high fat (HFD), high sugar (HSD), or cafeteria diets exposure and depressive like-behaviour, referred to as swimming, climbing, and immobility events, was evaluated around postnatal day 56–60 before and after 30 mg/kg i.p. imipramine administration in the female offspring groups. Central inflammation was analyzed by measuring the TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) expression. We found that the offspring of mothers exposed to HSD programming failed to show the expected antidepressant effect of imipramine. Also, imipramine injection, to the offspring of mothers exposed to cafeteria diet, displayed a pro-depressive like-behaviour phenotype. However, dietary supplementation with flavonoids reverted the depression-like behaviour in the female offspring. Finally, we found that HSD programming increases the TBK1 inflammatory protein marker in the hippocampus. Our data suggest that maternal HSD programming disrupts the antidepressant effect of imipramine whereas cafeteria diet exposure leads to depressive-like behaviour in female offspring, which is reverted by maternal flavonoid supplementation.
Experiments Designed to Study the Non-Linear Transition of High-Power Microwaves through Plasmas and Gases
Authors: Krasik Yakov E. , Leopold John G. , Shafir Guy , Cao Yang , Bliokh Yuri P. , Rostov Vladislav V. , Godyak Valery , Siman-Tov Meytal , Gad Raanan , Fisher Amnon , Bernshtam Vladimir , Gleizer Svetlana , Zolotukhin Denis , Slutsker Yakov
Published: March 2019

The interaction of powerful sub-picosecond timescale lasers with neutral gas and plasmas has stimulated enormous interest because of the potential to accelerate particles to extremely large energies by the intense wakefields formed and without being limited by high accelerating gradients as in conventional accelerator cells. The interaction of extremely high-power electromagnetic waves with plasmas is though, of general interest and also to plasma heating and wake-field formation. The study of this subject has become more accessible with the availability of sub-nanosecond timescale GigaWatt (GW) power scale microwave sources. The interaction of such high-power microwaves (HPM) with under-dense plasmas is a scale down of the picosecond laser—dense plasma interaction situation. We present a review of a unique experiment in which such interactions are being studied, some of our results so far including results of our numerical modeling. Such experiments have not been performed before, self-channeling of HPM through gas and plasma and extremely fast plasma electron heating to keV energies have already been observed, wakefields resulting from the transition of HPM through plasma are next and more is expected to be revealed.
Advances in Conjugated Polymer Lasers
Authors: Xia Hongyan , Hu Chang , Chen Tingkuo , Hu Dan , Zhang Muru , Xie Kang
Published: March 2019

This paper provides a review of advances in conjugated polymer lasers. High photoluminescence efficiencies and large stimulated emission cross-sections coupled with wavelength tunability and low-cost manufacturing processes make conjugated polymers ideal laser gain materials. In recent years, conjugated polymer lasers have become an attractive research direction in the field of organic lasers and numerous breakthroughs based on conjugated polymer lasers have been made in the last decade. This paper summarizes the recent progress of the subject of laser processes employing conjugated polymers, with a focus on the photoluminescence principle and excitation radiation mechanism of conjugated polymers. Furthermore, the effect of conjugated polymer structures on the laser threshold is discussed. The most common polymer laser materials are also introduced in detail. Apart from photo-pumped conjugated polymer lasers, a direction for the future development of electro-pumped conjugated polymer lasers is proposed.
Special Issue on “Novel Membrane Technologies for Traditional Industrial Processes”
Authors: Jiang Lan Ying , Li Pei , Wang Yan
Published: March 2019

Traditional industries span multiple sectors, such as coal, iron and steel, textile, machinery, chemical engineering, shipbuilding, and construction materials [...]
Labours of Love and Convenience: Dealing with Community-Supported Knowledge in Museums
Authors: Cossu Stefano
Published: March 2019

This writing utilizes the case study of a specific project, namely adopting a Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) based on open source technologies at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), to describe the thought process, which along the way led to the discovery of Linked Data and more general technology development practices based on community participation. In order to better replicate such a thought process and its evolution into a broader strategy that goes beyond technology, this paper will begin by describing the problem that the Collection IT team at AIC had been initially tasked to resolve, and its technical implementation. After that, the paper will treat the strategic shift of resources from a self-contained production and review cycle toward an exchange-based economy. The challenges, both external and internal, posed by this change will be addressed. All the while, the paper will highlight perspectives and challenges related to the museum sector, and the efforts of AIC to adopt views and methodologies that have traditionally been associated with the library world. A section is dedicated to ongoing efforts of the same nature among museums.
Is Gabola a Decolonial Church or Another Trajectory of Freedom of Religion in Post-Colonial South Africa? Rethinking Ethical Issues in Religious Praxis
Authors: Dube Bekithemba
Published: March 2019

In this paper, I interrogated the Gabola church in terms of its origins, purpose and its distinctiveness as a postcolonial manifestation of freedom of religion in South Africa. I answered two questions, is Gabola church a representation of a decolonial church and could it be a manifestation of trajectories of the postcolonial ill-defined freedom of religion? In responding to these questions, I used decoloniality, a theory whose agenda among many others is geared to usher a future free from oppression, where all can participate in modernity and in postmodernity. Data was generated through participatory action research. The approach enabled us to unearth the theology of Gabola, philosophy and the gap they seek to fill in the religious space. Ten Gabola church members and five church members from a mainline Christian movement participated in this research. The findings indicated that Gabola church presents a new religious movement that is socially inclusive, that seeks to promote social justice and social transformation. On the other hand, the research revealed that the lack of a regulating body for religious movement is the reason for the rise of questionable movements such as Gabola, a serious threat in the praxis of the Christian faith. To this end, I concluded that while freedom of religion is a good idea in line with the decolonial move, there is a need for participative and collaborative regulation of religious movement to eliminate criminal elements that overshadowed the beauty of religion manifested through ‘unthinkable’ ethical irregularities.
Extension of Ship Wake Detectability Model for Non-Linear Influences of Parameters Using Satellite Based X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Tings Björn , Pleskachevsky Andrey , Velotto Domenico , Jacobsen Sven
Published: March 2019

The physics of the imaging mechanism underlying the emergence of ship wakes in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images has been studied in the past by many researchers providing a well-understood theory. Therefore, many publications describe how well ship wakes are detectable on SAR under the influence of different environmental conditions like sea state or local wind, ship properties like ship speed or ship heading, and image acquisition parameters like incidence angle or satellite heading. The increased imaging capabilities of current satellite SAR missions facilitate the collection of large datasets of moving vessels. Such a large dataset of high resolution TerraSAR-X acquisitions now enables the quantitative analysis of the previously formulated theory about the detectability of ship wakes using real data. In this paper we propose an extension of our wake detectability model by using a non-linear basis which allows consideration of all the influencing parameters simultaneously. Such an approach provides new insights and a better understanding of the non-linear influence of parameters on the wake detectability and their interdependencies can now be represented. The results show that the non-linear, interdependent influence of the different influencing parameters on the detectability of wakes matches well to the oceanographic expectations published in the past. Also possible applications of the model for the extraction of missing parameters and automatic for wake detection systems are demonstrated.
Evaluating the Performance of a Random Forest Kernel for Land Cover Classification
Authors: Zafari Azar , Zurita-Milla Raul , Izquierdo-Verdiguier Emma
Published: March 2019

The production of land cover maps through satellite image classification is a frequent task in remote sensing. Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are the two most well-known and recurrently used methods for this task. In this paper, we evaluate the pros and cons of using an RF-based kernel (RFK) in an SVM compared to using the conventional Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel and standard RF classifier. A time series of seven multispectral WorldView-2 images acquired over Sukumba (Mali) and a single hyperspectral AVIRIS image acquired over Salinas Valley (CA, USA) are used to illustrate the analyses. For each study area, SVM-RFK, RF, and SVM-RBF were trained and tested under different conditions over ten subsets. The spectral features for Sukumba were extended by obtaining vegetation indices (VIs) and grey-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs), the Salinas dataset is used as benchmarking with its original number of features. In Sukumba, the overall accuracies (OAs) based on the spectral features only are of 81.34 % , 81.08 % and 82.08 % for SVM-RFK, RF, and SVM-RBF. Adding VI and GLCM features results in OAs of 82 % , 80.82 % and 77.96 % . In Salinas, OAs are of 94.42 % , 95.83 % and 94.16 % . These results show that SVM-RFK yields slightly higher OAs than RF in high dimensional and noisy experiments, and it provides competitive results in the rest of the experiments. They also show that SVM-RFK generates highly competitive results when compared to SVM-RBF while substantially reducing the time and computational cost associated with parametrizing the kernel. Moreover, SVM-RFK outperforms SVM-RBF in high dimensional and noisy problems. RF was also used to select the most important features for the extended dataset of Sukumba; the SVM-RFK derived from these features improved the OA of the previous SVM-RFK by 2%. Thus, the proposed SVM-RFK classifier is as at least as good as RF and SVM-RBF and can achieve considerable improvements when applied to high dimensional data and when combined with RF-based feature selection methods.
On Secure Simple Pairing in Bluetooth Standard v5.0-Part I: Authenticated Link Key Security and Its Home Automation and Entertainment Applications
Authors: Sun Da-Zhi , Sun Li
Published: March 2019

Bluetooth is an important technical standard for short-range and low-power wireless communication. The home automation and entertainment (HAE) systems often make use of Bluetooth technology to link different Bluetooth devices and form Bluetooth networks. The security concerns of the HAE systems are raised due to massive deployment of the Bluetooth devices. The Bluetooth standard mainly depends on the secure simple pairing (SSP) solution to protect the Bluetooth devices. Hence, we investigate the SSP solution according to the Bluetooth standard v5.0. The contributions are threefold. (1) A formal security model is proposed to evaluate SSP’s association models and authenticated link key. (2) We formally analyze two SSP protocols and present the security requirements for basic cryptographic modules in these SSP protocols. (3) We discuss the typical SSP applications in the HAE systems. Our results are useful to not only evaluating and designing the SSP protocols but also enhancing the security of the HAE systems in which the Bluetooth access is available.
Acoustical Renovation of University Multipurpose Halls: The Case of Lala Mustafa Paşa Hall
Authors: Alibaba Halil Zafer , Ozdeniz Mesut B.
Published: March 2019

Eastern Mediterranean University’s Lala Mustafa Paşa hall is a multipurpose auditorium with conflicting functions. It is used for lectures, graduation ceremonies, music performances, shows, and sports. Thus, it is necessary to provide both speech intelligibility and quality sound. Many complaints were made regarding the long reverberation and echoes in the hall. To find the optimum solution for all of these conflicting uses, a survey of the acoustic parameters for music and speech was conducted, the criteria for which were identified. Measurements of these parameters were taken for the unoccupied hall. It was found that the acoustic conditions for both speech and music were in a critical condition in the hall. A simulation program was used to find a suitable solution, and various solutions were tested. The optimum solution was found to be the use of fireproof pyramidal melamine plates on the ceiling, and melamine plates with fireproof textile on the front surface with an air cavity on the walls at the rear. The long sidewalls at various levels on the tribunes were kept untreated. These measures satisfy the criteria for both music and speech without disrupting the sports activities.
Financial Risk Contagion in Stock Markets: Causality and Measurement Aspects
Authors: Xu Guoxiang , Gao Wangfeng
Published: March 2019

As global financial markets become highly dependent on each other, risk contagion among stock markets is a primary feature of progressing globalization, which poses uncertainties for government agencies. The deficiency of previous studies is that it is difficult to accurately grasp the direction of risk diffusion in different time periods, and to depict the intensity of risk contagion constantly. Research on causality and measurement of financial risk contagion based on nonlinear causality tests and dynamic Copula methods will help governments to allocate financial resources reasonably and effectively, thus promoting the sustainable development of the social economy and financial markets. Taking the Chinese stock market as an example, this paper evaluated the risk contagion effect between the Chinese stock market and six other stock markets including developed and emerging markets from January 2006 to December 2018. From the aspect of causality, the nonlinear Granger causality test was applied to the entire time period and the phased time periods involving specific events like the subprime mortgage crisis and the Chinese stock market crash. From the aspect of measurement, the dynamic Markov state transition Copula model was used to describe the asymmetrically dependent structure of markets, from which was derived the time-varying lower tail dependence coefficients. The results have been summarized as follows. Firstly, after the outbreak of the subprime mortgage crisis, the stock markets in developed and emerging markets unilaterally affected the Chinese stock market, indicating that China was the recipient at this stage. Then, after the outbreak of the Chinese stock market crash, the Chinese stock market had a risk contagion effect on both Japanese and Russian stock markets, indicating that China became a source of financial risk contagion within a limited area at this stage. Lastly, in terms of the degree of risk contagion, the lower tail dependence coefficients of the Chinese stock market and other markets were significantly increased after the occurrence of specific risk events, while the risk contagion degree of developed markets was higher than that of emerging markets. Policymakers can recognize and apply the characteristics of risk contagion at different stages to refrain from unreasonable institutional arrangements, thus improving the sustainability of economic development.
ESG Performance and Shareholder Value Creation in the Banking Industry: International Differences
Authors: Miralles-Quirós María Mar , Miralles-Quirós José Luis , Redondo Hernández Jesús
Published: March 2019

The aim of this paper is to study the role of socially responsible activities on shareholder value creation in a sample of 166 banks from 31 countries over the 2010–2015 period. Prior research about this relationship is scarce and limited to the period before and during the global financial crisis. In contrast, this research analyzes banks over a period of time when these institutions have increased their social responsibility practices in order to reinforce their credibility and the trust their stakeholders have in them. More precisely, we analyze the relationship between these two magnitudes distinguishing between environmental, social, and corporate governance actions as well as between countries taking into account the level of development, legal systems, and the geographic area. Our findings are relevant not only for academics, but also for the managers of these companies, policymakers, investors, and society in general.
Analysis of Regional Differences in Energy-Related PM2.5 Emissions in China: Influencing Factors and Mitigation Countermeasures
Authors: Wang Hui , Ji Guangxing , Xia Jisheng
Published: March 2019

China’s rapid economic development has resulted in a series of serious environmental pollution problems, such as atmospheric particulate pollution. However, the socioeconomic factors affecting energy-related PM2.5 emissions are indistinct. Therefore, this study first explored the change in PM2.5 emissions over time in China from 1995 to 2012. Then the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) model was adopted for quantitatively revealing the mechanisms of various factors on energy-related PM2.5 emissions. Finally, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis was adopted to examine whether an EKC relationship between affluence and energy-related PM2.5 emissions is present from a multiscale perspective. The results showed that energy-related PM2.5 emissions in most regions showed an increasing trend over the study period. The influences of the increase in population, energy intensity, and energy use mix on energy-related PM2.5 emissions were positive and heterogeneous, and population scale was the major driving force of energy-related PM2.5 emissions. The effects of the increase in the urbanization level and the proportion of tertiary industry increased value to GDP on energy-related PM2.5 emissions varied from area to area. An inverse U-shape EKC relationship for energy-related PM2.5 emissions was not verified except for eastern China. The conclusions are valuable for reducing PM2.5 emissions without affecting China’s economic development.
Can We Detect the Brownness or Greenness of the Congo Rainforest Using Satellite-Derived Surface Albedo? A Study on the Role of Aerosol Uncertainties
Authors: Moparthy Suman , Carrer Dominique , Ceamanos Xavier
Published: March 2019

The ability of spatial remote sensing in the visible domain to properly detect the slow transitions in the Earth’s vegetation is often a subject of debate. The reason behind this is that the satellite products often used to calculate vegetation indices such as surface albedo or reflectance, are not always correctly decontaminated from atmospheric effects. In view of the observed decline in vegetation over the Congo during the last decade, this study investigates how effectively satellite-derived variables can contribute to the answering of this question. In this study, we use two satellite-derived surface albedo products, three satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) products, two model-derived AOD products, and synthetic observations from radiative transfer simulations. The study discusses the important discrepancies (of up to 70%) found between these satellite surface albedo products in the visible domain over this region. We conclude therefore that the analysis of trends in vegetation properties based on satellite observations in the visible domain such as NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index), calculated from reflectance or albedo variables, is still quite questionable over tropical forest regions such as the Congo. Moreover, this study demonstrates that there is a significant increase (of up to 14%) in total aerosols within the last decade over the Congo. We note that if these changes in aerosol loads are not correctly taken into account in the retrieval of surface albedo, a greenness change of the surface properties (decrease of visible albedo) of around 8% could be artificially detected. Finally, the study also shows that neglecting strong aerosol emissions due to volcano eruptions could lead to an artificial increase of greenness over the Congo of more than 25% in the year of the eruptions and up to 16% during the 2–3 years that follow.
The Impact of Warranty Efficiency of Remanufactured Products on Production Decisions and Green Growth Performance in Closed-Loop Supply Chain: Perspective of Consumer Behavior
Authors: Zhu Xiaodong , Yu Lingfei
Published: March 2019

Consumers cannot fully assess the quality of remanufactured products prior to purchase. To reduce consumer risk, closed-loop supply chains adopt a warranty strategy to enhance perceived value among customers and stimulate green growth. Based on Stackelberg game theory and considering consumers’ low-carbon and remanufactured product preferences, this paper aims to explore the decision-making efficiency of closed-loop supply chains with warranty services. The results of the study show that consumers’ confidence in purchasing remanufactured products has increased the demand for new products and remanufactured products, in turn also increasing the interest of the member companies of the supply chain, and stimulating the realization of the potential value of remanufacturing, which is conducive to green growth. When a remanufactured product warranty period meets certain conditions, the member companies of the supply chain can obtain optimal profit. The optimal warranty entity selection of a closed-loop supply chain with a warranty service depends on the warranty efficiency of each entity, thus making it necessary to examine the products of each warranty party.
The Roles of Power Distance Orientation and Perceived Insider Status in the Subordinates’ Moqi with Supervisors and Sustainable Knowledge-Sharing
Authors: Zheng Xingshan , Li Lan , Zhang Fangyu , Zhu Mengyuan
Published: March 2019

Although knowledge-sharing, an important facet of knowledge management, has been encouraged for the sustainable development of organizations, this kind of behavior is still not prevalent among group members. To enrich the literature and contribute to its practical usage, this research proposed a model based on the fit theory to examine the roles of perceived insider status (PIS) and power distance orientation in subordinates’ Moqi with supervisors (SMS) and knowledge-sharing. Survey data from eight firms in China contained 196 samples and was analyzed by MPLUS software to justify the hypotheses. The results showed that: first, SMS predicted knowledge-sharing and perceived insider status; second, perceived insider status positively mediated the relationship between SMS and knowledge-sharing; third, power distance orientation not only positively moderated the relationship between SMS and perceived insider status, but also positively moderated the relationship between SMS and knowledge-sharing. This study enriched the literature on the antecedents of knowledge-sharing and application of SMS. Additionally, this study proposes a few suggestions to practitioners and researchers for establishing sustainable organizations.
Energy Upgrading of Residential Building Stock: Use of Life Cycle Cost Analysis to Assess Interventions on Social Housing in Italy
Authors: Fantozzi Fabio , Gargari Caterina , Rovai Massimo , Salvadori Giacomo
Published: March 2019

The debate on the relevance of the global sustainability (including energy, environmental, social, economic, and political aspects) of building stock is becoming increasingly important in Europe. In this context, special attention is placed on the refurbishment of existing buildings, in particular those characterized by significant volumes and poor energy performance. Directive 2012/27/EU introduced stringent constraints (often disregarded) for public administrations to ensure a minimum yearly renovation quota of its building stock. This study describes how Life Cycle Cost analysis (LCC) can be used as a tool to identify the “cost-optimal level” among different design solutions to improve the energy performance of existing buildings. With this aim, a social housing building located in the town of Pisa (Italy) was chosen as the case study, for which two alternative renovation designs were compared using the LCC methodology to identify the optimal solution. The two alternatives were characterized by the same energy performance—one was based on the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new building (with a wooden frame structure, as proposed by the public company owner of the building), while the other was based on the renovation of the existing building. This study can provide useful information, especially for designers and public authorities, about the relevance of the economic issues related to the renovation of social housing in a Mediterranean climate.
Hyers-Ulam Stability for Linear Differences with Time Dependent and Periodic Coefficients: The Case When the Monodromy Matrix Has Simple Eigenvalues
Authors: Buşe Constantin , O’Regan Donal , Saierli Olivia
Published: March 2019

Let q ≥ 2 be a positive integer and let ( a j ) , ( b j ) and ( c j ) (with j nonnegative integer) be three given C -valued and q-periodic sequences. Let A ( q ) : = A q − 1 ⋯ A 0 , where A j is defined below. Assume that the eigenvalues x , y , z of the “monodromy matrix” A ( q ) verify the condition ( x − y ) ( y − z ) ( z − x ) ≠ 0 . We prove that the linear recurrence in C x n + 3 = a n x n + 2 + b n x n + 1 + c n x n , n ∈ Z + is Hyers–Ulam stable if and only if ( | x | − 1 ) ( | y | − 1 ) ( | z | − 1 ) ≠ 0 , i.e., the spectrum of A ( q ) does not intersect the unit circle Γ : = { w ∈ C : | w | = 1 } .
Visual Tea Leaf Disease Recognition Using a Convolutional Neural Network Model
Authors: Chen Jing , Liu Qi , Gao Lingwang
Published: March 2019

The rapid, recent development of image recognition technologies has led to the widespread use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in automated image classification and in the recognition of plant diseases. Aims: The aim of the present study was to develop a deep CNNs to identify tea plant disease types from leaf images. Materials: A CNNs model named LeafNet was developed with different sized feature extractor filters that automatically extract the features of tea plant diseases from images. DSIFT (dense scale-invariant feature transform) features are also extracted and used to construct a bag of visual words (BOVW) model that is then used to classify diseases via support vector machine(SVM) and multi-layer perceptron(MLP) classifiers. The performance of the three classifiers in disease recognition were then individually evaluated. Results: The LeafNet algorithm identified tea leaf diseases most accurately, with an average classification accuracy of 90.16%, while that of the SVM algorithm was 60.62% and that of the MLP algorithm was 70.77%. Conclusions: The LeafNet was clearly superior in the recognition of tea leaf diseases compared to the MLP and SVM algorithms. Consequently, the LeafNet can be used in future applications to improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease diagnoses in tea plants.
A New Hybrid MCDM Model: Sustainable Supplier Selection in a Construction Company
Authors: Matić Bojan , Jovanović Stanislav , Das Dillip Kumar , Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras , Stević Željko , Sremac Siniša , Marinković Milan
Published: March 2019

Sustainable development is one of the most important preconditions for preserving resources and balanced functioning of a complete supply chain in different areas. Taking into account the complexity of sustainable development and a supply chain, different decisions have to be made day-to-day, requiring the consideration of different parameters. One of the most important decisions in a sustainable supply chain is the selection of a sustainable supplier and, often the applied methodology is multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). In this paper, a new hybrid MCDM model for evaluating and selecting suppliers in a sustainable supply chain for a construction company has been developed. The evaluation and selection of suppliers have been carried out on the basis of 21 criteria that belong to all aspects of sustainability. The determination of the weight values of criteria has been performed applying the full consistency method (FUCOM), while a new rough complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) method has been developed to evaluate the alternatives. The rough Dombi aggregator has been used for averaging in group decision-making while evaluating the significance of criteria and assessing the alternatives. The obtained results have been checked and confirmed using a sensitivity analysis that implies a four-phase procedure. In the first phase, the change of criteria weight was performed, while, in the second phase, rough additive ratio assessment (ARAS), rough weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS), rough simple additive weighting (SAW), and rough multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) have been applied. The third phase involves changing the parameter ρ in the modeling of rough Dombi aggregator, and the fourth phase includes the calculation of Spearman’s correlation coefficient (SCC) that shows a high correlation of ranks.
A New Prevalent Densovirus Discovered in Acari. Insight from Metagenomics in Viral Communities Associated with Two-Spotted Mite (Tetranychus urticae) Populations
Authors: François Sarah , Mutuel Doriane , Duncan Alison B. , Rodrigues Leonor R. , Danzelle Celya , Lefevre Sophie , Santos Inês , Frayssinet Marie , Fernandez Emmanuel , Filloux Denis , Roumagnac Philippe , Froissart Rémy , Ogliastro Mylène
Published: March 2019

Viral metagenomics and high throughput sequence mining have revealed unexpected diversity, and the potential presence, of parvoviruses in animals from all phyla. Among arthropods, this diversity highlights the poor knowledge that we have regarding the evolutionary history of densoviruses. The aim of this study was to explore densovirus diversity in a small arthropod pest belonging to Acari, the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, while using viral metagenomics based on virus-enrichment. Here, we present the viromes obtained from T. urticae laboratory populations made of contigs that are attributed to nine new potential viral species, including the complete sequence of a novel densovirus. The genome of this densovirus has an ambisens genomic organization and an unusually compact size with particularly small non-structural proteins and a predicted major capsid protein that lacks the typical PLA2 motif that is common to all ambidensoviruses described so far. In addition, we showed that this new densovirus had a wide prevalence across populations of mite species tested and a genomic diversity that likely correlates with the host phylogeny. In particular, we observed a low densovirus genomic diversity between the laboratory and natural populations, which suggests that virus within-species evolution is probably slower than initially thought. Lastly, we showed that this novel densovirus can be inoculated to the host plant following feeding by infected mites, and circulate through the plant vascular system. These findings offer new insights into densovirus prevalence, evolution, and ecology.
Flaxseed and Carbohydrase Enzyme Supplementation Alters Hepatic n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Molecular Species and Expression of Genes Associated with Lipid Metabolism in Broiler Chickens
Authors: Head Brian , Bionaz Massimo , Cherian Gita
Published: March 2019

Flaxseed is rich in α-linolenic acid and is used in broiler chicken diets to enrich tissues with n-3 fatty acids (FA). However, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in flaxseed decreases nutrient digestibility and limits the availability of n-3 FA. Addition of carbohydrase enzymes to flaxseed-based diets can decrease the anti-nutritive effects of NSP. We hypothesized that flaxseed and enzyme supplementation affect lipid content and alter expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in broiler liver. Five day-old broiler chicks were fed a corn-soybean basal diet with 0% flaxseed, a basal diet with 10% of flaxseed, or 10% flaxseed + 0.05% enzyme diet up to day 42 of growth. Total lipids, including long-chain (≥20C) n-3 FA and monounsaturated FA, were increased in flax-fed broiler livers. Enzyme addition reduced arachidonic acid and total long chain n-6 FA. These changes were similarly reflected in phosphatidylcholine lipid species. Dietary flax and enzyme treatments up-regulated PPARα target genes CPT1A and ACOX1 while reducing expression of de novo FA synthesis-related genes. This study concludes that flaxseed and enzyme supplementation in broiler diets enhances LC n-3 FA species, while reducing n-6 FA species in hepatic phospholipids (PL). Flaxseed-based diets changes the expression of genes involved in FA lipid metabolism without affecting growth or production performance in broilers.