bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Validated, Stability-Indicating, Eco-Friendly HPTLC Method for the Determination of Cinnarizine
Authors: Alqarni Mohammed H. , Shakeel Faiyaz , Foudah Ahmed I. , Aljarba Tariq M. , Mahdi Wael A. , Bar Fatma M. Abdel , Alshehri Sultan , Alam Prawez
Published: February 2023

The eco-friendly high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) approaches for measuring cinnarizine (CIN) are scant in reported databases. As a result, the current work has developed and validated an eco-friendly HPTLC technique for assessing CIN in commercial formulations. The proposed approach was based the use of ethyl alcohol-water (90:10 v/v) as the eco-friendly mobile phase. A wavelength of 197 nm was used to detect CIN. The greenness score of the current approach was measured using the Analytical GREENness (AGREE) approach. The current approach was linear for CIN measurement in 50–800 ng band−1 range. The current approach for CIN measurement was validated successfully using ICH guidelines and was found to be linear, accurate (% recovery = 99.07–101.29%), precise (% CV = 0.80–0.95%), robust, sensitive (LOD = 16.81 ng band−1 and LOQ = 50.43 ng band−1), specific, selective, stability-indicating, and eco-friendly. The AGREE score for the current approach was calculated to be 0.80, showing an excellent greenness characteristic of the present approach. Under forced degradation conditions, the current approach was successful in separating the CIN degradation product, demonstrating the stability-indicating qualities/selectivity of the present approach. The % assay of CIN in commercial tablet brands A and B was found to be 98.64 and 101.22%, respectively, suggesting the reliability of the present approach in the pharmaceutical analysis of CIN in commercial dosage forms. The obtained findings indicated that CIN in commercial formulations could be routinely determined using the current approach.
Renewable Resource Biosorbents for Pollutant Removal from Aqueous Effluents in Column Mode
Authors: Tofan Lavinia , Suteu Daniela
Published: February 2023

The present work deals with the continuous flow systems based on renewable resource biosorbents towards the green removal of various categories of chemical pollutants from aqueous media. The opening discussions are focused on: (a) renewable resources; (b) biosorbents based on renewable resources; (c) dynamic biosorption. After these, the renewable resources biosorbents are reviewed according to the parameters of breakthrough curves. Subsequently, the targeted biosorbents are systematized and analyzed according to the following criteria: (a) their ability to work as remediation agents for heavy metal ions and dyes, respectively; (b) their relevancy for continuous biosorption processes applied both to synthetic aqueous solutions and real wastewaters. The perspective directions of research for the implementation of biosorbents from renewable resources in practical column strategies for wastewater treatment are recommended.
AutodiDAQt: Simple Scientific Data Acquisition Software with Analysis-in-the-Loop
Authors: Stansbury Conrad H. , Lanzara Alessandra
Published: February 2023

Scientific data acquisition is a problem domain that has been underserved by its computational tools despite the need to efficiently use hardware, to guarantee validity of the recorded data, and to rapidly test ideas by configuring experiments quickly and inexpensively. High-dimensional physical spectroscopies, such as angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, make these issues especially apparent because, while they use expensive instruments to record large data volumes, they require very little acquisition planning. The burden of writing data acquisition software falls to scientists, who are not typically trained to write maintainable software. In this paper, we introduce AutodiDAQt to address these shortfalls in the scientific ecosystem. To ground the discussion, we demonstrate its merits for angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and high bandwidth spectroscopies. AutodiDAQt addresses the essential needs for scientific data acquisition by providing simple concurrency, reproducibility, retrospection of the acquisition sequence, and automated user interface generation. Finally, we discuss how AutodiDAQt enables a future of highly efficient machine-learning-in-the-loop experiments and analysis-driven experiments without requiring data acquisition domain expertise by using analysis code for external data acquisition planning.
Night-Time Heart Rate Variability during an Expedition to Mt Everest: A Case Report
Authors: Mantzios Konstantinos , Pappas Aggelos , Tsianos Georgios-Ioannis , Flouris Andreas D.
Published: February 2023

Mt Everest has been gaining popularity from casual hiking athletes, climbers, and ultra-endurance marathon runners. However, living and sleeping at altitude increases the risk of injury and illness. This is because travel to high altitudes adversely affects human physiology and performance, with unfavourable changes in body composition, exercise capacity, and mental function. This is a case report of a climber who reached the summit of Mt Everest from the north side. During his 40-day expedition, we collected sleep quality data and night-time heart rate variability. During the night inside the tent, the air temperature ranged from −12.9 to 1.8 °C (−5.8 ± 4.9 °C) and the relative humidity ranged from 26.1 to 78.9% (50.7 ± 16.9%). Awake time was 17.1 ± 6.0% of every sleep-time hour and increased with altitude (r = 0.42). Sleep time (r = −0.51) and subjective quality (r = 0.89) deteriorated with altitude. Resting heart rate increased (r = 0.70) and oxygen saturation decreased (r = −0.94) with altitude. The mean NN, RMSSD, total power, LF/HF, and SD1 and SD2 were computed using the NN time series. Altitude reduced the mean ΝΝ (r = −0.73), RMSSD (r = −0.31), total power (r = −0.60), LF/HF ratio (r = −0.40), SD1 (r = −0.31), and SD2 (r = −0.70). In conclusion, this case report shows that sleeping at high altitudes above 5500 m results in progressively reduced HRV, increased awakenings, as well as deteriorated sleep duration and subjective sleep quality. These findings provide further insight into the effects of high altitude on cardiac autonomic function and sleep quality and may have implications for individuals who frequently spend time at high altitudes, such as climbers.
Heat Acclimation Knowledge among Recreational Runners
Authors: Heatherly Alexander J. , Caputo Jennifer L. , Johnson Samantha L. , Fuller Dana K.
Published: February 2023

Heat acclimation (HA) is the foremost method of preventing exertional heat illness during exercise in hot and humid environments. However, the prevalence of HA training and its associated knowledge is not currently known in recreational running populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge of recreational runners toward HA. A survey consisting of 38 questions that required approximately 10–15 min to complete was disseminated to running clubs throughout the Southeastern United States. Questions were designed to collect data on participant demographics, yearly training habits, and HA knowledge. Recreational runners (N = 125) demonstrated a lack of knowledge toward proper HA training and its associated benefits. Participants largely received HA advice from their peers (31.2%) and reported no professional guidance in their training (79.2%). Finally, participants’ beliefs toward proper HA training differed among training groups with moderate and high groups perceiving greater frequency, miles/wk, and min/wk as appropriate for HA compared to the low group (p ≤ 0.05). Due to the warmer temperatures and higher relative humidity experienced in the southeastern, southwestern, and mid-Atlantic locations of the United States and throughout certain regions of the European Union, governing bodies in sport and exercise science should develop more educational initiatives to convey the importance and advantages of HA, especially when runners are training for major marathons that are typically held in the late spring and early fall seasons.
Methods for Measuring and Assessing Irregularities of Stone Pavements—Part II
Authors: Cantisani Giuseppe , Bruno Salvatore , D’Andrea Antonio , Loprencipe Giuseppe , Di Mascio Paola , Moretti Laura
Published: February 2023

This two-part manuscript presents a comprehensive methodology for the irregularity assessment of urban stone pavements. The proper road surface assessment using key performance indicators is necessary to plan appropriate maintenance strategies. However, there are no monitoring methods or evaluation criteria for stone pavements whose surfaces are more uneven than traditional ones due to their structural characteristics. Therefore, it is useful to define criteria for assessing irregularities considering the comfort experienced by road users and classify their conditions. This second part presents the geometric and comfort analyses of 40 urban branch profiles to describe pavement unevenness. In particular, four methods have been investigated: the International Roughness Index (IRI) according to ASTM E1926, the surface profile classification according to ISO 8608, the comfort index (awz) according to ISO 2631, and the straightedge analysis for stone pavements (SASP) proposed by the authors that is able to evaluate the effect of localized irregularities, taking into account different urban vehicles. In conclusion, four classes have been defined to describe geometric and comfort conditions that can support road manager decisions in order to implement an effective pavement management system.
STEM/STEAM in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS): A Systematic Review
Authors: Rodrigues-Silva Jefferson , Alsina Ángel
Published: February 2023

We sought to explore the intersection between interdisciplinary STEM/STEAM educational approaches and Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS). For that, we conducted a systematic review of Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and Scielo databases from 2007 to 2022 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) commandments. The systematic search led to a list of 12 articles, and we analysed them through theoretical orientations, educational perspectives, and pictures of children’s nature. We found that most studies focus on sustainability’s environmental pillar and address the discipline of science more frequently. Additionally, the authors tend to assume a theoretical orientation on the need for connecting children to a sustainable issue and picture the Apollonian child—assuming children are essentially good and emerge with virtuous traits from this contact, such as environmental care. Accordingly, researchers usually propose experiential learning in environments or settings related to sustainability, while there is a lack of teaching STEM/STEAM knowledge and skills on sustainability or engaging children to act for sustainability. We verified that they frequently lose opportunities to explicitly discern STEM/STEAM knowledge areas and their intersections in moments that could benefit children’s learning.
Sustainable Utilization of Machine-Vision-Technique-Based Algorithm in Objective Evaluation of Confocal Microscope Images
Authors: Anaz Aws , Kadhim Neamah , Sadoon Omar , Alwan Ghazwan , Adhab Mustafa
Published: February 2023

Confocal microscope imaging has become popular in biotechnology labs. Confocal imaging technology utilizes fluorescence optics, where laser light is focused onto a specific spot at a defined depth in the sample. A considerable number of images are produced regularly during the process of research. These images require methods of unbiased quantification to have meaningful analyses. Increasing efforts to tie reimbursement to outcomes will likely increase the need for objective data in analyzing confocal microscope images in the coming years. Utilizing visual quantification methods to quantify confocal images with naked human eyes is an essential but often underreported outcome measure due to the time required for manual counting and estimation. The current method (visual quantification methods) of image quantification is time-consuming and cumbersome, and manual measurement is imprecise because of the natural differences among human eyes’ abilities. Subsequently, objective outcome evaluation can obviate the drawbacks of the current methods and facilitate recording for documenting function and research purposes. To achieve a fast and valuable objective estimation of fluorescence in each image, an algorithm was designed based on machine vision techniques to extract the targeted objects in images that resulted from confocal images and then estimate the covered area to produce a percentage value similar to the outcome of the current method and is predicted to contribute to sustainable biotechnology image analyses by reducing time and labor consumption. The results show strong evidence that t-designed objective algorithm evaluations can replace the current method of manual and visual quantification methods to the extent that the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) is 0.9.
SARClust—A New Tool to Analyze InSAR Displacement Time Series for Structure Monitoring
Authors: Roque Dora , Falcão Ana Paula , Perissin Daniele , Amado Conceição , Lemos José V. , Fonseca Ana
Published: February 2023

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has proved its efficiency for displacement monitoring in urban areas. However, the large volume of data generated by this technology turns the retrieval of information useful for structure monitoring into a big data problem. In this study, a new tool (SARClust) to analyze InSAR displacement time series is proposed. The tool performs the clustering of persistent scatterers (PSs) based on dissimilarities between their displacement time series evaluated through dynamic time warping. This strategy leads to the formation of clusters containing PSs with similar displacements, which can be analyzed together, reducing data dimensionality, and facilitating the identification of displacement patterns potentially related to structural damage. A proof of concept was performed for downtown Lisbon, Portugal, where ten distinct displacement patterns were identified. A relationship between clusters presenting centimeter-level displacements and buildings located on steep slopes was observed. The results were validated through visual inspections and comparison with another tool for time series analysis. Agreement was found in both cases. The innovation in this study is the attention brought to SARClust’s ability to (i) analyze vertical and horizontal displacements simultaneously, using an unsupervised procedure, and (ii) characterize PSs assisting the displacement interpretation. The main finding is the strategy to identify signs of structure damage, even on isolated buildings, in a large amount of InSAR data. In conclusion, SARClust is of the utmost importance to detect potential signs of structural damage in InSAR displacement time series, supporting structure safety experts in more efficient and sustainable monitoring tasks.
Polymer Banknotes: A Review of Materials, Design, and Printing
Authors: Rafiei Amirmohammad , Karimi Amirhossein , Bodaghi Mahdi
Published: February 2023

Nowadays, more than 45 countries in the world use polymer banknotes in their monetary and banking systems. It is expected that by 2030, another 20 countries will abandon the use of paper banknotes and switch to polymer banknotes. Recent research shows that several countries in the Middle East and the European Union will switch to printing and using polymer banknotes soon due to the advantages of polymer banknotes. Polymer banknotes are made of polymeric materials. They possess very special optical security features and promote sustainability in the world, which motivated us to review recent materials, design, optical technologies, and printing methods in this respect. Since the topic of polymer banknotes is new and there are not many articles and research about them, this review specifically focuses on the structure of the constituent materials and security features and their reuse with an emphasis on sustainability and environmentally friendly banknotes. Specifically, analyses of 3D polymer films and the security properties of polymer banknotes are carried out. Finally, comparison studies with paper banknotes are performed, and pertinent conclusions are outlined.
The Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis for Colombia: Impact of Economic Development on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Ecological Footprint
Authors: Acevedo-Ramos Jorge A. , Valencia Carlos F. , Valencia Carlos D.
Published: February 2023

Climate change has become a significant concern for developing countries given the risk that it poses to energy and food independence, and to general productivity. Despite having an energy system with low carbon intensity when compared to other Latin American countries, Colombia is already facing climate change impacts and requires urgent efforts to mitigate them. As a developing country, the challenge is bigger as policies for economic growth should be in line with the global commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the aim of contributing to the design of climate policies by using data driven methodologies and scientific evidence, this study assesses the impact of economic development on the environment by examining the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for Colombia. Statistically validated and stable autoregressive distributed lag models are estimated for three different environmental indicators: carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions, and the ecological footprint. Moreover, the effects of other variables such as urbanization, foreign direct investment, the value added by the agricultural and industrial sectors, and energy use are analyzed with dynamic simulations. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of EKC estimation using these variables in statistically validated models for Colombia; thus, this paper adds to the scientific evidence of the EKC hypothesis in developing countries. Empirical evidence supports a long-run equilibrium relationship among investigated variables and the existence of an inverted U-shaped EKC relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and methane emissions, and GDP and the ecological footprint. The results of this paper show that shifting to renewable energy sources and leveraging the use of cleaner technologies in agricultural and industrial sectors are key factors for economic growth without harming the environment, which has important scientific value because of its evidence-based approach for public policy making in developing countries, particularly Colombia.
Impact of Social Media on Young Generation’s Green Consumption Behavior through Subjective Norms and Perceived Green Value
Authors: Xie Si , Madni Ghulam Rasool
Published: February 2023

In response to the dramatic increase in social media usage among the young generation, the patterns of manufacturing and consumption have changed. Social media has altered the green consumption market and completely changed consumer psychology and attitude. The influence of social media on the younger generation’s behavior regarding green consumption through subjective norms and perceived green value is hardly discussed in the earlier literature with special reference to China. This study has the objective to explore the impact of social media on the green purchase intentions of young people in the presence of subjective norms and perceived green value. A survey of 303 young people in China is conducted and multiple statistical techniques are applied to determine the reliability and validity of the data such as the Fisher F test, White’s test, the Durbin–Watson test, the Shapiro–Wilks test, and confirmatory factor analysis. The mediating impact of the variables are explored through the bootstrap method and multiple regression is applied for finding the relationship among dependent and independent variables. The findings of this study reveal that information shared on social media has a positive relationship with green consumption among the younger generation in China. In addition, perceptions about green environment and “subjective norms” have a strong mediating impact on increasing the intentions of consumers for purchasing of green products. Moreover, the occupation of consumers also has a mediating role in moderating the subjective norms regarding green consumption. The findings of the study have theoretical contributions as well as practical implications. It is found that social media has a stimulus role for green consumption among the younger generation to devise their subjective norms and perceptions. The practical implications of the present findings are helpful for policy makers to understand how social media is effective in combatting environmental deterioration in the context of China’s recent economic expansion. The future research may be extended through a splitting sample considering the location of respondents and in terms of responses’ quartiles.
Ant Colony Optimized Controller for Fast Direct Torque Control of Induction Motor
Authors: Albalawi Hani , Zaid Sherif A. , El-Shimy Mohmed E. , Kassem Ahmed M.
Published: February 2023

Induction motor (IM) drives have tremendous applications as high-performance drives in things such as mine winders, machine tools, electric vehicles, and elevators. Usually, IM drives controlled by direct torque control are preferred for these applications due to their fast torque control and simplicity compared with IM drives with field-oriented control. Proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers are commonly used to control IM drives using DTC. Though these controllers are simple and provide excellent response for linear systems with constant set points, they perform poorly with variable set points and IM motor parameter uncertainties. Hence, many control techniques and optimization algorithms have been applied to improve IM drive performance. This paper proposes an IM drive controlled using direct torque control principles, but with the power converter operation optimized to give fast torque performance. The IM drive speed response is improved using an optimized fuzzy PID (FPID). The FPID optimization is accomplished by the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. All components of the IM drive with the optimized control system were simulated using the MATLAB/Simulink platform. The responses of the introduced drive using three different controllers—conventional PID, FPID, and optimized FPID—were compared. The simulation results indicate that the optimized FPID controller provided the best performance in terms of speed and torque. Additionally, the performance of the IM with the proposed optimized FPID under parameter uncertainties was studied. The simulation results indicated the robustness of the optimized FPID controller against parameter uncertainties.
Social Sustainability Orientation and Supply Chain Performance in Mexico, Colombia and Chile: A Social-Resource-Based View (SRBV)
Authors: Reyna-Castillo Miguel , Vera Martínez Paola Selene , Farah-Simón Lisette , Simón Nadima
Published: February 2023

The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of reflecting on the essential resources and capabilities that enable companies to react to disruptions. In this regard, studies have shown that social sustainability is a crucial resource for the operational performance of supply chains in emerging contexts. Although the literature has responded to the call for research on the social dimension of sustainability in emerging economies, most research has focused on emerging Asia, leaving a void in Latin America. Two socially focused frameworks are used to address the ontological challenge of defining sustainable human well-being around the firm. Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach and the theoretical extension of the Social-Resource-Based View (SRBV) are appropriate to address social sustainability under two essential aspects: (1) the firm as a generator of social performance and (2) social sustainability as a generator of firm performance. This paper aims to analyze the predictive capacity of Social Sustainability Orientation on social performance and supply chain operational performance in the context of emerging Latin America, with representative cases from Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. The methodology was empirical–statistical and based on a structured questionnaire applied to 217 purchasing managers of large multisector companies (Mx n = 64, Co n = 100, and Cl n = 53). Hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show the intrasample and extrasample predictive ability of Social Sustainability Orientation on social and Supply Chain Performance. It is concluded that socially sustainable culture and investment orientation is a valuable resource that provides the capability for Latin supply chain welfare and operational performance. A call is made to procurement and public policy managers to disseminate and care for the social aspects of sustainability as a resource that enhances business competitiveness and social justice in the Latin American region.
Comparing Tourism Activity Patterns Influenced by a Tourism Information Source: A Case of the Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Authors: Park Deukhee , Yun Sunmi
Published: February 2023

With the development of the internet and mobile devices, tourists have been able to obtain information and then travel to various places or participate in diverse tourism activities in one travel excursion. This study investigates the patterns of tourist participation in tourism activities according to a tourism information source used through a relational approach using a social network analysis (SNA). This study utilizes raw data from 2021 Gyeonggi tourist survey data distributed by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. Our results indicate different patterns of participation in tourism activities between tourists using online sources and those using offline sources. In addition, the tourism activity distribution patterns of the centralities were hierarchically structured and differentiated depending on the tourism information source. The present study then offers theoretical implications and future study avenues, as well as practical implications, focused on developing tourism marketing strategies and content for the Gyeonggi province, South Korea.
The Role of Demographics and Previous Experience in Tourists’ Experiential Perceptions
Authors: Pasaco-González Bárbara Sofía , Campón-Cerro Ana María , Moreno-Lobato Ana , Sánchez-Vargas Elena
Published: February 2023

Tourism experiences are personal events characterized by their subjective nature. Because of this, each consumer has his or her way of perceiving the experience depending on their individual characteristics. The literature suggests that demographic and prior experience variables are factors that may influence tourists’ perceptions. While some studies have examined the influence of these factors on marketing variables, more information is still needed to help predict tourists’ behavior and to understand how they interpret experiences. This study explored whether experiential quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions differ according to individuals’ demographic characteristics and previous experience. An online survey collected data from 367 tourists participating in tourism experiences. A t-test for independent samples and a Kruskal–Wallis test were used for the analysis. The results showed that the main differences were between gender groups (males and females).
Does Price Matter in Mainland China? Examine the Factors Influencing Broiler Chicken Purchase Intention
Authors: Ye Ye , Jiang Baichen , Ning Binyao , Lim Xinjean , Hu Lijia
Published: February 2023

Sustainable marketing emphasizes how businesses convey the concept of sustainability to consumers through marketing techniques. Previous research has focused on identifying the drivers that influence consumers’ purchase intentions for agricultural products. However, there is a lack of research on the quality of the messages that firms convey to consumers from a pricing perspective. To fill this gap, this study builds on the hedonic pricing theory using structural equation modeling to develop a formative model that enables the identification of the determinants that influence the market price of the broiler chicken industry in mainland China. By analyzing the information on 486 raw whole chicken samples in China, the results indicate that the basic, responsible production, and quality assurance attributes of broilers have a substantial effect on their selling price, whereas the marketing message attributes do not. The results of this study are enlightening for producers and marketers of agricultural products who are developing pricing strategies. This study raises important questions about the pricing of agricultural products in sustainable marketing practices, particularly in emerging economies, and suggests avenues for future research conducted in this area.
Research on the Digital Transformation of Producer Services to Drive Manufacturing Technology Innovation
Authors: Lai Zhihua , Wang Bifeng , He Xiang
Published: February 2023

The digital transformation of producer services contributes to the development of manufacturing technology innovation through an intermediary role, providing an important policy basis for the effective implementation of China’s innovation-driven development strategy and digital transformation. In this study, we selected panel data collected from 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China from 2013 to 2020 and applied a spatial Durbin model that included mediating effects to examine the mediating transmission paths of the effect of the digital transformation of producer services on manufacturing technology innovation. Our results showed that: (i) The digital transformation of producer services positively affects local manufacturing technology innovation and generates positive spatial spillover effects on neighboring regions. (ii) The digital transformation of producer services affects manufacturing technology innovation through three paths, including industrial productivity, knowledge stock, and the market environment. The direct effect of industrial productivity is the largest, followed by the market environment and knowledge stock, while the spillover effect of knowledge stock is the largest, followed by market environment and industrial productivity. (iii) There is regional heterogeneity in the mediating effect of the digital transformation of producer services, with the direct effect of industrial productivity being the largest in the east and the spillover effect of the market environment being the largest in the central region.
Quadripartite Evolutionary Game of Sustainable Development of Supply Chain Finance with Government Participation
Authors: Qin Chuan , Hong Yi-Tian
Published: February 2023

Under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, green supply chain finance (GSCF) points out the sustainable development direction of supply chain finance (SCF). In order to study the mutual influence of GSCF participants’ decision-making and the effectiveness of government promotion, this paper builds an evolutionary game (EG) model that consist of “governments, financial institutions (FIs), core enterprises (CEs) and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)”, discusses the stability of strategy selection, and uses MATLAB to conduct numerical simulations. The research results show that: (1) Government’s participation can effectively promote the sustainable development of SCF; (2) In order to maximize incentives for FIs to carry out a GSCF business, large penalties for non-loan and subsidies similar to the income difference between traditional commercial loans and green loans (GL) should be implemented at the same time; (3) The stability of supply chain (SC) cooperation and reasonable risk compensation to CEs can promote its guarantee; (4) The increase in the expected profit of SC and the increase in the positive effect of GM in the industry are conducive to promoting GM in SMEs.
Rapid Screening for Mycosporine-like Amino Acids (MAAs) of Irish Marine Cyanobacteria and Their Antioxidant Potential
Authors: Browne Norma , Otero Paz , Murray Patrick , Saha Sushanta Kumar
Published: February 2023

The present study evaluated 53 Irish marine cyanobacteria intending to identify potential producers of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) to meet the increasing demand for replacing chemical sunscreen with bio-sunscreen. The biodiscovery analysis using absorption spectra of methanolic extracts identified eight cyanobacteria as potential MAAs producers with a specific content of 0.114–0.511 A* mg DW−1. Leptolyngbya tenuis SABC010201 was found to possess notably higher MAAs content. LC-MS analysis identified a total of eight different types of known MAAs (mycosporine-glutamicol, mycosporine-glutaminol-glucoside, mycosporine-serinol, mycosporine-taurine, palythine, palythine-threonine-sulphate, porphyra-334, and usujirene) in eight cyanobacteria, while four compounds were considered unknown UV-absorbing compounds with specific mass and absorption maximum. For example, two unknown compounds with, respectively, [M-H]- values of 219.0557 and 289.0730 and lambda max of 314 and 326 nm, were detected in three cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya tenuis SABC010201, Phormidium angustissimum SABC020801, and Schizothrix sp. SABC022401. These two unknown compounds were named M-314 and M-326, respectively. Antioxidant activities of total MAAs of all cyanobacteria showed considerable amounts of DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC activities. Considering the specific MAAs content and antioxidant activities, Leptolyngbya africana SABC021601 was considered the best producer of MAAs.
Investigation of Strength and Microstructural Characteristics of Blended Cement-Admixed Clay with Bottom Ash
Authors: Phutthananon Chana , Tippracha Niyawan , Jongpradist Pornkasem , Tunsakul Jukkrawut , Tangchirapat Weerachart , Jamsawang Pitthaya
Published: February 2023

This research presents an experimental study of the strength and microstructural characteristics of cement-bottom ash-admixed Bangkok clay, paying special attention to the efficiency of adding up the bottom ash (BA) of different finesses as a cementitious material and the role played by BA in enhancing the strength of the mixture. The obtained results were discussed with cemented clay mixed with other industrial ashes (i.e., fly ash and risk husk ash). The pozzolanic reaction and packing effect of BA on strength development were also discussed with tests of mixtures with insoluble material. The experimental study was performed through unconfined compression (UC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests. The obtained results demonstrate that the BA could be advantageously supplemented as cementitious material into the cement-admixed clay mixture to improve the strength characteristic. The finer particle size of BA could be beneficial for achieving a high strength due to the pozzolanic reaction and packing effects. By adding up a BA content of larger than 15% when the base cement content is not less than 20%, the strength of the mixture increased efficiently with the increasing BA content. Compared with fly ash of a similar grain size, the higher efficiency of BA is obtained when a BA content of greater than 15% is considered. Finally, the microstructure and changes in elemental composition/distribution were analyzed by TGA and SEM tests to explain the mechanism to improve the strength of cement–BA-admixed clay.
Assessing Tertiary Turkish EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Competence Regarding Speech Acts and Conversational Implicatures
Authors: Kentmen Hazel , Debreli Emre , Yavuz Mehmet Ali
Published: February 2023

Pragmatic competence is an indispensable component of communicative competence, which plays an essential role in human communication. When an individual is communicatively competent, he/she can carry out an effective conversation in social situations. Therefore, pragmatic competence establishes a compelling factor in English language learning as it permits second/foreign language learners to carry out successful conversations in real-life interactions outside the classroom atmosphere. The improvement of foreign language learners’ pragmatic competence will strengthen their communicative competence. The purpose of this paper is to assess foreign language learners’ comprehension of conversational implicatures by using a multiple-choice discourse test (MCDT) and their performance in a discourse completion test (DCT). Through the use of a quantitative analysis, 54 adult learners of English at C1 and B2 levels of proficiency defined by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in a university in Cyprus were tested on their use of implicatures and speech acts. EFL learners were more successful in the MCDT regarding the comprehension of formulaic and idiosyncratic features but received lower results in the DCT. As well as testing the proficiency level, this study was also designed to investigate the difference between the gender performances of the DCT and MCDT. The results revealed that there is no statistical significance between the male and female respondents in terms of pragmatic competence. Based on these results, the role of teaching pragmatics in EFL classrooms portrays a major aspect for a sustainable learning environment. Thus, the paper also illustrates suggestions for future research.
Does Pay Disparity within Top Management Teams Lead to Bribery Activity? The Moderation of Demographic Diversity
Authors: Zou Hailiang , Lu Yunfeng , Qi Guoyou
Published: February 2023

Prior studies have suggested that a large pay gap within the top management team (TMT) can motivate executives to outperform each other and that such competition consequently enhances productivity. We argue that a high pay disparity elicits managerial negative efforts and promotes bribery activities, but this effect can be mitigated by demographic diversity in the TMT and also can be affected by the characteristics of the CEO–TMT demographic interface. Using a sample of listed Chinese firms, our empirical results show that pay disparity is positively associated with bribery expenditure and this association derives mainly from the vertical component when pay disparity is examined via its vertical and horizontal components. In addition, we found that the positive relationship between pay disparity and bribery is weakened when the non-CEO executives have diverse demographic characteristics, and it is strengthened if the CEO is demographically similar to the other executives. This study contributes to the literature on corruption and TMTs by revealing the implications of managerial incentives for firm bribery and by elucidating the role of TMT composition.
Active Schools in Europe—A Review of Empirical Findings
Authors: Bailey Richard , Ries Francis , Scheuer Claude
Published: February 2023

Physical activity is an important part of children’s and young people’s healthy functioning, but evidence suggests many students are inactive to the extent that they are compromising their well-being. Traditionally, schools have played a minor role in contributing to physical activity, but it has held relatively low prestige. Some commentators have called for Whole-School or Active School approaches. Physical activity, in these models, is integrated into all aspects of school life. This article reports on a review of the most-cited elements of school-based physical activity promotion, assesses evidence of actual and potential contributions, and provides a tentative weight of evidence judgement for each component. A rapid reviewing methodology was followed, and the searches used a range of specialist academic databases (PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, SPORTdiscus, CINAHL Complete), Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu, restricted to 2010–2021. Six settings were found to have the potential to add physical activity time, although none suffices alone: Active Breaks; Active Homework; Active Learning; Active Recess; Active Transport; and School Sports. Active Schools offer a plausible solution to the problem of physical inactivity by adding moments of movement and integrating physical activity in all aspects of school life, underlining the need for school-level change, the consideration of stakeholder groups, and the social and physical environments of school.
Impact of Management and Reverse Logistics on Recycling in a War Scenario
Authors: Pereira Nuno , Antunes José , Barreto Luís
Published: February 2023

Nowadays organizations search to maximize their profits, particularly with regard to recyclable materials, making new strategies according to several emerging and changing scenarios. Logistics management is an important tool in achieving these goals, serving as a link between the market and the various areas of an organization. It is responsible for managing physical and organizational flows, both within and between organizations. Reverse logistics management of waste is one of the most complex areas in any organization, due to the financial effort needed in the separation and management of all waste, and due to the human resources allocated to those processes. The supply chain management paradigm, due to the emerging conflicts caused by war inducing extreme changes, shows that supply chains have massive difficulties and costs in obtaining raw materials, namely ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Thus, it is important to study the impact of management and reverse logistics on recycling in a “War” scenario, considering a case study from the Alto Minho region. This article’s research has the objective to raise awareness of the possible impacts of improving operations in the context of the recovery and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment through the concept of reverse logistics management. The importance of the recovery of this waste, among others, will necessarily have a great impact on logistics operation and, in particular, reverse logistics. This process includes the collection, separation, storage, reprocessing and reintroduction of electronic waste into the production chains of raw materials and components. With the crisis in production and shortages of semiconductors and raw materials, as is the case with some metals from Russia and Ukraine (exponentially aggravated by the war), this is a credible alternative. This is also relevant to the treatment of waste in landfills, transforming and converting these into biogas, which can be converted into electricity and introduced into the energy network. With this situation we obtain a triple benefit: cheaper electricity, waste treatment, and protection of future generations and the reintroduction of raw materials into production chains; these results are only possible to obtain through reverse logistics management concepts.
A Decision Framework for Designing Sustainable Wastewater-Based Resource Recovery Schemes
Authors: Diaz-Elsayed Nancy , Hua Jiayi , Rezaei Nader , Zhang Qiong
Published: February 2023

The availability of sufficient water supply is a challenge many municipalities have faced in recent decades and a challenge that is expected to intensify with time. While several choices remain for selecting alternatives to freshwater sources, water reclamation offers an opportunity for sustainable resource recovery. Nonetheless, tradeoffs exist in the selection of the most sustainable technology for recovering resources from wastewater when long-term impacts are taken into consideration. This article investigates the factors influencing the environmental and economic impacts of resource recovery technologies through the analysis of life cycle environmental and economic impact case studies. Key characteristics were extracted from life cycle assessment and life cycle cost case studies to evaluate the factors influencing the sustainability of the resource recovery systems. The specific design parameters include the type of resources to be recovered, technology utilized, scale of implementation, location, and end users. The design of sustainable resource recovery systems was found to be largely driven by scale, location (e.g., as it pertains to the energy mix and water quality restrictions), and the scope of the system considered. From this analysis, a decision framework for resource recovery-oriented wastewater management was developed and then applied to an existing case study to demonstrate its usability.
Post-Inflationary Production of Dark Matter after Inflection Point Slow Roll Inflation
Authors: Ghoshal Anish , Lambiase Gaetano , Pal Supratik , Paul Arnab , Porey Shiladitya
Published: February 2023

We explore a feasible model that combines near-inflection point small-field slow roll inflationary scenario driven by single scalar inflaton with the production of non-thermal vector-like fermionic dark matter, χ, during the reheating era. For the inflationary scenario, we consider two separate polynomial forms of the potential; one is symmetric about the origin, and the other is not. We fix the coefficients of the potentials satisfying current Planck-Bicep data. We calculate the permissible range of yχ and mχ for the production of enough dark matter to explain the total Cold Dark Matter (CDM) mass density of the present universe while satisfying Cosmic Background Radiation (CMBR) measurements and other cosmological bounds.
Machine Learning Approach for Prediction of Lateral Confinement Coefficient of CFRP-Wrapped RC Columns
Authors: Xue Xingsi , Makota Celestine , Khalaf Osamah Ibrahim , Jayabalan Jagan , Samui Pijush , Abdulsahib Ghaida Muttashar
Published: February 2023

Materials have a significant role in creating structures that are durable, valuable and possess symmetry engineering properties. Premium quality materials establish an exemplary environment for every situation. Among the composite materials in constructions, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is one of best materials which provides symmetric superior strength and stiffness to reinforced concrete structures. For the structure to be confining, the region jeopardizes seismic loads and axial force, specifically on columns, with limited proportion of ties or stirrups implemented to loftier ductility and brittleness. The failure and buckling of columns with CFRP has been studied by many researchers and is ongoing to determine ways columns can be retrofitted. This article symmetrically integrates two disciplines, specifically materials (CFRP) and computer application (machine learning). Technically, predicting the lateral confinement coefficient (Ks) for reinforced concrete columns in designs plays a vital role. Therefore, machine learning models like genetic programming (GP), minimax probability machine regression (MPMR) and deep neural networks (DNN) were utilized to determine the Ks value of CFRP-wrapped RC columns. In order to compute Ks value, parameters such as column width, length, corner radius, thickness of CFRP, compressive strength of the unconfined concrete and elastic modulus of CFRP act as stimulants. The adopted machine learning models utilized 293 datasets of square and rectangular RC columns for the prediction of Ks. Among the developed models, GP and MPMR provide encouraging performances with higher R values of 0.943 and 0.941; however, the statistical indices proved that the GP model outperforms other models with better precision (R2 = 0.89) and less errors (RMSE = 0.056 and NMBE = 0.001). Based on the evaluation of statistical indices, rank analysis was carried out, in which GP model secured more points and ranked top.
A Morita-Takeuchi Context and Hopf Coquasigroup Galois Coextensions
Authors: Guo Huaiwen , Wang Shuanhong
Published: February 2023

For H a Hopf quasigroup and C, a left quasi H-comodule coalgebra, we show that the smash coproduct C⋊H (as a symmetry of smash product) is linked to some quotient coalgebra Q=C/CH*+ by a Morita-Takeuchi context (as a symmetry of Morita context). We use the Morita-Takeuchi setting to prove that for finite dimensional H, equivalent conditions for C/Q to be a Hopf quasigroup Galois coextension (as a symmetry of Galois extension). In particular, we consider a special case of quasigroup graded coalgebras as an application of our theory.