bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of Ketone Supplements-Evoked Effect on Absence Epileptic Activity by Co-Administration of Uridine in Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk Rats
Authors: Brunner Brigitta , Rauch Enikő , Ari Csilla , D’Agostino Dominic P. , Kovács Zsolt
Published: January 2021

Both uridine and exogenous ketone supplements decreased the number of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in a rat model of human absence epilepsy Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats. It has been suggested that alleviating influence of both uridine and ketone supplements on absence epileptic activity may be modulated by A1 type adenosine receptors (A1Rs). The first aim was to determine whether intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of a specific A1R antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX; 0.2 mg/kg) and a selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonist (7-(2-phenylethyl)-5-amino-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo [1,5-c]pyrimidine) (SCH 58261; 0.5 mg/kg) have a modulatory influence on i.p. 1000 mg/kg uridine-evoked effects on SWD number in WAG/Rij rats. The second aim was to assess efficacy of a sub-effective dose of uridine (i.p. 250 mg/kg) combined with beta-hydroxybutyrate salt + medium chain triglyceride (KSMCT; 2.5 g/kg, gavage) on absence epilepsy. DPCPX completely abolished the i.p. 1000 mg/kg uridine-evoked alleviating effect on SWD number whereas SCH 58261 was ineffective, confirming the A1R mechanism. Moreover, the sub-effective dose of uridine markedly enhanced the effect of KSMCT (2.5 g/kg, gavage) on absence epileptic activity. These results demonstrate the anti-epilepsy benefits of co-administrating uridine and exogenous ketone supplements as a means to treat absence epilepsy.
Large Congenital Pericardial Cyst Presented by Palpitation and Left Ventricle Posterior Wall Compression: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Noori Noor Mohamad , Shafighi Shahri Elham , Soleimanzadeh Mousavi Seyed Hosein
Published: January 2021

Congenital pericardial cysts are rare anomalies caused by the failure of fetal lacunae to coalesce into pericardial coelom. In this article a 9-year-old boy admitted with complain of palpitation in daily activities. The electrocardiography detected sinus tachycardia of 150 beats per minute with normal axis. Although chest X ray were normal, echocardiography showed an abnormal mass that compressed the posterior wall of left ventricle. The mass was extrinsic and confined to the pericardium. After midsternotomy, a huge cyst was found and totally excised. The complications of pericardial cyst can be significant, and the diagnosis relies on a careful examination and radiographic findings.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Depression: Effects on the Neuroendocrine-Immune Network
Authors: Li Chan , Huang Bishan , Zhang Yuan-Wei
Published: January 2021

The neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems are two critical biological systems in the pathogenesis of depression. Clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated that the activation of the neuroinflammatory response of the immune system and hyperactivity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis of the neuroendocrine system commonly coexist in patients with depression and that these two systems bidirectionally regulate one another through neural, immunological, and humoral intersystem interactions. The neuroendocrine-immune network poses difficulties associated with the development of antidepressant agents directed toward these biological systems for the effective treatment of depression. On the other hand, multidrug and multitarget Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) has great potential to assist in the development of novel medications for the systematic pharmacotherapy of depression. In this narrative essay, we conclusively analyze the mechanisms of action of CHM antidepressant constituents and formulas, specifically through the modulation of the neuroendocrine-immune network, by reviewing recent preclinical studies conducted using depressive animal models. Some CHM herbal constituents and formulas are highlighted as examples, and their mechanisms of action at both the molecular and systems levels are discussed. Furthermore, we discuss the crosstalk of these two biological systems and the systems pharmacology approach for understanding the system-wide mechanism of action of CHM on the neuroendocrine-immune network in depression treatment. The holistic, multidrug, and multitarget nature of CHM represents an excellent example of systems medicine in the effective treatment of depression.
In Situ-Forming Microparticles for Controlled Release of Rivastigmine: In Vitro Optimization and In Vivo Evaluation
Authors: Haider Mohamed , Elsayed Ibrahim , Ahmed Iman S. , Fares Ahmed R.
Published: January 2021

In this work, sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) and polylactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA) were used alone or in combination as a matrix-former (MF) to prepare long-acting injectable rivastigmine (RV) in situ-forming microparticles (ISM). RV-ISM were prepared by the emulsification of an internal phase, containing the drug and the matrix former(s), into an external oily phase containing a stabilizer. The statistical design, Central Composite Design (CCD), was adopted as a quality by design (QbD) approach to optimize the formulation of RV-ISM systems. The fabricated RV-ISM systems was designed to minimize the initial burst drug release and maximize the sustainment of RV release from the ISM and ease of injection. The influence of critical formulation variables such as the matrix-former to drug (MF/D) ratio and SAIB to PLGA (S/P) ratio in the internal phase with respect to critical quality attributes (CQAs), such as the percentage drug release within the first day (Q1), the time required for 50% drug release (T50%) and the rate of injection, were studied using the CCD. The optimal RV-ISM system with the highest desirability value (0.74) was predicted to have an MF/D ratio of 11.7:1 (w/w) and an S/P ratio of 1.64:1 (w/w). The optimal RV-ISM system was assessed for its release profile, injectability, rheological properties, morphology, effect on cell viability, tolerance to γ-sterilization and in vivo performance in male albino rabbits. In vitro release studies revealed that the optimal RV-ISM system released 100% of its drug content throughout a release period of 30 days with only 15.5% drug release within the first day (Q1) and T50% of 13.09 days. Moreover, the optimal system showed a high injection rate of 1.012 mL/min, pseudoplastic flow, uniform spherical globules with homogenous particle size, minimal cytotoxicity and high tolerability to γ-sterilization. In vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) studies revealed that the rate of absorption of RV from the optimal RV-ISM system was controlled compared to a drug solution following either intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) injection. Furthermore, the optimal RV-ISM was found to follow flip-flop PK with poor correlation between in vitro release and in vivo findings. These findings suggest that the optimal RV-ISM is a promising tool to achieve a sustained release therapy for RV; however, further investigation is still required to optimize the in vivo performance of RV-ISM.
Formulation and Optimization of Nanospanlastics for Improving the Bioavailability of Green Tea Epigallocatechin Gallate
Authors: Mazyed Eman A. , Helal Doaa A. , Elkhoudary Mahmoud M. , Abd Elhameed Ahmed G. , Yasser Mohamed
Published: January 2021

The present study aimed to investigate the potential of nanospanlastics for boosting the bioavailability of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG has valuable effects like anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-tumorigenesis. Unfortunately, it has a low oral bioavailability due to its limited permeation and poor stability. To overcome these pitfalls, EGCG was fabricated as a nanospanlastic. Nanospanlastics are flexible nanovesicles that are composed of surfactants and edge activators (EAs). EAs improve the deformability of spanlastics by acting as a destabilizing factor of their vesicular membranes. EGCG-loaded spanlastics were prepared by an ethanol injection method, according to 23 factorial design, to explore the impact of different independent variables on entrapment efficiency (EE%), % drug released after 12 h (Q12h), and particle size (PS). In vitro characterization, ex vivo intestinal permeation test, and pharmacokinetic study of the optimized formula were performed. A newly developed RP-HPLC technique was adopted for the estimation of EGCG. The optimized formula (F4) demonstrated more prolonged drug release and a significant improvement in the EE%, permeability, deformability and stability than the corresponding niosomes. The pharmacokinetic study investigated that F4 had a more sustained drug release and a higher bioavailability than the conventional niosomes and free drugs. Nanospanlastics could be a promising approach for improving the bioavailability of EGCG.
Study of Bio-Pharmaceutical and Antimicrobial Properties of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Leathery Exocarp Extract
Authors: Elshafie Hazem S. , Caputo Lucia , De Martino Laura , Sakr Shimaa H. , De Feo Vincenzo , Camele Ippolito
Published: January 2021

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are important sources of vitamins and minerals and widely used in the dietary supplement industry. An aqueous extract of its leathery exocarp (LEP) was obtained by a solid-phase micro-extraction method. The antifungal activity was examined against the phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Penicillium digitatum and Botrytis cinerea, and the antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli, Xanthomonas campestris,Bacillus megaterium and Clavibacter michiganensis. The antimicrobial assays showed, in some cases, a promising antimicrobial effect compared to the synthetic drugs. The possible anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of the LEP extract were investigated by the Ellman’s assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, respectively, and their results showed that the LEP extract has an effective anti-acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect and an antioxidant activity. Thus, the LEP extract could be valid as a candidate for further studies on the use of pomegranate in neurodegenerative diseases as a food preservative and a suitable substitute to control several phytopathogens.
Synthesis of π-Conjugated Polymers Containing Benzotriazole Units via Palladium-Catalyzed Direct C-H Cross-Coupling Polycondensation for OLEDs Applications
Authors: Han Dong , Li Jingwen , Zhang Qiang , He Zewang , Wu Zhiwei , Chu Jingting , Lu Yan
Published: January 2021

Four D-π-A conjugated polymers, namely P1–P4, which contain benzotriazole building blocks in their backbone as acceptor, are synthesized via palladium-catalyzed direct C-H cross-coupling polycondensation of 5,6-difluorobenzotriazole with different thiophene derivatives, including 3-octylthiophene, 2,2’-bithiophene, thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine, and 4,4-dioctyl-4H-silolo-[3,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene as donor units, respectively. Taking the polymer P1 as an example, the chemical structure of the polymer is demonstrated by 1H and 19F NMR spectra. The optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of these polymers are assessed by UV–vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. DFT simulations of all polymers are also performed to understand their physicochemical properties. Furthermore, P1 and P2, which have relatively higher molecular weights and better fluorescent quantum efficiency than those of P3 and P4, are utilized as lighting emitters for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), affording promising green and red luminescence with 0.07% and 0.14% of maximum external quantum efficiency, respectively, based on a device with an architecture of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PTAA/the polymer emitting layer/TPBi/LiF/Al.
3D-Printed Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds Modified with Alkaline Hydrolysis Enhance Osteogenesis In Vitro
Authors: Park Sangbae , Kim Jae Eun , Han Jinsub , Jeong Seung , Lim Jae Woon , Lee Myung Chul , Son Hyunmok , Kim Hong Bae , Choung Yun-Hoon , Seonwoo Hoon , Chung Jong Hoon , Jang Kyoung-Je
Published: January 2021

The 3D-printed bioactive ceramic incorporated Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds show great promise as synthetic bone graft substitutes. However, 3D-printed scaffolds still lack adequate surface properties for cells to be attached to them. In this study, we modified the surface characteristics of 3D-printed poly(ε-caprolactone)/hydroxyapatite scaffolds using O2 plasma and sodium hydroxide. The surface property of the alkaline hydrolyzed and O2 plasma-treated PCL/HA scaffolds were evaluated using field-emission scanning microscopy (FE-SEM), Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining, and water contact angle analysis, respectively. The in vitro behavior of the scaffolds was investigated using human dental pulp-derived stem cells (hDPSCs). Cell proliferation of hDPSCs on the scaffolds was evaluated via immunocytochemistry (ICC) and water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay. Osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs on the scaffolds was further investigated using ARS staining and Western blot analysis. The result of this study shows that alkaline treatment is beneficial for exposing hydroxyapatite particles embedded in the scaffolds compared to O2 plasma treatment, which promotes cell proliferation and differentiation of hDPSCs.
An Estimate of the Onset of Beadless Character of Electrospun Nanofibers Using Rheological Characterization
Authors: Peer Petra , Zelenkova Jana , Filip Petr , Lovecka Lenka
Published: January 2021

Electrospinning represents the very effective process of producing nanofibrous mats. This process is influenced by a number of mutually and strongly interlaced entry parameters (characteristics of polymer, solvent, process parameters) and their participation in the resulting nanofiber quality. The appearance of nanofibers is a result of the necessary primary experimental parameter setting within an acceptable range. However, finer analysis of nanofiber quality depends on the proper choice of these individual factors. The aim of this contribution is to evaluate one of the key factors—polymer concentration—with respect to the presence or absence of bead formation. This passage can be approximated by rheological oscillatory measurements when a sudden decrease in phase angle indicates this change. It replaces otherwise time- and cost-consuming trial-and-error experiments. This approach was tested using three different materials: solutions of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), poly(vinyl butyral), and poly(ethylene oxide).
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Simultaneous Quantification of Eleven Phytochemical Constituents in Traditional Korean Medicine, Sogunjung Decoction
Authors: Seo Chang-Seob , Shin Hyeun-Kyoo
Published: January 2021

The Sogunjung decoction (SGJD) is a traditional herbal formula that has been used to treat constipation and improve the constitution of infirm children in Korea. In this study, simultaneous quantification of gallic acid (1), magnoflorine (2), albiflorin (3), paeoniflorin (4), liquiritin apioside (5), liquiritin (6), liquiritigenin (7), coumarin (8), cinnamaldehyde (9), benzoylpaeoniflorin (10), and glycyrrhizin (11) was conducted using fast and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS) multiple-reaction monitoring to develop a quality-control protocol for the SGJD. A Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) was used for the chromatographic separation of the 11 marker compounds in the SGJD using two mobile phases (5 mM ammonium acetate in distilled water containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid, and acetonitrile). The MS parameters for a simultaneous analysis were capillary voltage (3.0 kV), source temperature (150 °C), desolvation temperature (500 °C), desolvation gas flow (700 L/h), and cone gas flow (50 L/h). The developed LC–MS method was validated by the evaluation of linearity, limits of detection, limits of quantification, recovery and precision. By using the developed and validated assay, the 11 marker components in the SGJD were detected in amounts of 0.01–51.83 mg/g.
Phase Imbalance Analysis of GF-3 Along-Track InSAR Data for Ocean Current Measurement
Authors: Yang Junxin , Yuan Xinzhe , Han Bing , Zhao Liangbo , Sun Jili , Shang Mingyang , Wang Xiaochen , Ding Chibiao
Published: January 2021

There are two useful methods of current measurement based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR): one is along-track interferometry (ATI), and the other is Doppler centroid analysis (DCA). For the ATI method, the interferometric phase must be accurate enough for ocean current measurements. Therefore, the space-varying of phase imbalances along the range, caused by antenna phase center position error, attitude error, antenna electronic miss pointing, antenna pattern mismatch, and other reasons, cannot be ignored. Firstly, this paper mainly analyzes the above possible factors by using real GF-3 ATI data and error model simulation results. Secondly, the ocean current has been preliminarily measured by the ATI method and the DCA method, using CDOP model, based on the GF-3 ATI data of the ocean scene near Qingdao, China, which is up to around −1.45 m/s. The results of the two methods are in good agreement with the correlation coefficient of 0.98, the mean difference of −0.010 m/s, and the root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.062 m/s. Moreover, by comparing with the current measured by high-frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR), the correctness of the analysis is further proved.
Integrating Spectral Information and Meteorological Data to Monitor Wheat Yellow Rust at a Regional Scale: A Case Study
Authors: Zheng Qiong , Ye Huichun , Huang Wenjiang , Dong Yingying , Jiang Hao , Wang Chongyang , Li Dan , Wang Li , Chen Shuisen
Published: January 2021

Wheat yellow rust has a severe impact on wheat production and threatens food security in China; as such, an effective monitoring method is necessary at the regional scale. We propose a model for yellow rust monitoring based on Sentinel-2 multispectral images and a series of two-stage vegetation indices and meteorological data. Sensitive spectral vegetation indices (single- and two-stage indices) and meteorological features for wheat yellow rust discrimination were selected using the random forest method. Wheat yellow rust monitoring models were established using three different classification methods: linear discriminant analysis (LDA), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN). The results show that models based on two-stage indices (i.e., those calculated using images from two different days) significantly outperform single-stage index models (i.e., those calculated using an image from a single day), the overall accuracy improved from 63.2% to 78.9%. The classification accuracies of models combining a vegetation index with meteorological feature are higher than those of pure vegetation index models. Among them, the model based on two-stage vegetation indices and meteorological features performs best, with a classification accuracy exceeding 73.7%. The SVM algorithm performed best for wheat yellow rust monitoring among the three algorithms; its classification accuracy (84.2%) was ~10.5% and 5.3% greater than those of LDA and ANN, respectively. Combined with crop growth and environmental information, our model has great potential for monitoring wheat yellow rust at a regional scale. Future work will focus on regional-scale monitoring and forecasting of crop disease.
Traversing Community Attitudes and Interaction Experiences with Large Agricultural Vehicles on Rural Roads
Authors: King Jemma C. , Franklin Richard C. , Miller Lauren
Published: January 2021

Agriculture is one of Australia’s largest rural industries. Oversized and slow moving industry equipment and vehicles, hereafter referred to as large agricultural vehicles (LAVs), use public roads. Restrictions exist regarding their on-road operation, but whether this is a function of the risk that their on-road use represents is unknown. A convenience sample of community members was used to explore perspectives about LAVs’ presence on roads. An online survey was used to explore LAV interaction experiences, risk perceptions, and how best to promote safe interactions. Ethics approval was obtained. The participants’ (N = 239) exposure to LAVs on roads in the last 12 months was variable, but there were clear seasonal points when encounters could be expected. The participants indicated that LAVs have a right to drive on the road (94.8%), and most interactions were neutral, with four LAV crashes reported. Other vehicle types were perceived as representing a higher risk to rural road safety than LAVs. The use of the driver’s license test to increase knowledge about LAVs’ presence, how to respond, and the use of signs were suggested in order to improve safety. The participants commonly interacted with LAVs, and rarely experienced negative events such as crashes. Continued communication about LAV presence on rural roads is an important consideration in order to help ensure safe interactions.
Drivers of Human Migration: A Review of Scientific Evidence
Authors: Pitoski Dino , Lampoltshammer Thomas J. , Parycek Peter
Published: January 2021

While migration research is at the peak of its productivity, a substantial gap persists between scientific evidence and policy action. As societal complexity increases, migration theory loses track on the numerous factors of human migration; the information on the most relevant factors affecting human migration (i.e., migration drivers), essential for policy decision-making, are hidden and dispersed across the ever-growing literature. Introducing a novel approach to conducting a literature review, emphasizing an unbiased selection of literature and the approach to analysing literature by coding, we collect evidence on the most pertinent migration factors. The study establishes a methodology for a quick but rigorous, collaborative gathering of evidence, as well as an initial inventory and an interactive map of nearly 200 factors working at different migration corridors.
Plasma Eicosapentaenoic Acid Is Associated with Muscle Strength and Muscle Damage after Strenuous Exercise
Authors: Ochi Eisuke , Yanagimoto Kenichi , Tsuchiya Yosuke
Published: January 2021

Background: Although the ingestion of total omega–3 fatty acids (omega–3) is positively related with muscular strength in older persons, little is known about the effect of omega–3 plasma levels on muscular function before and after exercise in young men. Moreover, omega–3 supplementation has a positive role in exercise-induced acute muscle damage. This study investigated the relationship between plasma omega–3 in the blood and promotion and preservation of muscle strength after eccentric contractions (ECCs) in young men. Methods: Thirty-two healthy young men participated in this study. We assessed plasma omega–3 level and the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Twenty-six out of them exercised 60 ECCs at 100% MVC. We measured the MVC torque, flexibility before and immediately after exercise, 1–5 days post exercise. Results: The levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and EPA/arachidonic acid were positively associated with muscle strength (p < 0.05). Higher levels of omega–3 EPA and docosahexaenoic acid prevented the reduction in the MVC and limited joint flexibility after ECCs. Conclusions: The present study reveals that higher levels of EPA are important to promote muscle strength and preserve the strength loss after exercise.
Entrepreneurial Sustainability Engagement of Insiders Initiating Energy System Transition
Authors: Fernqvist Niklas , Lundqvist Mats
Published: January 2021

The central point in this article is that energy system transition can be initiated by a team of individuals interacting entrepreneurially beyond their different home-grounds in business, research, or regional development. Such entrepreneurial engagement of insiders with belongings to an established socio-technical system has not been captured in prevalent sustainability transitions or entrepreneurship perspectives. Insiders have mostly been expected to act within (and not outside) of their role expectations. This study investigates who individuals initiating energy transition are, what motives they have, and how they accomplish institutional change. The purpose is to qualify a perspective that can help us better appreciate how transitions, such as in energy systems, can be initiated. The new perspective recognizes the importance of insiders, their personal sustainability beliefs, their choice to teamwork entrepreneurially, and their narratives about the initiative affecting institutional change. It explains how transition in a heavily regulated Swedish energy system can occur. Implications are drawn for research, policy and entrepreneurial teamwork.
Spontaneous Variety-Seeking Meal Choice in Business Canteens Impedes Sustainable Production
Authors: Ohlhausen Pascal , Langen Nina
Published: January 2021

Sustainable meal choices in the out-of-home catering market are essential to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. This study investigated consumers’ acceptance of different features that help service providers to work more sustainably. For this purpose, data of a choice experiment and a supporting online questionnaire were analyzed using latent class analysis (LCA) and the data of n = 373 employees. Examined attributes in the choice experiment were menu variety, menu type, ordering system, ingredients and price. LCA led to four consumer segments: variety seekers (27.6%), spontaneous decisionmakers—vegetarian (25.7%), spontaneous decisionmakers—meat (24.1%) and vegetarians/vegans (22.6%). Results showed that consumers in all four segments expected to have the choice between different menus in company canteens. Moreover, they preferred spontaneous choice to preordering. Both preferences hamper sustainable production and consumption in the catering sector.
Management Strategies and Collaborative Relationships for Sustainability in the Agrifood Supply Chain
Authors: Pérez-Mesa Juan Carlos , Piedra-Muñoz Laura , Galdeano-Gómez Emilio , Giagnocavo Cynthia
Published: January 2021

The present article proposes a complete framework for supply chain strategy (SCS) analysis that is adapted to the specific characteristics of the agrifood chain, thereby facilitating the management of the former. As a specific case of analysis, the horticultural supply chain, originating in Spain and ending with the European consumer, was analyzed, taking as a reference the marketing companies at origin (mainly social economy companies, that is, cooperatives). In addition, a survey of marketing companies is conducted to possibly determine which explicit cooperative growth strategies may include horizontal and vertical collaboration relationships with other members of the chain. The aim was to analyze with whom the horticultural commercialization company collaborates within the supply chain and the key points of such a collaboration. A model analyzing the influence of collaboration on company performance was also considered. The results reveal that, in recent years, aspects related to quality and health have been surpassed and replaced by the concept of sustainability within a framework of collaboration with customers. Additionally, upstream collaboration has been found to be, in most cases, more profitable than collaboration with customers. In any case, it became evident that there is a need to expand collaboration within the chain by incorporating the supplier of the supplier, with the aim of making the chain more profitable.
How Can Companies Decrease Salesperson Turnover Intention? The Corporate Social Responsibility Intervention
Authors: Castro-González Sandra , Bande Belén , Vila-Vázquez Guadalupe
Published: January 2021

Salespeople turnover is a key issue that can threaten a company’s survival, either by reducing its income or increasing its expenses. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on the salespeople turnover. Drawing from social network theory, this research suggests that the perception of CSR practices influences salespeople turnover through their impact on the perception of the company’s reputation and the organizational pride that sellers experience. Additionally, the moderating role of interpersonal justice in the CSR-organizational pride relationship is analyzed. The data was collected from a sample of 176 salespeople and their supervisors from 96 companies. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the psychometric properties of the measurement scales and to test the proposed direct hypotheses, and conditional process analysis was used to test the proposed mediation hypothesis. The results indicate that CSR is negatively related to salesperson turnover via the perceived salespeople’s organizational pride and organizational reputation. Furthermore, this study’s findings confirm the importance of a salesperson’s interpersonal justice for these relationships. This study contributes to the existing sales and management literature by enhancing our understanding of how to reduce salespeople turnover intention. Specifically, it underlines the role of CSR practices in reducing those intentions.
Sustainable Cyber-Physical Production Systems in Big Data-Driven Smart Urban Economy: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Andronie Mihai , Lăzăroiu George , Iatagan Mariana , Hurloiu Iulian , Dijmărescu Irina
Published: January 2021

In this article, we cumulate previous research findings indicating that cyber-physical production systems bring about operations shaping social sustainability performance technologically. We contribute to the literature on sustainable cyber-physical production systems by showing that the technological and operations management features of cyber-physical systems constitute the components of data-driven sustainable smart manufacturing. Throughout September 2020, we performed a quantitative literature review of the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases, with search terms including “sustainable industrial value creation”, “cyber-physical production systems”, “sustainable smart manufacturing”, “smart economy”, “industrial big data analytics”, “sustainable Internet of Things”, and “sustainable Industry 4.0”. As we inspected research published only in 2019 and 2020, only 323 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria. By eliminating controversial findings, outcomes unsubstantiated by replication, too imprecise material, or having similar titles, we decided upon 119, generally empirical, sources. Future research should investigate whether Industry 4.0-based manufacturing technologies can ensure the sustainability of big data-driven production systems by use of Internet of Things sensing networks and deep learning-assisted smart process planning.
The Impacts of the Neighborhood Built Environment on Social Capital for Middle-Aged and Elderly Koreans
Authors: Hwang Eunju , Brossoie Nancy , Jeong Jin Wook , Song Kimin
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the neighborhood built environment (NBE) aspects of age-friendly cities and communities (AFCCs) and social capital in the Korean context. We described and compared age differences when analyzing misfits of AFCC NBE and impacts on social capital. We collected the data (N = 1246) from two Korean communities; our multiple and binary logistic regression outcomes show that AFCC NBE aspects such as outdoor spaces, transportation, and housing are significant predictors of different subcategories of social capital. For the older group, the outdoor spaces misfit was significant for all three subcategories of social capital, but transportation and housing misfits were significant for the social trust and reciprocity index scores. For the middle-aged group, the outdoor spaces misfit was significant for social networking and participation, and a transportation misfit was significant for participation and social trust and reciprocity. Fewer misfits or better fits of outdoor spaces and transportation encouraged more networking, participation, social trust, and reciprocity. Dwelling type was important to predict social capital, especially for the older group. The present study confirmed the importance of AFCC NBE in predicting social capital and unique factors in the Korean context.
Water Retention Performance at Low-Impact Development (LID) Field Sites in Taipei, Taiwan
Authors: Lin Jen-Yang , Yuan Ti-Chi , Chen Chi-Feng
Published: January 2021

Low-impact development (LID) aims to retain stormwater at source sites rather than achieve water drainage. The infiltration and storage of rainwater on site is the most commonly applied LID design concept, turning impervious pavements into pervious pavements. In this study, three field sites in Taipei city, Taiwan, were monitored. Two of the sites were located on campuses, and one site was a roadside location. They were constructed at different times and had distinct purposes, but the common design aspect was the infiltration function of the ground surface. We monitored the water retention performance at the above three sites and applied a verified stormwater management model (SWMM) to characterize the performance at these case sites. The observed data show that if the accumulative rainfall was lower than 20 mm, the water retention rate at each of the three case sites reached almost 50%; at 60 mm rainfall, the rate was 40%. With increased rainfall amount, the water retention rate decreased because the storage capacity was limited. Because water retention is typically controlled by the infiltration capacity, the rainfall intensity dominated the performance. At the three field sites, the water retention rate was 40% on average at a rainfall intensity below 20 mm/h. Above this rainfall intensity, the infiltration performance of the pervious pavement decreased. The verified model was applied to assess the performance at the three sites under the Taipei city drainage system design standard, i.e., the five-year recurrent period storm level, at 78.8 mm/h. The results demonstrate that the water retention rates were 9.1%, 14.2%, and 61.0% at the three sites, indicating that the pervious pavement could reduce the loading of the current stormwater drainage system. Dispersed sites should be considered in urban stormwater management to mitigate flooding risk in urban areas.
Exploring the Benefits of Small Catchments on Rural Spatial Governance in Wuling Mountain Area, China
Authors: Qiao Jie , Crang Mike , Hong Liangping , Li Xiaofeng
Published: January 2021

China is facing an important period of rural governance innovation and restructuring of territorial spatial patterns. This paper selects catchments as the most closely related spatial units for rural industrial development and rural settlement activities, profoundly revealing the characteristics of transformational development and spatial governance in mountainous areas. To date, extensive literature in this area has produced a broad multidisciplinary consensus on catchment water and soil conservation and rural industry development; however, the interactive mechanism of ecological, social, and economic networks, and the characteristics behind small catchments which benefit from spatial governance, have never been analyzed and are relatively new to the sphere of rural governance. Our research argues the relative importance of multi-scale catchment units compared with traditional administrative village units in enhancing the organizational benefits of rural revitalization in terms of workforce, resources, and capital, using the case study of a catchment in the Wuling mountainous area. Our study presents a framework to explore the multi-dimensional governance experience of a small catchment in the Wuling mountainous area and proposes to integrate the resource endowment advantages of small catchments into rural industries development and transform the economic and social benefits contained in the ecological environment into multi-scale spatial benefits among farmers, villages, and the regional rural area. However, not all cases provide positive evidence. The overall development of a catchment is confronted with complex constraints, which are mainly related to the development stage and local historical and geographical factors. Furthermore, affected by the top-down “project-system” in the “poverty era”, the logic of “betting on the strong” and the single-centered logic of resource allocation at the grassroots level exacerbated the fragmentation of the mountainous area. Generally speaking, the catchment perspective promotes regional linkage development and multi-center governance modes and triggers multidisciplinary theoretical thinking to some extent. The catchment’s overall development helps play to the comparative advantage of mountainous areas and promotes endogenous sustainable development to a certain degree. However, the promotion of catchment governance in poverty-stricken mountainous areas is faced with a lack of financial foundation and needs support in order to break through the national system and local social constraints.
Evaluating Sustainable Development by Composite Index: Evidence from French Departments
Authors: Bonnet Jean , Coll-Martínez Eva , Renou-Maissant Patricia
Published: January 2021

Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations, sustainability has been a key priority for European governments. While previous studies have investigated the associations between indicators of sustainable development, few have directly considered a multidimensional approach to assess and compare the performance of regions in terms of sustainable development. As such, a comprehensive assessment of regional sustainable performance is thus still needed. In this paper, the concept of sustainability relies on the construction of six composite indices (environment and natural resources, energy transition, sustainable mobility, economic dynamism, social cohesion and solidarity, and governance and citizenship) with the aim to provide an evaluation framework for empirically comparing the performance of the 96 metropolitan French Departments. Each dimension is explored by spatial autocorrelation analysis and Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) to classify French Departments providing five different regional profiles of sustainable development. The findings make it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the departments in the implementation of sustainable development. This approach provides the bases for a systematic monitoring of sustainable development policies at the regional scale.
Examining the Dynamics and Determinants of Energy Consumption in China’s Megacity Based on Industrial and Residential Perspectives
Authors: Wang Changjian , Wang Fei , Huang Gengzhi , Wang Yang , Zhang Xinlin , Ye Yuyao , Lin Xiaojie , Zhang Zhongwu
Published: January 2021

Cities are regarded as the main areas for conducting strategies for energy sustainability and climate adaptation, specifically in the world’s top energy consumer—China. To uncover dynamic features and main drivers for the city-level energy consumption, a comprehensive and systematic city-level total energy consumption accounting approach was established and applied in China’s megacity, which has the highest industrial electricity consumption. Compared with previous studies, this study systematically analyzes drivers for energy consumption based on industrial and residential perspectives. Additionally, this study analyzes not only the mechanisms by which population size, economic growth, and energy intensity affect energy consumption but also the effects of population and industry structural factors. According to the extended Logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method, the main conclusions drawn from this research are as follows: (1) The total energy consumption of Suzhou presented an overall increasing trend, with 2006–2012 as a rapid growth stage and 2013–2016 as a moderate growth stage. (2) The energy consumption structure was mainly dominated by coal, which was followed by outsourced electricity and natural gas. (3) Scale-related factors have dominated changes in energy consumption, and structural and technological factors have had profound effects on energy consumption in different development periods. (4) Population size and economic output were the main drivers for increments in industrial energy consumption, whereas energy intensity and economic structure performed the important curbing effects. The income effect of urban residents was the biggest driver behind the increase in residential energy consumption, whereas energy intensity was the main limiter. These findings provide a scientific basis for an in-depth understanding of the determinants of the evolution of urban energy consumption in China’s megacity, including similar cities or urban areas in the developing world.
Identification of Contributing Factors for Driver’s Perceptual Bias of Aggressive Driving in China
Authors: Ma Yongfeng , Gu Xin , Yu Ya’nan , Khattakc Aemal J. , Chen Shuyan , Tang Kun
Published: January 2021

Aggressive driving is common across the world. While most aggressive driving is conscious, some aggressive driving behavior may be unconscious on part of motor vehicle drivers. Perceptual bias of aggressive driving behavior is one of the main causes of traffic accidents. This paper focuses on identifying impact factors related to aggressive driving perceptual bias. Questionnaire data from 690 drivers, collected from a drivers’ retraining course administered by the Traffic Management Bureau in Nanjing, China, were used to collect drivers’ socioeconomic characteristics, personality traits, and external environment data. Actual penalty points were considered as an objective indicator and Gaussian mixture model (GMM) was used to cluster an objective indicator into different levels. The driving anger expression (DAX) was used to measure drivers’ self-assessment of aggressive driving behavior and then to identify perceptual biases. Then a binary logistic model was estimated to explore the influence of different factors on drivers’ perceptual bias of aggressive driving behavior. Results showed that bus drivers were less likely to have perceptual bias of aggressive driving behavior. Truck drivers, drivers with an extraversion characteristic, and drivers who have dissatisfaction with road infrastructure and actual work were likely to have a perceptual bias. The findings are potentially beneficial for proposing targeted countermeasures to identify dangerous drivers and improve drivers’ safety awareness.
A Power Assistant Algorithm Based on Human–Robot Interaction Analysis for Improving System Efficiency and Riding Experience of E-Bikes
Authors: Kim Deok Ha , Lee Dongun , Kim Yeongjin , Kim Sungjun , Shin Dongjun
Published: January 2021

As robots are becoming more accessible in our daily lives, the interest in physical human–robot interaction (HRI) is rapidly increasing. An electric bicycle (E-bike) is one of the best examples of HRI, because a rider simultaneously actuates the rear wheel of the E-bike in close proximity. Most commercially available E-bikes employ a control methodology known as a power assistant system (PAS). However, this type of system cannot offer fully efficient power assistance for E-bikes since it does not account for the biomechanics of riders. In order to address this issue, we propose a control algorithm to increase the efficiency and enhance the riding experience of E-bikes by implementing the control parameters acquired from analyses of human leg kinematics and muscular dynamics. To validate the proposed algorithm, we have evaluated and compared the performance of E-bikes in three different conditions: (1) without power assistance, (2) assistance with a PAS algorithm, and (3) assistance with the proposed algorithm. Our algorithm required 5.09% less human energy consumption than the PAS algorithm and 11.01% less energy consumption than a bicycle operated without power assistance. Our algorithm also increased velocity stability by 11.89% and acceleration stability by 27.28%, and decreased jerk by 12.36% in comparison to the PAS algorithm.
Carsharing Services in Italy: Trends and Innovations
Authors: Rotaris Lucia
Published: January 2021

Transport is a critical factor for social-economic development, however, its environmental footprint cannot be neglected and is increasing over time. New mobility services based on collaborative consumption, such as peer-to-peer carsharing, have been developed with the aim of improving accessibility and reducing the negative externalities produced by transport. However, in the literature, there are very few documents that analyze collaborative consumption in the transport sector. To shed light on this topic, we described the Italian carsharing market and explained how it has changed over time. Moreover, we studied the potentialities of peer-to-peer carsharing in a less densely populated Italian region on the basis of a survey we conducted through face-to-face interviews. We found that the main reason preventing its spread is that individuals are not yet aware of its existence. We also analyzed the motivations of those who would like to use it and of those who stated the opposite. Suggestions are presented on the strategies to be implemented to facilitate the adoption of the service for the benefit of both platform providers and local administrators.
The Intellectual Structure of Social and Sustainable Public Procurement Research: A Co-Citation Analysis
Authors: Torres-Pruñonosa Jose , Plaza-Navas Miquel Angel , Díez-Martín Francisco , Beltran-Cangrós Albert
Published: January 2021

Public procurement has recently taken into account social and sustainable factors, increasing academic literature in this field. The aim of this paper is to map the intellectual structure of social and sustainable public procurement research by means of delimiting the scientific domain’s research traditions, its disciplinary composition, and influential research topics. Given that there is a literature gap in bibliometric studies applied to this field, we conducted a co-citation analysis to identify the intellectual structure of this area of knowledge. Co-citation analyses identify networks of interconnections and, consequently, detect the most (and the least) active research areas, being a good complement to traditional literature reviews. This article contributes to science development because it is the first paper to carry out a bibliometric analysis in the field of social and sustainable public procurement, as well as the first one to conduct a co-citation analysis among public procurement research. Consequently, it is also the first article to detect which papers have become burst in this research field. The results show twelve different clusters of publications that were cited by researchers who wrote papers on social and sustainable public procurement. In other words, the sources of knowledge that scholars used as references are analysed, identifying papers that can be considered turning points, as well as those that became specially cited over a discrete period of time. Six different research trends were identified over the last decade in regard to social and sustainable public procurement research. The conclusions highlight the relevance of the findings, especially because they provide guidance to researchers when conducting literature reviews, given that the most significant journals and papers are identified.