bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FeliLeish: An Update on Feline Leishmaniosis and Factors Associated with Infection in Different Feline Populations from Italy
Authors: Spada Eva , Castelli Germano , Bruno Federica , Vitale Fabrizio , La Russa Francesco , Biondi Vito , Accettulli Sara , Migliazzo Antonella , Rossi Aurora , Perego Roberta , Baggiani Luciana , Proverbio Daniela
Published: November 2023

Feline leishmaniosis is a worldwide infection caused by the parasite of the genus Leishmania transmitted by sandflies. Based on the complexity of epidemiology and diagnosis of this infection, the role of cats in the epidemiology and clinical impact of disease is still under debate. By using serological and molecular methods, this study aimed to update the epidemiology of the infection in different feline populations from various areas of Italy and to study factors associated with the infection. Of 1490 cats tested, 124 (8.3%, 95% CI 6.9–9.9) were infected, 96 had only specific L. infantum IgG, 18 were only positive for parasite DNA and 10 were both IFAT and qPCR positive. Risk factors for infection were sampling in the winter season (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 2.2–4.8), originating from the Sicily region (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–3.0), male gender (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–3.2), outdoor lifestyle (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 0.9–5.6) and seropositivity for FIV antibodies (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.2–4.2), while sampling in the spring (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3–0.7) and summer (OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.1–0.7), and originating from the Lazio region (OR = 0.1, 95% CI 0.05–0.4) were protective factors for infection. In endemic areas, Leishmania infection should be investigated by using both serological and molecular methods and cats should be protected from sandfly bites, particularly if they are FIV infected.
Italian Ryegrass as a Forage Crop for the Baltics: Opportunities and Challenges in Light of Climate Change
Authors: Kemešytė Vilma , Statkevičiūtė Gražina , Norkevičienė Eglė , Jaškūnė Kristina
Published: November 2023

Grasslands are important for sustainable milk and meat production as well as for providing other ecosystem services. One of the most productive components of short-term grasslands is Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum subsp. italicum Lam.), offering high yield, excellent feed value, and high palatability to animals but low tolerance to abiotic stress. Global climate warming opens new opportunities and could be beneficial in increasing the potential of biomass production. In this study, we aimed to assess an Italian ryegrass cultivar of Lithuanian origin, ‘Ugnė’, for productivity and yield stability, with special emphasis on their relationship with climatic factors over a period of 14 years. The average winter temperatures and total spring precipitation explained 51% of the first-cut dry matter yield (DMY) variance. Second- and third-cut DMYs were associated with average temperature only. Italian ryegrass cv. ‘Ugnė’ demonstrated the potential to produce high dry matter yields after warm winters and withstand summer drought spells under Lithuanian conditions. However, mid-to-late-summer heat waves might reduce productivity and should be taken into consideration when breeding new Italian ryegrass cultivars.
Does the Harvest Type Affect Olive Health? Influence of the Harvesting System and Storage Time on the Chemical, Volatile and Sensory Qualities of Extra Virgin Olive Oils
Authors: Taiti Cosimo , Masi Elisa , Flamminii Federica , Di Mattia Carla , Mancuso Stefano , Marone Elettra
Published: November 2023

With the aim of investigating the effect of bruising and its development during the postharvest time, olive fruits (Frantoio and Moraiolo), manually and mechanically harvested, were stored in climatic chambers at two different temperatures (5 °C and 18 °C) for five days. Visual observations highlighted changes in the olive peel with discoloration in the damaged areas and tissue bruising. Olive fruit polyphenols, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other oil quality parameters (phenolic content, free acidity and peroxide index) and sensory assessment were evaluated. Analyses were carried out on fruits and experimental extra virgin oils at harvesting and after 5 days of fruit storage. The results highlight that low-temperature storage (5 °C for 5 days) may contribute to the maintenance of high olive oil quality, and the quality of olives stored at room temperature drastically decreases after 5 days of storage. Moreover, mechanical harvesting, compared to manual harvesting, does not seem to affect the final oil quality, at least at harvesting, but seems to determine differences in the long-term storage period. Finally, the samples stored at 18 °C showed a quality deterioration with the development of sensorial defects.
Evaluating the Influence of Water Scarcity on the Host Response of Garlic to the Stem and Bulb Nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci
Authors: Lorenzo Carmen , Ramos Fabio , Casado Andrés , Gálvez Ana-María , Sanz-Alférez Soledad , Nombela Gloria
Published: November 2023

Ditylenchus dipsaci is a plant-parasitic nematode with a great economic impact on bulbous crops, including garlic (Allium sativum L.), and is distributed worldwide, particularly in the Mediterranean region. Traditionally, garlic was a rainfed crop in Spain, but irrigated areas have increased during the last few decades. However, the expected climatic conditions, with longer and more intense droughts, will make it necessary to reduce the water supply to garlic crops. This poses the urgent need to select garlic cultivars more tolerant to water scarcity and that are also more resistant to plant pathogenic organisms. The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of water stress on the host response of garlic plants to D. dipsaci. The specific objectives were to evaluate the level of nematode infestation in plants from four garlic genotypes treated with a reduced irrigation regime and compare them with those of control plants not subjected to water stress. The observed results were correlated with changes in the bulb and root development, as well as in the physiological parameters (total chlorophyll concentration and proline accumulation). The effects were different depending on whether the plants were subjected to water stress before or after nematode inoculation, as well as whether the water stress was continuous or discontinuous. Garlic inter-cultivar variability also affected the obtained results.
Analysis of Carica papaya Informs Lineage-Specific Evolution of the Aquaporin (AQP) Family in Brassicales
Authors: Zou Zhi , Zheng Yujiao , Xie Zhengnan
Published: November 2023

Aquaporins (AQPs), a type of intrinsic membrane proteins that transport water and small solutes across biological membranes, play crucial roles in plant growth and development. This study presents a first genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of the AQP gene family in papaya (Carica papaya L.), an economically and nutritionally important fruit tree of tropical and subtropical regions. A total of 29 CpAQP genes were identified, which represent five subfamilies, i.e., nine plasma intrinsic membrane proteins (PIPs), eight tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), seven NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), two X intrinsic proteins (XIPs), and three small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs). Although the family is smaller than the 35 members reported in Arabidopsis, it is highly diverse, and the presence of CpXIP genes as well as orthologs in Moringa oleifera and Bretschneidera sinensis implies that the complete loss of the XIP subfamily in Arabidopsis is lineage-specific, sometime after its split with papaya but before Brassicaceae–Cleomaceae divergence. Reciprocal best hit-based sequence comparison of 530 AQPs and synteny analyses revealed that CpAQP genes belong to 29 out of 61 identified orthogroups, and lineage-specific evolution was frequently observed in Brassicales. Significantly, the well-characterized NIP3 group was completely lost; lineage-specific loss of the NIP8 group in Brassicaceae occurred sometime before the divergence with Cleomaceae, and lineage-specific loss of NIP2 and SIP3 groups in Brassicaceae occurred sometime after the split with Cleomaceae. In contrast to a predominant role of recent whole-genome duplications (WGDs) on the family expansion in B. sinensis, Tarenaya hassleriana, and Brassicaceae plants, no recent AQP repeats were identified in papaya, and ancient WGD repeats are mainly confined to the PIP subfamily. Subfamily even group-specific evolution was uncovered via comparing exon–intron structures, conserved motifs, the aromatic/arginine selectivity filter, and gene expression profiles. Moreover, down-regulation during fruit ripening and expression divergence of duplicated CpAQP genes were frequently observed in papaya. These findings will not only improve our knowledge on lineage-specific family evolution in Brassicales, but also provide valuable information for further studies of AQP genes in papaya and species beyond.
Potassium Spraying Preharvest and Nanocoating Postharvest Improve the Quality and Extend the Storage Period for Acid Lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) Fruits
Authors: Beheiry Hamada , Hasanin Mohamed , Abdelkhalek Amr , Hussein Hamdy
Published: November 2023

Citrus fruits are one of the most abundant crops globally in more than 140 countries throughout the world. Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia swingle) is one of the citrus fruits which popularly has rich nutritional and therapeutic features. The storage period is the important factor that affects the economic and quality properties of this fruit. This study aims to demonstrate the enhancing effect of preharvest spraying with potassium, in addition to the postharvest dipping of fruits in some edible coatings, on the quality and storability of acid lime fruits. Preharvest spraying with organic and mineral forms of potassium, namely, potassium thiosulfate 1.75 g/L (S) and potassium tartrate 2 g/L (T), were carried out at three different times, in May, June, and July. On the other hand, postharvest treatments were carried out via dipping fruits in different types of biopolymers (carboxymethyl cellulose (E2) and gum arabic (E3)) and carboxymethyl cellulose/gum arabic composite (E4) as well as nanocoating formulation based on both biopolymers and doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) (E1), which were prepared via acid lime peel waste extract. Herein, the physiochemical and morphological characterizations confirmed that the nanocoating was prepared at the nanoscale and doped with green synthesis ZnONPs, with recorded sizes of around 80 and 20 nm, respectively. Preharvest spraying with potassium tartrate enhanced fruit traits (Spraying with potassium tartrate at pre-harvest and nanocoating dipping at post-harvest (TE1), spraying with potassium tartrate at pre-harvest and carboxy methyl cellulose dipping at post-harvest (TE2), spraying with potassium tartrate at pre-harvest and gum arabic dipping at post-harvest (TE3) and spraying with potassium tartrate at pre-harvest and carboxymethyl cellulose/gum arabic composite dipping at post-harvest (TE4)), followed by potassium thiosulfate (spraying with potassium thiosulfate at pre-harvest and nanocoating dipping at post-harvest (SE1), spraying with potassium thiosulfate at pre-harvest and carboxy methyl cellulose dipping at post-harvest (SE2), spraying with potassium thiosulfate at pre-harvest and gum arabic dipping at post-harvest (SE3) and spraying with potassium thiosulfate at pre-harvest and carboxymethyl cellulose/gum arabic dipping at post-harvest (SE4)), compared to control. For postharvest treatments, E1 improved fruit quality, followed by E2, E4, and E3, respectively. The integration between pre- and postharvest treatments showed a clear superiority of TE2, followed by TE4, SE1, and SE2, respectively.
PacBio Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals the Mechanism of Salt Stress Response in Sonneratia apetala
Authors: Chen Beibei , Liu Tingting , Yang Zhuanying , Yang Shaoxia , Chen Jinhui
Published: November 2023

Sonneratia apetala is an essential mangrove wetland restoration tree species. Studying its molecular mechanism for salt tolerance could lay a foundation for further cultivating excellent resistant germplasm. This study used a combination of PacBio isoform sequencing (Iso-seq) and BGISEQ RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze the molecular mechanism to salt stress response of one-year-old S. apetala leaves. The growth and physiological analysis showed that physiological indexes such as growth rate, net photosynthetic rate and antioxidant enzyme activity all exhibit significant changes under salt stress. From Iso-seq, a total of 295,501 full-length transcripts, with an average length of 1418 bp, were obtained. RNA-seq produced 4712 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as compared to a control group. Of these, 930 were identified to be co-expressed during the STEM time sequence analysis. Further, 715 and 444 co-expressed DEGs were annotated by GO and KEGG analyses, respectively. Moreover, 318 of the co-expressed DEGs were annotated as essential genes that were implicated in salt stress response of S. apetala, which were involved in transcription factors, signal transduction, hormone response, ROS homeostasis, osmotic balance, cell wall synthesis or modification. These results provide candidate targets for further characterization and offer insights into the salt-tolerant mechanism of S. apetala.
Exploring the Bioactive Compounds in Some Apple Vinegar Samples and Their Biological Activities
Authors: El Abdali Youness , Saghrouchni Hamza , Kara Mohammed , Mssillou Ibrahim , Allali Aimad , Jardan Yousef A. Bin , Kafkas Nesibe Ebru , El-Assri El-Mehdi , Nafidi Hiba-Allah , Bourhia Mohammed , Almaary Khalid S. , Eloutassi Noureddine , Bouia Abdelhak
Published: November 2023

Apple vinegar is highly recommended for nutrition due to its health benefits and bioactive components. However, the apple cultivar greatly influences the quality of the vinegar. In this research, our focus was on examining the impact of four different apple cultivars on the physicochemical attributes, chemical composition, as well as biological properties—including antidepressant and anti-inflammatory activities—of vinegar. Interestingly, the physicochemical properties of vinegar and the contents of acetic acid and polyphenols depend on the apple cultivars. HPLC chromatographic analysis showed that citric acid (820.62–193.63 mg/100 g) and gallic acid (285.70–54.40 µg/g) were mostly abundant in the vinegar samples. The in vivo results showed that administration of Golden Delicious apple vinegar (10 mL/kg) to adult Wistar rats reduced carrageenan-induced inflammation by 37.50%. The same vinegar sample exhibited a significant antidepressant effect by reducing the rats’ immobility time by 31.07% in the forced swimming test. Due to its high acidity, Golden Delicious vinegar was found to be more effective against bacteria, particularly Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans, resulting in a MIC value of 31.81 mg/mL. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of various vinegar samples was found to be powerful, displaying optimal values of IC50 = 65.20 mg/mL, 85.83%, and 26.45 AAE/g in the DPPH, β-carotene decolorization and TAC assays, respectively. In conclusion, the apple cultivars used in this study impact the chemical composition and biological activities of vinegar, which may help demonstrate the importance of raw material selection for the production of vinegar.
An Updated Review of Fossil Pollen Evidence for the Study of the Origin, Evolution and Diversification of Caribbean Mangroves
Authors: Rull Valentí
Published: November 2023

Recently, the evolutionary history of the Caribbean mangroves has been reconsidered using partial palynological databases organized by the time intervals of interest, namely Late Cretaceous to Eocene for the origin, the Eocene–Oligocene transition for major turnover and Neogene to Quaternary for diversification. These discussions have been published in a set of sequential papers, but the raw information remains unknown. This paper reviews all the information available and provides the first comprehensive and updated compilation of the abovementioned partial databases. This compilation is called CARMA-F (CARibbean MAngroves-Fossil) and includes nearly 90 localities from the present and past Caribbean coasts, ranging from the Late Cretaceous to the Pliocene. Details on the Quaternary localities (CARMA-Q) will be published later. CARMA-F lists and illustrates the fossil pollen from past mangrove taxa and their extant representatives, and includes a map of the studied localities and a conventional spreadsheet with the raw data. The compilation is the most complete available for the study of the origin, evolution and diversification of Caribbean mangroves, and is open to modifications for adapting it to the particular interests of each researcher.
Ritualized Affective Performances: Syriac Etiquette Guides and Systems Intelligence in Early Christian–Muslim Encounters
Authors: Salés Luis Josué
Published: November 2023

In 2009, Michael Penn published a transcription and English translation of two Syriac texts, To the Rulers of the World (ܠܘܬ ܪ̈ܝܫܢܐ ܕܥܠܡܐ) and Concerning the Entrance before a New Emir (ܕܡܥܠܬܐ ܨܝܕ ܐܡܝܪܐ ܚܕܬܐ). This essay proposes a new historiographical approach to these texts based on the concepts and theoretical apparatus of systems intelligence theory and affect theory. I show how these texts use key Islamic theological and cultural ideas that would affectively resonate with the Muslim authorities while remaining non-objectionable to the orthodoxy of the Assyrian Church of the East. Specifically, I argue that Christians sometimes sought to curry favor with Islamic authorities not so much through logical persuasion, but by creating a sense of affective coherence through attunement to the discursive and theological systems of Islam. Through this strategy, Christians perhaps hoped to gain some small measure of political and religious advantage, especially over and against other Christian jurisdictions, such as the Syrian Orthodox Church. I conclude by discussing what methodological prospects these approaches can offer to the subfield, particularly if combined with other theories that similarly remain underused.
Understanding Health Outcomes from Exposure to Blue Space Resources: Towards a Mixed Methods Framework for Analysis
Authors: Grace Megan J. , Dickie Jen , Bartie Phil , Brown Caroline , Oliver David M.
Published: November 2023

With healthcare systems facing growing pressure from ageing populations and associated complex care needs, attention is increasingly being focused on sustainable strategies to improve health outcomes across populations. Encouraging access to natural environments is one form of preventative public health strategy that has been shown to lead to improved physical and mental health outcomes at the population level. A significant body of research has documented the health benefits of accessing a wide range of natural environments, including green space and coastal areas. However, freshwater resources, or inland blue spaces, have received less attention in the field of human–environment interactions. This critical review highlights current research opportunities for developing rich and nuanced insight into inland blue space experiences. Future research must take steps to account for the dynamic and unique nature of inland blue spaces through the application of a wide range of flexible and sensitive research methodologies alongside the application of broader mixed methods research approaches. To effectively utilise inland blue spaces as public health resources, it is vital that research captures the influence of temporal changes on blue space interactions and considers the overarching impact of context-specific factors. Addressing current research gaps in combination with advancing research methodologies offers the potential to consolidate inland blue space findings and create a robust evidence base for the implementation of effective public health policies.
Applying Screw Theory to Design the Turmell-Bot: A Cable-Driven, Reconfigurable Ankle Rehabilitation Parallel Robot
Authors: Vargas-Riaño Julio , Agudelo-Varela Óscar , Valera Ángel
Published: November 2023

The ankle is a complex joint with a high injury incidence. Rehabilitation Robotics applied to the ankle is a very active research field. We present the kinematics and statics of a cable-driven reconfigurable ankle rehabilitation robot. First, we studied how the tendons pull mid-foot bones around the talocrural and subtalar axes. We proposed a hybrid serial-parallel mechanism analogous to the ankle. Then, using screw theory, we synthesized a cable-driven robot with the human ankle in the closed-loop kinematics. We incorporated a draw-wire sensor to measure the axes’ pose and compute the product of exponentials. We also reconfigured the cables to balance the tension and pressure forces using the axis projection on the base and platform planes. Furthermore, we computed the workspace to show that the reconfigurable design fits several sizes. The data used are from anthropometry and statistics. Finally, we validated the robot’s statics with MuJoCo for various cable length groups corresponding to the axes’ range of motion. We suggested a platform adjusting system and an alignment method. The design is lightweight, and the cable-driven robot has advantages over rigid parallel robots, such as Stewart platforms. We will use compliant actuators for enhancing human–robot interaction.
Nonrigid Point Cloud Registration Using Piecewise Tricubic Polynomials as Transformation Model
Authors: Glira Philipp , Weidinger Christoph , Otepka-Schremmer Johannes , Ressl Camillo , Pfeifer Norbert , Haberler-Weber Michaela
Published: November 2023

Nonrigid registration presents a significant challenge in the domain of point cloud processing. The general objective is to model complex nonrigid deformations between two or more overlapping point clouds. Applications are diverse and span multiple research fields, including registration of topographic data, scene flow estimation, and dynamic shape reconstruction. To provide context, the first part of the paper gives a general introduction to the topic of point cloud registration, including a categorization of existing methods. Then, a general mathematical formulation for the point cloud registration problem is introduced, which is then extended to address also nonrigid registration methods. A detailed discussion and categorization of existing approaches to nonrigid registration follows. In the second part of the paper, we propose a new method that uses piecewise tricubic polynomials for modeling nonrigid deformations. Our method offers several advantages over existing methods. These advantages include easy control of flexibility through a small number of intuitive tuning parameters, a closed-form optimization solution, and an efficient transformation of huge point clouds. We demonstrate our method through multiple examples that cover a broad range of applications, with a focus on remote sensing applications—namely, the registration of airborne laser scanning (ALS), mobile laser scanning (MLS), and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point clouds. The implementation of our algorithms is open source and can be found our public repository.
Fenton Oxidation Combined with Iron–Carbon Micro-Electrolysis for Treating Leachate Generated from Thermally Treated Sludge
Authors: Dong Xiaoqing , Liu Hui , Li Ji , Gan Ruiqi , Liu Quanze , Zhang Xiaolei
Published: November 2023

In this study, Iron–Carbon Micro-Electrolysis (ICME), Fenton oxidation, and their combination were investigated to treat the leachate obtained from a wastewater treatment plant located in southern China. The results show that the Fenton-ICME process was the most efficient one. After the leachate was treated with the Fenton-ICME process, the COD concentration was reduced from the initial 35,772 mg/L to 13,522 mg/L, and the removal efficiency was up to 62.2%. In addition, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) to COD ratio increased by 40% at optimal conditions. This suggests that the biodegradability of the leachate has been increased, facilitating the biodegradation of the leachate after it is mixed with the raw wastewater. By studying the characteristic variation of the leachate treated with the Fenton-ICME process, it was found that the combined process mainly removes organic compounds such as aromatic compounds, ketones, and aldehydes. The separated sludge does not have a crystalline structure, and the iron in it mainly exists in the form of trivalent iron. It reveals that the Fenton-ICME process has great potential to be used as a pretreatment of leachate.
Good Governance, Resilience, and Sustainable Development: A Combined Analysis of USA Metropolises’ Strategies through the Lens of the 100 RC Network
Authors: Kalla Maria , Metaxas Theodore
Published: November 2023

Intense urbanization creates large cities that are functionally and administratively dependent on the surrounding regions and cities. As the boundaries of cities expand, so do the chronic stresses and sudden shocks they face. To reduce the impact of these threats and increase the safety and well-being of residents, metropolises must become more resilient and sustainable. Governance emerges as a critical element in achieving the resilience and sustainable development of metropolises. It is said that “good urban governance and sustainable development are closely linked”. This paper examines governance in the context of the 100 Resilient Cities network program and tries to diagnose the role that good governance plays at a metropolitan scale in achieving urban resilience and sustainable development using the 100 RC network’s metropolitan US cities as a case study. It adopts a combined methodology, and its critical documents are (a) The City Resilience Framework and (b) the strategic study of metropolises. This article aspires to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between urban governance, urban resilience, and sustainable development, and highlights good urban governance as an important tool for the effective management of chronic pressures and risks in cities.
Role of Drying Technologies on the Drying Kinetics, Physical Quality, Aroma, and Enzymatic Activity of Pineapple Slices
Authors: Tiliwa Essodézam Sylvain , Boateng Isaac Duah , Zhou Cunshan , Xu Baoguo
Published: November 2023

With a loss of about 50% of fruits and vegetables annually, there is a continuous need to improve food handling from the farm to the consumer. The solution may come partially from the selection of proper processing techniques that produce healthy and high-quality sustainable food, preserve natural resources, and contribute to prospering local economies. Pineapple is one of the most consumed fruits worldwide due to its remarkable sensorial and health-promoting attributes. Nevertheless, pineapple’s high moisture content (81–86%) impedes its long-term preservation, resulting in product losses and economic, social, and environmental challenges. Drying is the oldest processing technique for most fruits and vegetables. However, the investigation of modern technologies, such as infrared drying of pineapple, is limited. Moreover, industries are investigating different methods to dry faster, thereby saving energy and reducing environmental impact. Hence, this study used four drying methods to dry pineapple slices to allow the estimation of the most promising technique: infrared drying (ID), freeze-drying (FD), convective drying (CD), and relative humidity convective drying (RHCD). The impact of these dehydration techniques on drying kinetics, physical attributes (color, texture, rehydration, microstructure), aroma, and enzymatic activity (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase) were reported. The results showed that ID had the highest coefficient of effective moisture diffusivity and drying rates and the shortest drying period (33.45%, 36.18%, and 76.12% lower than CD, RHCD, and FD, respectively). Drying curves were successfully fitted with the parabolic and logarithmic models, which showed higher coefficients of determination and lower reduced chi-square and root mean square error than the Newton and inverse logarithmic models. FD and ID triggered minor browning indexes, leading to the brightest products. RHCD and ID slices had the highest textural values and aroma concentrations, while FD samples showed the lowest. However, FD samples had a higher rehydration ratio than other dried products and showed slight structural modifications. Regarding polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase inactivation, ID was superior, followed by CD, RHCD, and FD. The actual results suggest that infrared drying could be an efficient technique for the obtention of high-quality dehydrated pineapple fruits in a short time.
Should Brands Talk about Environmental Sustainability Aspects That “Really Hurt”? Exploring the Consequences of Disclosing Highly Relevant Negative CSR Information
Authors: Müller Jonas , Schade Michael , Burmann Christoph
Published: November 2023

When communicating their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities many companies predominantly release positive information. However, relying solely on positive information holds potential risks. Brands are consequently confronted with the dilemma of whether to exclusively disclose positive details about their environmental CSR activities (i.e., one-sided messages) or opt for voluntary disclosure of positive and negative information (i.e., two-sided messages). Existing literature distinguishes moderately and highly relevant types of negative information. However, prior research has predominantly overlooked the investigation of highly relevant negative CSR information. Therefore, our primary objective is to explore the impact of two-sided messages encompassing highly relevant negative CSR information in comparison to one-sided messages. We conducted four online experiments in two countries with different brands (study 1 (Germany, Mercedes-Benz, n = 457); study 2 (Germany, Porsche, n = 431); study 3 (USA, Mercedes-Benz, n = 468) and study 4 (USA, Tesla, n = 465)). The results reveal that two-sided messages with the disclosure of highly relevant negative CSR information lead to negative effects in comparison to one-sided messages with only positive information. Consequently, brands should exercise caution in communicating highly relevant negative CSR aspects. Our findings offer notable theoretical insights and practical implications.
Sustainability in Project Management: PM2 versus PRiSMTM
Authors: Marques Patrícia , Sousa Paulo , Tereso Anabela
Published: November 2023

This paper makes a theoretical contribution by exploring the integration of sustainability principles into project management. It compares two recent methodologies, PM2 and PRiSMTM, and provides a practical contribution by advocating for the adoption of these sustainability-driven practices among practitioners. Sustainability remains relatively unknown in the realm of project management, and this study aims to bridge that gap. This study follows an interpretivist philosophy and employs a combination of interviews and archival data analysis. PM2, created by the European Commission, provides a project management methodology free to organizations and includes best practices from other bodies of knowledge. However, it does not include sustainability because it aims to be generic. PRiSMTM, based on the P5™, aims to make the project management process more sustainable. PRiSMTM has a P5 Impact Analysis and Sustainability Management Plan as its main differentiating deliverables and is an extension of the Triple Bottom Line, also including product and process. The PM2 Alliance CEO believes that PM2 aims to be generic, so a focus on sustainability would remove the methodology’s “elasticity”. However, users wishing to use PM2 and consider sustainability can include it in the additional objectives and use PRiSMTM to differentiate deliverables.
The Development of Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Buildings: A Case Study in Vietnam
Authors: Le Thi Song , Zegowitz Andreas , Le Cao Chien , Künzel Hartwig , Schwede Dirk , Luu Thi Hong , Le Trung Thanh , Nguyen Thi Tam
Published: November 2023

This paper reports on collaborative activities to promote energy- and resource-efficient construction practices in Vietnam. First, the governance framework was introduced, including government decrees and technical standards. Then, a laboratory with building physics measurement technology was designed and partly set up at the local partner, the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM). This can be used to determine the essential characteristic values required for the implementation of energy standards. The requirements of the national technical regulation on energy-efficient buildings of Vietnam—QCVN09:2017/BXD—form the basis for the prioritization of characteristic values. Furthermore, the description of basic characteristic values from international standards can also be used for calculations to optimize the energy consumption of buildings. To carry out transient hygrothermal computer simulations, special characteristic values are also included. These are particularly useful for the research and development of new building materials and the evaluation of entire buildings in terms of thermal and moisture protection. In this way, the practical means for implementing governance instruments are provided, and the associated technical applications are supported. Based on the example of Vietnam, this paper indicates how a developing country can develop a road map for improving its systems for testing, rating, and labeling building materials for energy performance towards sustainable development.
Exploring the Perspective of Bank Employees on the Impact of Green Process Innovation and Perceived Environmental Responsibilities on the Sustainable Performance of the Banking Industry
Authors: Liu Tsai-Ling , Lin Tyrone T. , Hsu Shu-Yen
Published: November 2023

This research employs a questionnaire survey to examine the influence of the late phase of the pandemic on the sustainability performance of the banking industry in Taiwan. This research focuses on the perceptions of bank employees and explores the mediating role of fintech adoption (FTA) and green finance (GF). A total of 325 valid responses were collected, and structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) AMOS.21 software was applied to analyze the overall model, while the SPSS.21 PROCESS (2017) was applied to analyze the mediating effects. The empirical findings reveal that green process innovation (GI) significantly affects both green finance and banking sector sustainability performance (BSP), perceived environmental responsibility (PER) positively influence GF and FTA, and both FTA and GF positively impact BSP; however, GI had no direct impact on FTA, and FTA had no direct impact on GF. In terms of the mediating effects, PER has a complete mediating effect on BSP through FTA or GF, while GF partially mediates the relationship between GI, PER, and BSP.
Forecasting Future Development under the Interactions among Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Xu Yuqing , Chen Yu , Cao Min , Chang Lijiao , Bai Yuying , Li Yue , Guo Yaqi
Published: November 2023

Simulating the performance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides guidance to policymakers for faster achievement of the 2030 Agenda. However, current modeling and forecasting methods are not well thought out in terms of interactions between the SDGs. This study developed an iteration forecasting model considering the interactions of SDGs and simulated the SDGs’ progress from 2021 to 2030 for 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta under various sustainable development paths. The results indicated that the cities with the highest levels of sustainable development in the Yangtze River Delta would only achieve half of the goals by 2030 if they continued on their past paths. Learning from other cities resulted in a more significant improvement in the achievement of SDGs. Furthermore, the higher the development cost, the better the achievement of the goals. Compared to the other goals, SDG11 and SDG13 required higher development costs to be achieved. We optimized the development paths by taking development costs and goal attainment into account. The results showed that cities with high levels of economic development are more likely than cities with low levels of economic development to achieve SDG8 and SDG9 by 2030, while the opposite is true for SDG15.
The Nonlinear Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Hospitality and Tourism Corporate Financial Performance: Does Governance Matter?
Authors: Attia Eman Fathi , Tobar Rewayda , Fouad Heba Farid , Ezz Eldeen Hamsa Hany , Chafai Ahmed , Khémiri Wafa
Published: November 2023

This paper is interested in examining the impact of corporate social responsibility and governance on corporate financial performance. We selected a panel of 141 worldwide hospitality and tourism firms spanning the period 2012–2018 to assess the effects (direct and indirect) of corporate social responsibility and governance on corporate financial performance (measured in terms of return on assets, return on equity and Tobin’s Q). Although a few studies examine the moderating effect of certain factors, our study fills this gap by examining the moderating effect of governance practices (governance structure and institutional quality) on the nonlinear relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance. The results of the system generalized method of moments suggest the existence of a nonlinear, U-shaped relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance (return on equity and Tobin’s Q). This nonlinearity is confirmed for corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance (measured by return on assets). However, this relationship is inverted-U-shaped. Furthermore, our results also show that lagged corporate social responsibility, governance practices, firm-specific variables and macroeconomic variables affect current corporate financial performance. The predictions of stakeholders and agency theories are validated. Given our results, it is recommended that policy makers trade off the benefits and costs of corporate social responsibility and take appropriate financial strategies, thus enabling value creation for their companies.
Economic and Environmental Efficiencies of Organizations: Role of Technological Advancements and Circular Economy Practices
Authors: Chishty Syed Khusro
Published: November 2023

There are two concepts which encompass the new business order worldwide; this has vast implications, especially in the Indian business scenario. The first blanket is the phenomena of digitalization which was present in the undercurrents of all the business activities from the past two decades, and second one is circular economy practices. But in today’s Indian scenario, after the popular reform of “Notebandi”, forcing digitalization of the currency puts it to the forefront of all economic activities, especially in India. The economic reform of demonetization highlighted digitalization of economic transactions in the public eye. The phenomenon of digitalization is commonly referred to as the bundle of novel technologies that aim to improve things constantly. Organizations must take advantage of emerging technology to ensure that operations are both economically and environmentally feasible. Technologies based on sustainable solutions might aid companies in becoming more sustainable and economical. Therefore, this research is derived through the desire to measure the economic and environmental performance and how they were influenced by technology and circular practices of Indian Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies as they are most suited for this research. The sample (n = 203) was derived from senior managers of these companies. The study utilized Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach to analyze the results, it was found that digital transformation and circular economy practices are pervasive in nature and influence both Economic and Environmental performance of Indian FMCG companies. One of the main contributions of the study is that it also examines the relationship between technological advancements and economic and environmental performance directly; to date, there is not a single study, to the author’s knowledge, to have studied this relationship.
Can Paper Waste Be Utilised as an Insulation Material in Response to the Current Crisis
Authors: Wang Zeyu , Wang Dan
Published: November 2023

Recently, the climate and landfill crises have raised concerns in the UK as the country is struggling to meet the sustainability goal it set to achieve. One of the major reasons is due to the inadequate recycling rate of waste paper. Therefore, as an alternative solution to the issue, the aim of our research was to exploit the potential of waste paper as an insulating material to see whether it can be feasible to improve the recycling rate of waste paper in the country. Waste paper has already been in the construction industry for a while, and the use of cellulose insulation is a standard in the Passivhaus construction approach. The study examines cellulose’s performance as an insulation material and its potential to combat the climate crisis by creating four separate comparisons and calculations using Life-Cycle Assessment and Standard Assessment Procedures. The study will investigate the benefits and limitations of the material as well as a case study to justify the use of it. A pioneer project in the field is a retrofit and new-built building project—54–58 Akerman Road in London. It utilises cellulose fibre insulation as the main material for the new-built part. The study will use this project as a context to compare whether cellulose fibre insulation is the best solution for the project. Also, the study will compare cellulose insulation with other conventional insulation materials in a more general setting as well as with the traditional paper recycling approach, by providing an indication of the carbon footprint of the insulation, the energy resources involved and the amount of raw material. By conducting the study, we can know whether recycling waste paper into cellulose insulation is the best solution to the crisis we face. This research can guide the UK’s recycling and use of waste paper, reduce paper waste and energy consumption and improve the sustainability of building insulation materials.
Multiplicity Dependence of the Freeze-Out Parameters in Symmetric and Asymmetric Nuclear Collisions at Large Hadron Collider Energies
Authors: Ajaz Muhammad , Haj Ismail Abd , Waqas Muhammad , Quraishi Abdul Mosawir , Baker Jalal Hasan , Jagnandan Antalov , Ahmad Mohammad Ayaz , Jagnandan Shawn , Alrebdi Haifa I. , Dawi Elmuez A. , Badshah Murad
Published: November 2023

Strange hadron transverse momentum spectra are analyzed in symmetric pp and PbPb and asymmetric pPb collision systems for their dependence on rapidity and event charged-particle multiplicity. The thermodynamically consistent Tsallis models with and without flow velocity are used to reproduce the experimental data, extracting the freeze-out parameters to gain insights into the underlying physics of the collision processes by looking into the parameters change with different multiplicities, particle types, and collision geometries. We found that with an increase in the event multiplicity, the average transverse flow velocity, effective, and kinetic freezeout temperatures increase, with heavier strange particle species exhibiting a more significant increase. The value of the non-extensivity parameter decreases with an increase in the multiplicity of the particles. For heavier particles, larger Teff and T0 and smaller q have been observed, confirming the quick thermalization and equilibrium for massive particles. Furthermore, the differences in parameter values for particle species are more significant in pp and pPb collisions than in PbPb collisions. In addition, in symmetric pp and PbPb collisions, parameter values (q,T0,βT) show more significant shifts for heavier particles compared to the lighter ones. In contrast, in asymmetric pPb collisions, both heavier and lighter particles display uniform linear progression.
Beyond the Bitcoin Hype: A Structured Study of Blockchain’s Impact and Potential in Today’s Digital World
Authors: Campos-Rojas Felipe , Franco Matheus , Minatogawa Vinicius
Published: November 2023

The development and application of blockchain-based technologies have been overshadowed by the performance of cryptocurrencies and the belief that these are all that this technology has to offer. This idea has led to the question on numerous occasions if this technology is just expectations or if there are indeed applications that solve problems in today’s world. This bibliometric study on the current state of blockchain applications in the context of digital transformation seeks to break down the myth that this technology is just expectations, synthesizing and ordering the wide variety of topics that arise from this relationship. The results showed that the development of blockchain in the context of digital transformation is growing at an exponential rate, and with this, its applications have come to cover a large part of the industries, interact with other technologies, and establish objectives of all kinds. Based on these topics of technologies, industries, operational objectives, and strategic objectives, a structure is proposed that will serve as a guide for the development of new solutions to some problems, research, applications, and integrations with other technologies.
Integrase Defective Lentiviral Vector Promoter Impacts Transgene Expression in Target Cells and Magnitude of Vector-Induced Immune Responses
Authors: Mahesh Sneha , Li Jenny , Travieso Tatianna , Psaradelli Danai , Negri Donatella , Klotman Mary , Cara Andrea , Blasi Maria
Published: November 2023

Integrase defective lentiviral vectors (IDLVs) are a promising vaccine delivery platform given their ability to induce high magnitude and durable antigen-specific immune responses. IDLVs based on the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) are significantly more efficient at transducing human and simian dendritic cells (DCs) compared to HIV-based vectors, resulting in a higher expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. Additionally, IDLV persistence and continuous antigen expression in muscle cells at the injection site contributes to the durability of the vaccine-induced immune responses. Here, to further optimize transgene expression levels in both DCs and muscle cells, we generated ten novel lentiviral vectors (LVs) expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under different hybrid promoters. Our data show that three of the tested hybrid promoters resulted in the highest transgene expression levels in mouse DCs, monkey DCs and monkey muscle cells. We then used the three LVs with the highest in vitro transgene expression levels to immunize BALB/c mice and observed high magnitude T cell responses at 3 months post-prime. Our study demonstrates that the choice of the vector promoter influences antigen expression levels in target cells and the ensuing magnitude of T cell responses in vivo.