bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fonio and Bambara Groundnut Value Chains in Mali: Issues, Needs, and Opportunities for Their Sustainable Promotion
Authors: Mbosso Charlie , Boulay Basile , Padulosi Stefano , Meldrum Gennifer , Mohamadou Youssoufa , Berthe Niang Aminata , Coulibaly Harouna , Koreissi Yara , Sidibé Amadou
Published: June 2020

As the effects of climate change are severely straining West African agricultural systems, the adoption of more incisive interventions in support of sustainable development agendas for the region is highly critical and cannot be further delayed by governments. Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are one important ally in pursuing resilience in both production and food systems because of their promising traits in terms of nutrition, adaptation to local agroecosystems, and economic potential for local populations. Focusing on fonio, a gluten-free traditional cereal, and Bambara groundnut, a protein-rich leguminous crop, we investigate issues in their production, commercialization, and consumption in southern Mali. The aim was to assess needs and opportunities for improving their value chains and increasing their use and societal benefits. Using a Rapid Market Appraisal method, we surveyed traders, producers, processors, and consumers of target crops in 2017 and 2018. Our findings indicate that while both crops are consumed and praised by local populations, critical bottlenecks inhibit their wider socioeconomic potential. Lack of access to inputs and equipment and presence of sand in the commercialized product are important issues for fonio, whereas the Bambara groundnut value chain suffers from poor processing facilities and lack of market promotion. Policy recommendations to tackle the identified bottlenecks are proposed.
CoRiMaS—An Ontological Approach to Cooperative Risk Management in Seaports
Authors: Pileggi Salvatore F. , Indorf Marius , Nagi Ayman , Kersten Wolfgang
Published: June 2020

For today’s global value chains, seaports and their operations are indispensable components. In many cases, the cargo handling takes place in close proximity to residential and/or environmentally sensitive areas. Furthermore, seaports are often not operated by a single organization, but need to be considered as communities of sometimes hundreds of internal and external stakeholders. Due to their close cooperation in the cargo handling process, risk management should be a common approach among the internal stakeholders as well in order to effectively mitigate and respond to emerging risks. However, empirical research has revealed that risk management is often limited to the organization itself, which indicates a clear lack of cooperation. Primary reasons in this regard are missing knowledge about the relations and responsibilities within the port and differing terminologies. Therefore, we propose an ontology (CoRiMaS) that implements a developed reference model for risk management that explicitly aims at seaports with a cooperative approach to risk management. CoRiMaS has been designed looking at the Semantic Web and at the Linked Data model to provide a common interoperable vocabulary in the target domain. The key concepts of our ontology comprise the hazard, stakeholder, seaport, cooperation aspect, and risk management process. We validated our ontology by applying it in a case study format to the Port of Hamburg (Germany). The CoRiMaS ontology can be widely applied to foster cooperation within and among seaports. We believe that such an ontological approach has the potential to improve current risk management practices and, thereby, to increase the resilience of operations, as well as the protection of sensitive surrounding areas.
Towards Sustainable Urban Planning for Puyo (Ecuador): Amazon Forest Landscape as Potential Green Infrastructure
Authors: Huera-Lucero Thony , Salas-Ruiz Adela , Changoluisa Daysi , Bravo-Medina Carlos
Published: June 2020

The peri-urban area of Puyo, where agricultural, urban and conservation logics are mixed, is a contested area in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Rapid urban growth and agricultural activities are the main threats to the conservation of its biodiversity. To promote the conservation of natural spaces in urban planning instruments, it is necessary to first demonstrate their environmental and ecological value. In this paper, such value was analyzed by quantifying biodiversity value and carbon storage capacity in situ. The results show that Puyo’s periphery (a 4 km radius) is an opportunity space, where the conservation of its biodiversity is a key factor in strategies to promote sustainable urban development. Firstly, there are natural areas of high environmental value (secondary forest, gramalote pastures with trees and gramalote pastures) that all together fix 1,664,683 Mg CO2 and control hydrological risks (with 80% of the green areas linked to flood areas)—valuable ecosystem services. Secondly, the conservation of biodiversity brings associated economic activities that can promote local sustainable development. Despite this, the results reveal that the conservation of peri-urban natural ecosystems is not a goal in Puyo’s urban planning strategy. Therefore, future research should be focused on urban planning tools that promote environmentally, economically and socially sustainable urban development.
Characterization of Profiles as Management Strategies Based on the Importance and Valuation That Users Give to the Elements of the Golf Courses
Authors: Serrano-Gómez Virginia , García-García Óscar , Gambau i Pinasa Vicente , Rial-Boubeta Antonio
Published: June 2020

The main objective of this study was to characterize golfers’ profiles based on the importance and valuation that users give to the elements of golf courses, considering the segmentation as key to making strategic decisions. This was done using a priori segmentation of the traditional style against a post hoc segmentation based on the importance that users concede to variability of elements of golf courses. Moreover, the relationship between the quality attributed to the service dimensions and the golf course global performance was examined for each of the obtained segments. The results have established certain specific characteristics of the typical golf user and two large segments of golfers were identified from Cluster Analysis (Competitives and Socials), they were made up of the following subgroups: Regular-leisure and business and matures-familiar. The causal analysis of covariance structures for each segment revealed partially different interests. This study provides useful information for managers to design management strategies that address the different characteristics, interests, and priorities of their customers and potential customers in order to win them, keep them, satisfy them, and build their loyalty, ensuring the development and sustainability of the entity.
Cross-Docking: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kiani Mavi Reza , Goh Mark , Kiani Mavi Neda , Jie Ferry , Brown Kerry , Biermann Sharon , A. Khanfar Ahmad
Published: June 2020

This paper identifies the major research concepts, techniques, and models covered in the cross-docking literature. A systematic literature review is conducted using the BibExcel bibliometric analysis and Gephi network analysis tools. A research focus parallelship network (RFPN) analysis and keyword co-occurrence network (KCON) analysis are used to identify the primary research themes. The RFPN results suggest that vehicle routing, inventory control, scheduling, warehousing, and distribution are most studied. Of the optimization and simulation techniques applied in cross-docking, linear and integer programming has received much attention. The paper informs researchers interested in investigating cross-docking through an integrated perspective of the research gaps in this domain. This paper systematically reviews the literature on cross-docking, identifies the major research areas, and provides a survey of the techniques and models adopted by researchers in the areas related to cross-docking.
Runoff and Water Quality in the Aspect of Environmental Impact Assessment of Experimental Area of Green Roofs in Lower Silesia
Authors: Pęczkowski Grzegorz , Szawernoga Katarzyna , Kowalczyk Tomasz , Orzepowski Wojciech , Pokładek Ryszard
Published: June 2020

Green architecture, including green roofs, can limit the effects of urbanization. Green roofs soften the thermal effect in urban conditions, especially considering the significant increase in the European and global population and that a significant share of the age group, mainly the elderly is exposed to diseases caused by high temperatures. We studied runoff and the quality of water from green roof systems in Lower Silesia, within the area of the Agro and Hydrometeorology Station Wrocław-Swojec, in the years 2012–2016. In the study, two systems with a vegetation layer based on light expanded clay aggregate and perlite were analyzed. The studies were based on the assessment of peak flow reduction, rainwater volume preservation and peak wave reduction. The calculated maximum retention performance indicator, relative to rainfall, for perlite surfaces was up to 65%, and in relation to the control surface up to 49%. In addition, the quality of water from runoff was estimated in the conditions of annual atmospheric deposition, taking into account such indicators as electrolytic conductivity; the content of N, NO3, NO2, NH4, P, PO4; and the content of metals, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd. The load of total nitrogen exceeded the values of concentration in rainwater and amounted to 7.17 and 13.01 mg∙L−1 for leca and perlite, respectively. In the case of the metal content, significantly higher concentrations of copper and zinc from green surfaces were observed in relation to precipitation. For surfaces with perlite, these were 320 mg∙L−1 and 241 mg∙L−1, respectively, with rainwater concentrations of 50 and 31 mg∙L−1.
Successional Variation in the Soil Microbial Community in Odaesan National Park, Korea
Authors: Lee Hanbyul , Oh Seung-Yoon , Lee Young Min , Jang Yeongseon , Jang Seokyoon , Kim Changmu , Lim Young Woon , Kim Jae-Jin
Published: June 2020

Succession is defined as variation in ecological communities caused by environmental changes. Environmental succession can be caused by rapid environmental changes, but in many cases, it is slowly caused by climate change or constant low-intensity disturbances. Odaesan National Park is a well-preserved forest located in the Taebaek mountain range in South Korea. The forest in this national park is progressing from a mixed-wood forest to a broad-leaved forest. In this study, microbial community composition was investigated using 454 sequencing of soil samples collected from 13 different locations in Odaesan National Park. We assessed whether microbial communities are affected by changes in environmental factors such as water content (WC), nutrient availability (total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN)) and pH caused by forest succession. WC, TC, TN and pH significantly differed between the successional stages of the forest. The WC, TC and TN of the forest soils tended to increase as succession progressed, while pH tended to decrease. In both successional stages, the bacterial genus Pseudolabrys was the most abundant, followed by Afipia and Bradyrhizobium. In addition, the fungal genus Saitozyma showed the highest abundance in the forest soils. Microbial community composition changed according to forest successional stage and soil properties (WC, TC, TN, and pH). Furthermore, network analysis of both bacterial and fungal taxa revealed strong relationships of the microbial community depending on the soil properties affected by forest succession.
Short-Term Effects of Eco-Friendly Fertilizers on a Soil Bacterial Community in the Topsoil and Rhizosphere of an Irrigated Agroecosystem
Authors: Zhang Wenli , Liu Yubing , Wang Zengru , Zhao Lina , Qi Jinghua , Wang Yansong , Zhao Pan , Zhong Naiqin
Published: June 2020

Fertilizer application to arable soils could be effective for soil nutrients. However, there are many negative effects in croplands with long-term chemical fertilizer application. Whether eco-friendly fertilizer addition could enhance soil quality and soil microbial activity has been investigated before; however, how top- and rhizosphere soil bacterial communities respond to their short-term effects is not well known. Here, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to determine the changes of bacterial community structure in both topsoil and rhizoshpere after one month of the addition of three different eco-friendly fertilizers—biochar (B), microbial fertilizer (MF), fertilizer synergist (FS) and selected soil base fertilizer (CK) as a control, in an irrigated agroecosystem of cabbage crop (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.). The results show that three different eco-friendly fertilizers significantly enhanced cabbage growth. The Shannon and Ace indexes of the bacterial community significantly decreased under the FS treatment in both soils, but the total abundance of bacteria was maximal under the FS treatment in the topsoil and the MF treatment in the rhizosphere. The addition of the three fertilizers led to significant differences in the relative abundance of bacteria community at the phylum level, such as Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Rokubacteria and Planctomycetes in the topsoil, and Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Rokubacteria in the rhizosphere. The same phylum showed the inconsistent changes under different fertilizer treatments in both topsoil and rhizosphere. The dominant genera, i.e., Nitrosospira and Massilia in the topsoil, and Flavobacterium, Nitrosospira and Pseudomonas in the rhizosphere, were much higher under the FS treatment than others. Redundancy analysis showed that total nitrogen and available phosphorus were the key factors that shaped the bacterial community in this ecosystem. These results highlighted that the short-term addition of eco-friendly fertilizer had an improvement effect on the quality of both topsoil and rhizosphere in croplands with long-term chemical fertilizer application.
Economic Valuation of the Renewal of Urban Streets: A Choice Experiment
Authors: Shao Yuhan , Xu Xinyu , Jiang Like , Crastes dit Sourd Romain
Published: June 2020

Examination of users’ preferences and needs can provide an additional and strong basis for decision making, which is applicable in the case of urban street renewal. In this study, a choice experiment on street renewal plans in Shanghai was conducted using an online survey (N = 546), and people’s willingness to pay (WTP) for a set of street attributes was estimated, including bicycle lane separation, pedestrian path width, green looking ratio and recreational and commercial amenities. By comparing WTPs, the results show that people had greater preferences for adding resting facilities than any other attributes in this scene, and they also give some examples of prices of street attributes in a street renewal scene. The gender, age and occupation of participants had a significant effect on WTPs. Females showed greater WTP for setting separate bicycle lanes and improving greening and amenities, and the age of street users had a positive effect on WTP through the payment for street renewal. The reasoning section of the survey indicated the concern on the cost–benefit ratio, the need to renew and overall impression when choosing, and only a few participants were unwilling to pay anything for street improvement. This kind of economic valuation can estimate the values that people place on street attributes that are otherwise not measurable in design and planning practice; it can help us understand public preferences for street renewal and support decision making.
Exploring Carbon Neutral Potential in Urban Densification: A Precinct Perspective and Scenario Analysis
Authors: Huang Bin , Xing Ke , Pullen Stephen , Liao Lida
Published: June 2020

Decarbonising the urban built environment for reaching carbon neutrality is high on the agenda for many cities undergoing rapid expansion and densification. As an important urban form, precincts have been increasingly focused on as the context for urban redevelopment planning and at the forefront for trialling carbon reduction measures. However, due to interplays between the built forms and the occupancy, the carbon performance of a precinct is significantly affected by morphological variations, demographical changes, and renewable energy system deployment. Despite much research on the development of low-carbon precincts, there is limited analysis on aggregated effects of population growth, building energy efficiency, renewable energy penetration, and carbon reduction targets in relation to precinct carbon signature and carbon neutral potential for precinct redevelopment and decarbonisation planning. In this paper, an integrated carbon assessment model, including overall precinct carbon emissions and carbon offset contributed by precinct-scale renewable energy harvesting, is developed and applied to examine the lifecycle carbon signature of urban precincts. Using a case study on a residential precinct redevelopment, scenario analysis is employed to explore opportunities for decarbonising densification development and the carbon neutral potential. Results from scenario analysis indicate that redevelopment of buildings with higher-rated energy efficiency and increase of renewable energy penetration can have a long term positive impact on the carbon performance of urban precincts. Meanwhile, demographical factors in precinct evolution also have a strong influence on a precinct’s carbon neutral potential. Whilst population size exerts upward pressure on total carbon emissions, changes in family types and associated consumption behaviour, such as travelling, can make positive contributions to carbon reduction. The analysis also highlights the significance of embodied carbon to the total carbon signature and the carbon reduction potential of a precinct during densification, reinforcing the notion that “develop with less” is as important as carbon offsetting measures for decarbonising the precinct toward carbon neutrality.
Geotechnical Properties of Anthropogenic Soils in Road Engineering
Authors: Głuchowski Andrzej , Gabryś Katarzyna , Soból Emil , Šadzevičius Raimondas , Sas Wojciech
Published: June 2020

The construction of a roads network consumes high amounts of materials. The road materials are required to fulfill high standards like bearing capacity and low settlement susceptibility due to cyclic loading. Therefore, crushed aggregates are the primary subbase construction material. The material-intensity of road engineering leads to depletion of natural resources, and to avoid it, the alternative recycled materials are required to be applied to achieve sustainable development. The anthropogenic soils (AS), which are defined as man-made unbound aggregates, are the response to these requirements. For the successful application of the AS, a series of geotechnical laboratory and field tests were conducted. In this article, we present the set of 58 test results, including California Bearing Ratio (CBR) bearing capacity tests, oedometric tests, and cyclic CBR tests, to characterize the behavior of three AS types and to compare its reaction with natural aggregate (NA). The AS tested in this study are recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), fly ash and bottom ash mix (BS), and blast furnace slag (BFS). The results of the tests show that the AS has similar characteristics to NA, and in some cases, like compression characteristic, RCA and BFS behave a stiffer response to cyclic loading. The test results and analysis presented here extend the knowledge about AS compressibility and AS response to cyclic loading.
Energy, Seismic, and Architectural Renovation of RC Framed Buildings with Prefabricated Timber Panels
Authors: Margani Giuseppe , Evola Gianpiero , Tardo Carola , Marino Edoardo Michele
Published: June 2020

In seismic European countries most of the residential building stock is highly energy-intensive and earthquake-prone because it was built before the enforcement of the most recent energy and seismic codes. Furthermore, this stock often shows a low architectural quality due to poor maintenance and/or construction and design deficiencies: for all these reasons, it needs deep renovation, but the use of common energy and seismic upgrading techniques is often unsustainable in terms of costs, work duration, and occupants’ disturbance. Therefore, new integrated, affordable, fast, and low-disruptive renovation actions are strongly needed. This study proposes an innovative energy, seismic, and architectural renovation solution for reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings, based on the addition of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels to the outer walls, in combination with wooden-framed panels. The two panels integrate insulation and cladding materials in order to improve the energy performance and the architectural image of the renovated building. Moreover, the CLT panels are connected to the existing RC frame through innovative seismic energy dissipation devices. In case of an earthquake, these devices in combination with the CLT panels reduce the drift demand of the building, preventing or reducing structural damages and consequent repair costs. In particular, this paper investigates the technical feasibility, the energy efficiency, and the architectural enhancement of the proposed retrofitting system. To this purpose, dynamic thermal simulations were conducted on a typical multi-story residential building from the 1960s, located in Catania, Italy. The results indicated that this retrofitting technique considerably improved the energy performance of the selected building, with a reduction of the global energy demand up to nearly 60%. The presented study is part of a larger research project aimed at also investigating, in a further stage, the seismic performance achievable by the above-mentioned renovation solution.
Heat of Hydration Stresses in Stainless-Steel-Reinforced-Concrete Sections
Authors: Khalifa Mokhtar , Youssef Maged A. , Alhadid Mohamed Monir Ajjan
Published: June 2020

Stainless steel (SS) is increasingly used in construction due to its high strength and corrosion resistance. However, its coefficient of thermal expansion is different from that of concrete. This difference raises concerns about the potential for concrete cracking during the hydration process. To address this concern, a thermal-structural finite element model was developed to predict the stresses in SS-reinforced concrete (RC) sections during the hydration process. Different curing regimes were taken into consideration. The analysis was performed in two stages. First, a transient thermal analysis was performed to determine the temperature distribution within the concrete section as a function of concrete age and its thermal properties. The evaluated temperature distribution was then utilized to conduct stress analysis. The ability of the model to predict the stresses induced by the expansion of the bars relative to the surrounding concrete was validated using relevant studies by others. The model outcomes provide in-depth understanding of the heat of hydration stresses in the examined SS RC sections. The developed stresses were found to reach their peak during the first two days following concrete casting (i.e., when concrete strength is relatively small).
Sharing Economy in Russia: Current Status, Barriers, Prospects and Role of Universities
Authors: Revinova Svetlana , Ratner Svetlana , Lazanyuk Inna , Gomonov Konstantin
Published: June 2020

Nowadays, information technology and the Internet are becoming a driver for a shared consumption economy (sharing economy). The paper aims to analyse the current level of use and prospects for the development of models of the sharing economy in Russia. We identify the effects of sharing consumption for the circular economy and study factors that stimulate the use of peer-to-peer models. One of the study’s tasks was to investigate the involvement of the young generation in the sharing economy, as the most promising part of the population. The study is based on the analysis of open Internet sources on the operation of sharing platforms in Russia and a survey among students at two Russian universities (RUDN University in Moscow and Kuban State University in Krasnodar) to identify the awareness of young people regarding sharing platforms. Analysis of the current state of sharing in Russia showed that the use of most types of sharing is at an initial stage. At the same time, the prospects for economic growth and population development are quite high. The article identifies several effects of digital platforms for sustainable development, the main of which are informed consumption and production. For the further growth of users of the sharing economy, the authors highlight the level of penetration of the Internet and the need for high-quality services on digital platforms. Educational organisations can also become a platform for the development of models of the sharing economy by involving students in sharing processes, as demonstrated by the survey.
Neural-Network-Based Dynamic Distribution Model of Parking Space Under Sharing and Non-Sharing Modes
Authors: Zhao Ziyao , Zhang Yi , Zhang Yi , Ji Kaifeng , Qi He
Published: June 2020

In recent years, with the rapid development of China’s automobile industry, the number of vehicles in China has been increasing steadily. Vehicles represent a convenient mode of travel, but the growth rate of the number of urban motor vehicles far exceeds the construction rate of parking facilities. The continuous improvement of parking allocation methods has always been key for ensuring sustainable city management. Thus, developing an efficient and dynamic parking distribution algorithm will be an important breakthrough to alleviate the urban parking shortage problem. However, the existing parking distribution models do not adequately consider the influence of real-time changes in parking demand and supply on parking space assignment. Therefore, this study proposed a method for dynamic parking allocation using parking demand predictions and a predictive control method. A neural-network-based dynamic parking distribution model was developed considering seven influencing factors: driving duration, walking distance, parking fee, traffic congestion, possibility of finding a parking space in the target parking lot and adjacent parking lot, and parking satisfaction degree. Considering whether the parking spaces in the targeted parking lots are shared or not, two allocation modes—sharing mode and non-sharing mode—were proposed and embedded into the model. At the experimental stage, a simulation case and a real-time case were performed to evaluate the developed models. The experimental results show that the dynamic parking distribution model based on neural networks can not only allocate parking spaces in real time but also improve the utilisation rate of different types of parking spaces. The performance score of the dynamic parking distribution model for a time interval of 2–20 min was maintained above 80%. In addition, the distribution performance of the sharing mode was better than that of the non-sharing mode and contributed to a better overall effectiveness. This model can effectively improve the utilisation rate of resources and the uniformity of distribution and can reduce the failure rate of parking; thus, it significantly contributes to more smart and sustainable urban parking management.
Comparing the Impacts of Location Attributes on Residents’ Preferences and Residential Values in Compact Cities: A Case Study of Hong Kong
Authors: Bai Yunxi , Song Jusheng , Wu Shanshan , Wang Wei , Lo Jacqueline T. Y. , Lo S. M.
Published: June 2020

In recent years, environmentally-friendly, sustainable, and compact development has become increasingly popular with governments. An extensive body of literature has focused on the influence on housing prices from an economic perspective. Although residential urban planning from the perspective of individual needs must be considered, little attention has been paid to residents’ demands in high-density and compact urban areas. In this study, we selected Hong Kong as the case and adopted a reliability interval method to rank residential attitude metrics, which indicated residents’ neighborhood needs in densely populated cities. The influences of location attributes on residents’ demands and residential value were compared. A hedonic price model was used to estimate the impacts of the attributes on housing prices. The results showed that both access to metro stations and median household income had important influences on residents’ preferences and housing prices. However, access to the central business district contributed largely to housing prices but not to residents’ attitudes. These findings support urban planners and policy makers during sustainable residential planning and policy formation by understanding residents’ needs in compact urban areas, help them to optimize the match between housing attributes and residents’ expectations, and balance the relationship between residents’ needs and economic interest.
A Literature Review of Inter-Organizational Sustainability Learning
Authors: Dzhengiz Tulin
Published: June 2020

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) have become increasingly important for today’s firms as they build sustainability strategies that integrate SDGs into their core activities. Addressing these goals collaboratively, in line with SDG 17—partnerships for the goals, has gained momentum, hence the growing literature on sustainability-oriented partnerships. However, addressing SDGs through partnerships is not straightforward. For firms, contributing to SDGs through alliances and partnerships requires building environmental capabilities and embracing new value frames; in other words, going through the complex process of inter-organizational learning. This paper reviews the literature on sustainability-oriented partnerships with a focus on the inter-organizational learning process. As a result of the review, a model of inter-organizational sustainability learning is presented. This model captures the different levels and types of the inter-organizational learning process; partner and partnership characteristics that impact learning; the environmental conditions that set the conditions for learning to take place; the catalyst and inhibitors of learning; and finally outcomes of learning. This model expands and re-organizes the existing scholarly conversation about inter-organizational learning in the context of sustainability-oriented alliances and partnerships and offers a learning-based understanding of sustainability partnerships to practitioners. Based on the review, the paper proposes ideas for future research and contributes to the development of a future research agenda in the area of sustainability-oriented alliances and partnerships.
Sustainability Engagement and Earnings Management: The Italian Context
Authors: Grimaldi Francesco , Caragnano Alessandra , Zito Marianna , Mariani Massimo
Published: June 2020

This study aims at exploring the effect of sustainability engagement on earnings management (EM) practices with particular reference to the Italian context in the year 2018, after the implementation of Legislative Decree No. 254/2016 on the disclosure of non-financial information. This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by United Nations in 2015 and specifically with SDG 12 and relative target 12.6 focusing on the adoption of sustainable practices and the integration of sustainability information into reporting on the behalf of companies. We analyzed a sample of 60 companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. Our results suggest that there is a slight negative relationship between sustainability engagement and earnings management practices. Indeed, our evidence shows that companies characterized by higher level of sustainability engagement are less prone to advance EM practices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research to investigate the effect of the sustainability engagement on EM practices with reference to a sample of Italian listed companies.
Direct Instruction vs. Cooperative Learning in Physical Education: Effects on Student Learning, Behaviors, and Subjective Experience
Authors: Guzmán José Francisco , Payá Elisa
Published: June 2020

(1) Background: The objective was to analyze if cooperative learning (CL) can have benefits compared to direct instruction (DI) in learning, behavior, and subjective experience of pupils. (2) Methods: An intervention was performed with a counterbalanced within-subjects design. To perform the intervention, 75 schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 from four primary classes were divided into two groups, and two units were taught in each one, namely “games of the world” and “traditional games”, exchanging the methodologies CL and DI. Dependent measures were learning and retention over time, behavior, interest–enjoyment, value–utility, and affiliation. They were measured after each unit. Six months later, conceptual retention was also evaluated. (3) Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to analyze differences between methodologies. CL resulted in greater conceptual learning and retention. Likewise, CL students communicated with each other to a greater extent, although the time spent doing the activity were similar for both methodologies. No significant differences were found for the psychological variables. (4) Conclusions: The study confirmed the higher ability of CLs to improve cognitive learning and retention, as well as improved communicative behavior with peers and teachers.
Treatment with Class A CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides in Cats with Naturally Occurring Feline Parvovirus Infection: A Prospective Study
Authors: Ferri Filippo , Porporato Federico , Rossi Francesco , Enache Daniela , Callegari Carolina , Gerardi Gabriele , Coppola Luigi M. , Contiero Barbara , Crinò Chiara , Kohan Neda Ranjbar , Meli Marina L. , Lutz Hans , Hofmann-Lehmann Regina , Zini Eric
Published: June 2020

Feline parvovirus (FPV) causes severe gastroenteritis and leukopenia in cats; the outcome is poor. Information regarding specific treatments is lacking. Class A CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-A) are short single-stranded DNAs, stimulating type I interferon production. In cats, CpG-A induced an antiviral response in vivo and inhibited FPV replication in vitro. The aim was to prospectively investigate the effects of CpG-A on survival, clinical score, hematological findings, antiviral response (cytokines), viremia, and fecal shedding (real-time qPCR) in cats naturally infected with FPV. Forty-two FPV-infected cats were randomized to receive 100 µg/kg of CpG-A (n = 22) or placebo (n = 20) subcutaneously, on admission and after 48 h. Blood and fecal samples were collected on admission, after 1, 3, and 7 days. All 22 cats showed short duration pain during CpG-A injections. The survival rate, clinical score, leukocyte and erythrocyte counts, viremia, and fecal shedding at any time-point did not differ between cats treated with CpG-A (50%) and placebo (40%). Antiviral myxovirus resistance (Mx) gene transcription increased in both groups from day 1 to 3 (p = 0.005). Antibodies against FPV on admission were associated with survival in cats (p = 0.002). In conclusion, CpG-A treatment did not improve the outcome in cats with FPV infection. FPV infection produced an antiviral response.
Role of Viruses in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Tarlinton Rachael E. , Martynova Ekaterina , Rizvanov Albert A. , Khaiboullina Svetlana , Verma Subhash
Published: June 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune inflammatory disease, where the underlying etiological cause remains elusive. Multiple triggering factors have been suggested, including environmental, genetic and gender components. However, underlying infectious triggers to the disease are also suspected. There is an increasing abundance of evidence supporting a viral etiology to MS, including the efficacy of interferon therapy and over-detection of viral antibodies and nucleic acids when compared with healthy patients. Several viruses have been proposed as potential triggering agents, including Epstein–Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6, varicella–zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, John Cunningham virus and human endogenous retroviruses. These viruses are all near ubiquitous and have a high prevalence in adult populations (or in the case of the retroviruses are actually part of the genome). They can establish lifelong infections with periods of reactivation, which may be linked to the relapsing nature of MS. In this review, the evidence for a role for viral infection in MS will be discussed with an emphasis on immune system activation related to MS disease pathogenesis.
Apresentação
Authors: Igino Evaristo Maria Luiza
Published: June 2020

Apresentação do dossiê As experiências espirituais negras em África e em diáspora.
Gender Self-identification
Authors: Alm Erika , Engebretsen Elisabeth
Published: June 2020

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Heteroactivism
Authors: Browne Kath , Nash Catherine
Published: June 2020

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Queer Cultural Memory
Authors: Ryberg Ingrid
Published: June 2020

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Wandile
Authors: Omarjee Nadira
Published: June 2020

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Sur quelques contributions essentielles concernant Alexander von Humboldt
Authors: Lévy Bertrand
Published: June 2020

Ce bref article questionne le rapport d'Alexander von Humboldt avec l'épistémologie de la géographie et du paysage. Les contributions contemporaines de Serge Briffaud, Alexandre Gillet, Franco Farinelli, Laura Péaud, Jean-Robert Pitte, Claude Raffestin et Andrea Wulf sont passées en revue. La conclusion porte sur les liens entre Humboldt et Genève.
Arap Edebiyatı ve Belagatı Âlimlerinden İbnEbi’l-İsba‘ el-Mısrî
Authors: SALİHOĞLU Hamit
Published: June 2020

Mısır’ın en meşhur edip, beliğ ve şairlerinden olan İbnEbi’l-İsba‘, Eyyûbîlerin son dönemi ile Memlukların ilk döneminde Mısır’da yaşamıştır. Bu çalışmada hayatı, ilmi kişiliği ve yaşadığı ortamla ilgili kısa bir bilgi verildikten sonra özellikle onun Arap edebiyatı ve belagatı alanında öne çıkan yönleri ele alınıp incelenmiştir. Dil, edebiyat, şiir, belagat ve Kur’ân ilimlerinde uzman olan İbnEbi’l-İsba‘, çok değerli eserler ortaya koymuş ve bu eserlerinde birçok âlim, beliğ, edip ve şairi tenkit etmiştir. Yaşadığı dönemin meşhur şairi olarak bilinen bu edip, övgü, hiciv, aşk ve züht başta olmak üzere şiirin bütün dallarında şiir söylemiş ve şiirlerini bedî‘ ilminin edebi sanatlarıyla donatmıştır. Onun nazmetmiş olduğu şiirlerinden sadece bir kısmı gönümüze ulaşmıştır. Gönümüze ulaşan bu şiirlerinden bir bölümü eserlerinde, bir bölümü de edebiyat ve tabakat kitaplarında parçalar halinde dağınık bir şekilde yer almıştır. Bedî‘ ilminde de önemli bir yer ve kudrete sahip olan bu âlim, kendisinden önce geçen âlimler tarafından keşfedilen bedî‘ ilminin edebi sanat türlerini, usûl ile furû‘ olarak nitelendirmiştir. Önceki âlimlerin yöntemlerine göre kendisinin de otuz bedî‘ sanat türünü keşfettiğini ifade etmiş ve i‘câzu’l-Kur’ân’a dair büyük katkıları olmuştur.
Kur’an Kursu Öğreticilerinin Meslekî Doyum Düzeyleri
Authors: KOÇ Sümeyye , KOÇ Ahmet
Published: June 2020

Yaygın eğitim kişilerin toplumsal değişimlere uyum sağlamasını sağlamak ve ulusal kalkınma hedeflerine ulaşmak için yaşam boyu eğitim felsefesi çerçevesinde yapılan tüm eğitim faaliyetleridir. Bunlar içinde yaygın din eğitimi resmi olarak Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı eliyle yürütülen faaliyetlerdir. Özellikle yaygın din eğitimine katılan yetişkinlerin büyük bölümü kadınlardan ve bu eğitimi verenlerin de önemli kısmı bayan Kur’an kursu öğreticilerinden oluşmaktadır. Kurslar aynı zamanda kadınların sosyalleşmesi için de önemli bir görev ifa etmektedir. Yaptığımız bu çalışmada yaygın din eğitimi veren Kur’an kurslarındaki öğreticilerin meslekî doyum düzeyleri ile bunlara etki eden faktörlerin tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma nicel araştırma yöntemine göre yapılmıştır. Bu araştırmada Kuzgun, Sevim ve Hamamcı tarafından geliştirilen Meslekî Doyum Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. 2019 yılında, İstanbul Sancaktepe ve Kartal ilçelerinde çalışan Kur’an kursu öğreticileri araştırma kapsamına alınmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda öğreticilerin meslekî doyum düzeylerinin çok yüksek olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Öğreticilerin doyum düzeylerine etki eden faktörler arasında medeni durum, eğitim seviyesi ve okuttukları öğrenci sayıları yer almaktadır. Meslekî gelişim imkânlarına sahip olmanın öğreticilerin bağlılıkları, doyumları ve gönüllü olarak daha fazla çalışmaları üzerinde oldukça önemli etkisinin olduğu görülmüştür. Bu araştırmanın Kur’an kursu öğreticilerinin meslekî doyumlarını ölçme açısından da alanındaki birkaç çalışmadan biri olması bakımından araştırmacılar ve uygulayıcılar için yol gösterici olacağı düşünülmektedir.
Sanatın Ne’liği ve İşlevi (Ali Şeriati ve Muhammed Kutub’un Düşüncesinden Hareketle Sanatın İnsaniliği-İslamiliği Meselesi)
Authors: KARAKUŞ Mehmet
Published: June 2020

Sanat bir anlatıdır. Kendini anlatan insanın, duygu ve düşüncelerini dışa vurma ve insan hayatını anlamlandırma yollarından birisidir. Sanatın işlevselliğini göz ardı etmeyen din, sanatın anlatım gücüne değer vermiş ve onaylamış; sanat da dinin mesajlarını ileten en önemli araçlardan birisi olmuştur. İslam sanatı, sanat olmak hasebiyle diğer sanatlardan ne daha aşağı ne de daha yukarıdır ve diğer sanatlar gibi insani bir eylemin ürünüdür. Buna göre, İslami sanat-insani sanat ayrımı doğru bir yaklaşım olmayacaktır. İşte bu çalışma ile hedeflenen şey, modern zamanlarda farklı dünya görüşüne sahip iki düşünürden hareketle İslam düşüncesi içerisinde sanatın, insan ve Müslüman için vazgeçilemeyecek derece önemli bir etkinlik olarak görüldüğünün açığa çıkarılmasıdır. Bu iki düşünürden biri Ali Şeriati, diğeri de Muhammed Kutub’tur. Sanat, her iki düşünür için de bugün modern dünyada gündeme gelen en ciddi ve en zaruri insani sorundur. Bunun nedeni de sanatın, günümüz düşüncelerine yol göstermesi ve fikirleri aydınlatarak yeni başarılara kapı aralamasıdır.
Guideline for Management of Mesenteric Ischemia: Shiraz Intestinal Failure Unit Protocol
Authors: Nikoupoor Hamed , Moradi Ali Mohammad , Arasteh Peyman , Shamsaeefar Alireza , Karami Mohammad Yasin , Eghlimi Hesameddin , Shafiekhani Mojtaba , Nikeghbalian Saman
Published: June 2020

We have recently established an intestinal rehabilitation unit (IRU) in Abu Ali Sina transplantation center affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Our intestinal failure rehabilitation and transplant program aims to provide state-of-the-art care for adult patients with different degrees of intestinal insufficiency and failure. In the IRU, we aimed to design an algorithmic approach to patients with small bowel ischemia and short bowel syndrome (SBS) based on our institutional experience in our country and based on other pioneering studies from other regions of the world.
Modeling security properties of authentication of cryptographic protocols using spin formal verification
Authors: Perevyshina E.A. , Babenko L.K.
Published: June 2020

To assess the quality and security of cryptographic protocols, we use various formal verification tools, such as Scyther tool, Avispa, ProVerif. these formal verifiers can check the protocol for vulnerability to attacks on secrecy and authentication, as these are the most prevalent attacks on protocols. However, this is not enough to fully analyze the security of the protocol. In this article, we will use linear temporal logic (LTL) model checking with SPIN. This tool, unlike the formal verifiers listed above, is not designed for a specific application in the context of cryptographic protocols; however, it has a very wide range of possibilities. In particular, for each security property, it is possible to describe the behavior of an attacker and test for the stability of the protocol model to its various attacks. The purpose of this work is to describe the developed methodology for verifying the security of authentication properties using the SPIN verifier.
Information support for expert evaluation of the states of the external environment
Authors: Rasol Murtadha Najah
Published: June 2020

This article discusses the application of methods to enhance the knowledge of experts to build a decision-making model based on the processing of physical data on the real state of the environment. Environmental parameters determine its ecological state. To carry out research in the field of expert assessment of environmental conditions, the analysis of known works in this field is carried out. The results of the analysis made it possible to justify the relevance of the application of analytical, stochastic models and models based on methods of enhancing the knowledge of experts — experts. It is concluded that the results of using analytical and stochastic objects are inaccurate, due to the complexity and poor mathematical description of the objects. The relevance of developing information support for an expert assessment of environmental conditions is substantiated. The difference of this article is that based on the analysis of the application of expert methods for assessing the state of the environment, a fuzzy logic adoption model and information support for assessing the environmental state of the environment are proposed. The formalization of the parameters of decision-making models using linguistic and fuzzy variables is considered. The formalization of parameters of decision-making models using linguistic and fuzzy variables was considered. The model’s description of fuzzy inference is given. The use of information support for environment state assessment is shown on the example of experts assessing of the land desertification stage.
Drainage Morphometric Analysis of the Nagavathi Watershed of Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, India Using SRTM Data and GIS
Authors: R Kannan , S Venkateswaran
Published: June 2020

GIS and Remote sensing have proved to be a resourceful tool in the explanation of drainage pattern for water resources management and its planning. The identification of morphometric characteristics based on a Geographic Information System (GIS) was carried out in the Nagavathi watershed, Dharmapuri District. The quantitative drainage morphometric parameters was carried out for the Nagavathi watershed by estimating their (a) Linear aspects like Stream number, Stream order, Stream length, Mean stream length, Stream length ratio, Bifurcation ratio, (b) Aerial aspects like Drainage density, Stream frequency, Texture Ratio, Elongation ratio, Form factor, Circularity index, Length of overflow, Constant of Channel maintenance, Drainage texture, Compactness coefficient and (c) Relief aspects like Basin relief, Relief ratio, Ruggedness number, Gradient ratio, Melton ruggedness ratio, Slope,  relative relief, Shape Factor and Leminscate.  The drainage area of Nagavithi watershed is 482 sq. Km. the main drainage patterns is dendritic to sub-dendritic drainage. The Nagavathi watershed was classified as a fifth order drainage watershed, whereas micro watershed was classified as an eight in the watershed. Stream order of the watershed was predominantly controlled by structural and lithological controls of various drainage patterns and their stream orientations were identified to evaluate the direction and controlling factors in drainage network. The drainage density in the area has been found to be low which indicates that the area possesses highly permeable soils and low relief. The bifurcation ratio varies from 0.8 to 43.1.

The elongation ratio of  Microwatersheds  varies  from  0.13  to  0.43, indicates  Microwatersheds  fall  under elongated  pattern. This study would help the local people to utilize the resources for planning rainwater harvesting and watershed management.