bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
State and adaptive disturbance observer co‐design for incrementally quadratic nonlinear descriptor systems with nonlinear outputs
Authors: Liu Leipo , Wen Qiaofeng , Li Yanan , Fu Dexin , Fu Zhumu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe problem of designing state and adaptive disturbance observers for a class of nonlinear descriptor systems with the disturbance generated by an unknown exogenous system is addressed in this paper. Especially, the nonlinear terms satisfy incremental quadratic constraints parameterized by a bunch of multiplier matrices, which can represent various classes of nonlinearities. For three different cases in the output equation, the state and adaptive disturbance observers are proposed. Some sufficient conditions formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities and algebraic constraints are derived to guarantee that state and disturbance error systems, simultaneously, are asymptotically stable with performance level. The availability of proposed observers is validated by two practical examples.
Root‐zone enrichment of soil‐test biological activity and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen under conventional and conservation land management
Authors: Franzluebbers Alan J. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBiologically active and intermediately labile fractions of soil organic matter are important features of conservation agricultural management systems. Depth distribution of soil‐test biological activity (STBA) and particulate organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were characterized under cropland, grassland, and woodland across 25 research stations in North Carolina. Most (87%) of the 310 fields sampled were on Ultisols (udults or aquults). Variation in STBA in the surface 30‐cm of soil was controlled primarily by land use and to a lesser extent by soil texture and physiographic region. Baseline concentrations of STBA and particulate organic C and N at 30‐cm depth were relatively narrowly constrained compared with contents in the 0‐ to 10‐cm depth. Root‐zone enrichment (i.e., total minus baseline contents) of STBA (mean ± standard error; kg CO2–C ha−1 3 d−1) followed the order: conventional‐till cropland (194 ± 17) < no‐till cropland (274 ± 26) < woodland (421 ± 17) < grassland (537 ± 15) across locations. Proportion of root‐zone enrichment of soil organic C as particulate organic C was 43 ± 2%. Root‐zone enrichment of particulate organic C (Mg C ha−1) followed the order: conventional‐till cropland (3.8 ± 0.6) < no‐till cropland (8.7 ± 0.8) < grassland (14.1 ± 0.5) < woodland (16.3 ± 0.6) across locations. The C:N ratio of root‐zone‐enriched particulate organic matter was greater under woodland than under other land uses likely because of N input limitations. Conservation land uses increased root‐zone enrichment of these active and intermediately labile fractions independent of soil types and regions in the state.
Subcritical Water Hydrolysis of Cotton Fibers to Nanocellulose for Producing Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Cellulose Biocomposite
Authors: Rafeny Nur Husnina Bazilah , Bahruji Hasliza , Abdullah Rosnah , Mahadi Abdul Hanif , Prasetyoko Didik 
Published: July 2023

AbstractCellulose nanofibers (CNs) are isolated from cotton wool using subcritical water in a semiflow hydrothermal reactor to achieve green hydrolysis. The yield and crystallinity index (CI) of nanocellulose is optimized via varying temperatures and hydrolysis time while maintaining the pressure at 10 MPa. Under the subcritical condition, water dissociates into H3O+ and OH−, allowing protonation of the β‐glycosidic bond to hydrolyze cellulose strands into short chain fibers. Hydrolysis rates enhance with increasing temperatures, further disintegrating cellulose into smaller nanofibrils. At 180 °C, amorphous cellulose dissolution occurs, increasing the crystallinity without disintegrating the crystalline fibrous network. The concentration of H3O+ increases at 230 °C, further hydrolyzes cotton wool into uniform nanofibril cellulose with 14.3 ± 1.2 nm diameter. The tensile strength and elongation at break enhance using cellulose nanofibers obtained at 220 and 230 °C due to the small nanocellulose sizes that allow efficient dispersion in the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix.
Skinfold calipers: which instrument to use?
Authors: Cintra-Andrade Joaquim H. , Ripka Wagner L. , Heymsfield Steven B. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe considerable amount of original and generic types of skinfold calipers available is a source of systematic measurement error. This study is a brief report that critically examines the original and illustrated structural configuration of the three main types of skinfold calipers. For more than half a century, the Harpenden®, Lange® and Slim Guide® skinfolds calipers have been widely used in clinical and research settings. It is well established that the physical, mechanical and functional specificity of each type of skinfold caliper makes its interchangeable use impossible. Our report suggests that commercially available technical specifications are insufficient to judiciously choose a skinfold caliper. The area of the jaws, the coefficient of spring and the static and dynamic downward pressure of each type of skinfold caliper must be determined in the metrological laboratory and added to the technical user manual. Choosing a type of skinfold caliper for regular use, without conflict of commercial interest, requires a critical understanding of the physical, mechanical and functional characteristics that configure it. Therefore, a new downward static calibration test and the first eligibility flowchart for a skinfold caliper have been proposed. Finally, the information gathered in this report may be useful for manufacturers of anthropometric instruments and health professionals who use the skinfold technique as a tool for diagnosis and nutritional control.
Moral Science and the Milgram Paradigm
Authors: Hollander Matthew M. , Turowetz Jason 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Chapter 1 begins our study of morality and Milgram by reviewing the psychology and sociology of morality. We emphasize how both fields have traditionally neglected the study of ordinary, everyday morality as a social interactional phenomenon. To bring our own interaction order approach into sharper focus, we critique three influential exemplars in what has been called “the new sociology of morality”: the well-known contributions of Ann Swidler, Stephen Vaisey, and Gabriel Abend. Next, we review the Milgram paradigm in social psychology, discussing the original experiments and the older and newer Milgram literatures. Finally, we propose that these two bodies of scholarship have important lessons to learn from each other. The sociology of morality calls attention to the social production of moral meanings, actions, situations, and identities, all of which are indispensable for understanding the Milgram experiments and which the Milgram literature has, in large part, neglected. At the same time, the Milgram experiments provide a perspicuous illustration of how moral meanings, actions, situations, and identities are products of interaction, rather than its antecedents, a point that sociologists of morality have yet to take fully onboard.
Bangladesh
Authors: Bidisha Sayema Haque , Mahmood Tanveer , Rahman Mahir A. 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
With structural changes in production coupled with technological progress, there have been shifts in modes of production and patterns of employment, with important consequences on the task composition of occupations. This chapter utilizes different rounds of Labour Force Survey data for Bangladesh and combined it with occupation network data for the US along with its country-specific database and analysed the role of such factors on labour market outcomes. Our analysis shows a fall in the average routine intensity of tasks with no evidence of job polarization. We find a decline in earnings inequality where the decomposition analysis shows that an earnings structure effect rather than a characteristics effect plays a key role, with the routine-task intensity of jobs and education explaining the majority of differences in earnings. Our analysis suggests that investing in education should be the highest priority, with a greater emphasis on skill-biased training programmes, particularly those involving cognitive skill.
Indonesia
Authors: Yusuf Arief Anshory , Halim Putri Riswani 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
This chapter analyses the labour market dynamics in Indonesia from 2001 to 2015 and explores the role of the changing nature of occupational employment in explaining the rising earnings inequality during the same period. We find evidence of a disproportionate increase in the returns to tertiary education, the increasing shares of highly skilled and elementary workers, and a sign of job polarization. The extent to which changes in inequality over time can be attributed to changes in the distributions of worker characteristics and changes in the returns to these characteristics is also quantified. The results suggest that in all the periods where the Gini of earnings is rising, the changing earnings structure—most notably returns to education, residency, and possibly routine-task intensity—contributes to the rise.
Special Pronunciation Considerations
Authors: Nedecky Jason 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Idiosyncracies are to be encountered in every language; French is no exception. When it comes to singing in French, several features constitute topics particularly worthy of exploration. This chapter provides instruction on the most important of these topics. Emphatic stress (l’acccent d’insistance) involves shifting stress to a new syllable in the phonetic group in order to create a sense of urgency. This practice is widespread both in speech and in fine French singing. Another special topic is vocalic harmonization (l’harmonisation vocalique). Here, a relatively open vowel in an unstressed syllable closes to match the more closed vowel of the following, stressed syllable. This occurs in everyday French speech, but is applied much more cautiously in French vocal music. Unlike the other main singing languages, French rarely features consonant doubling (gémination consonantique). It is however possible in a few important scenarios, namely: in certain prefixes, with doubled (rolled) r in passages of heightened expressivity and in particular verb tenses, and as phrasal doubling of the same consonant in two words. An account is given for all of these cases. Several words with variable pronunciation are treated, including toujours, tous, and the infamously tricky word donc. The pronunciation of French numbers ends the chapter. Explanations and musical examples provide context.
War and Peace
Authors: Zenobi Luca 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
This chapter uses the preparation of major treaties, notably those of Ferrara (1428) and Lodi (1454), to uncover the range of practices through which territories were annexed and frontiers shifted, while also contributing to the recent revival of interest in the history of peace and peace-making. Building on Chapter 1, it is especially concerned with the fundamental principles applied by state deputies during negotiations and with their ramifications for the changing geography of the peninsula. Collating records from a number of both central and local archives, the chapter reveals that negotiating borders was never reliant on the drawing of an all-new line of distinction between two states. Instead, the deputies of Venice and Milan employed a plurality of spatial references to describe territorial changes, which highlights the fundamental role of local units in the making of larger polities.
Drawing the Line?
Authors: Zenobi Luca 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
This chapter examines how territorial orders (and borders) were visualized. It does so by focusing on regional and district cartography. Mindful of the complex picture of pre-modern territoriality drawn in the rest of the book, the chapter posits that regional and district maps represented more than just a given space; they also represented the way in which society perceived such space. While testing this hypothesis, the chapter draws on some of the acquisitions of critical cartography to consider the performative value of late medieval maps. In so doing, the chapter explores not only how late medieval maps presented the limits of Italian polities but also how territoriality itself and, more broadly, Italian society were shaped by visual representation.
Pancreatic islet cell stress induced by insulin-degrading enzyme deficiency promotes islet regeneration and protection from autoimmune diabetes
Authors: Zhu Shuaishuai , Waeckel-Énée Emmanuelle , Moser Anna , Bessard Marie-Andrée , Roger Kevin , Lipecka Joanna , Yilmaz Ayse , Bertocci Barbara , Diana Julien , Saintpierre Benjamin , Guerrera Ida Chiara , Francesconi Stefania , Mauvais François-Xavier , van Endert Peter 
Published: July 2023

ABSTRACTAppropriate tuning of protein homeostasis through mobilization of the unfolded protein response (UPR) is key to the capacity of pancreatic beta cells to cope with highly variable demand for insulin synthesis. An efficient UPR ensures a sufficient beta cell mass and secretory output but can also affect beta cell resilience to autoimmune aggression. The factors regulating protein homeostasis in the face of metabolic and immune challenges are insufficiently understood. We examined beta cell adaptation to stress in mice deficient for insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), a ubiquitous protease with high affinity for insulin and genetic association with type 2 diabetes. IDE deficiency induced a low-level UPR in both C57BL/6 and autoimmune non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, associated with rapamycin-sensitive beta cell proliferation strongly enhanced by proteotoxic stress. Moreover, in NOD mice, IDE deficiency protected from spontaneous diabetes and triggered an additional independent pathway, conditional on the presence of islet inflammation but inhibited by proteotoxic stress, highlighted by strong upregulation of regenerating islet-derived protein 2, a protein attenuating autoimmune inflammation. Our findings establish a key role of IDE in islet cell protein homeostasis, identify a link between low-level UPR and proliferation, and reveal an UPR-independent anti-inflammatory islet cell response uncovered in the absence of IDE of potential interest in autoimmune diabetes.
Migrant networks, regional development and internal migration flows in Brazil
Authors: Ribeiro Ana Carolina Borges Marques , Tai Silvio Hong Tiing 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThis study analyzes the role of migrant networks in the migration flows in relation to the educational level of the migrants and economic growth of the states of origin and destination in Brazil.Design/methodology/approachFixed effects estimator applied to microdata.FindingsThe results show migrant networks have a significant and positive impact on migration flows of the different educational levels. The economic growth in the destination state accentuates this effect, while the economic growth in the origin state has distinct impacts according to the educational level of the new migrant.Originality/valueThe authors investigate the importance of migrant networks in the internal immigration within a developing country with large internal movement of people. In Brazil, the socio-economic condition of the population varies considerably in relation to its geography, which explains the country’s large internal migration flows.
Flexi Pack Dubai – a case of strategic resonance
Authors: Laeequddin Mohammed , Dikkatwar Ramkrishna , Sahay Vinita 
Published: July 2023

Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of the case are as follows:
1. Students will understand the interdependency of functional areas, such as operations, marketing, human resources (HR) and finance, in a manufacturing firm.
2. Students will analyze the conventional factory to focus on factory frameworks (Skinner, 1974).
3. Students will learn to analyze (associate) a company's performance reports (key performance indicators and profit and loss reports) with operations, marketing and sales functions.
4. Students will relate the concept of strategic resonance (Brown and Fai, 2006) to functional strategies.

Case overview/synopsis
Tariq Khattabi, a mechanical engineer with an MBA, joined Flexi Pack Dubai, UAE, as a general manager on 1 April 2019. During the recruitment interview, he learned that the company was struggling to maintain its breakeven point, and his first responsibility was to develop a strategy to ensure the growth of the organization. From the initial meetings with the production, finance and senior marketing managers, he identified problems related to the plant’s operations and sales. Although Flexi Pack enjoyed a good market reputation and profits, of late, the company needed help to make it profitable. Tariq's dilemma was to develop a strategy to put the organization back on the growth path.
He wondered whether the operations and marketing problems could be solved simultaneously. He had to present his strategic approach to the board within two weeks. Through this case study, management students can understand the interdependency of functional areas, such as operations, marketing, HR and finance. Students will learn the focused factory concept and a plant within a plant. They will be able to identify and appreciate dissonance and resonance between functional strategies and the importance of aligning functional strategies. Moreover, students will learn about consumer packaging types, material and their converting processes, which are the essential aspects of the fast-moving consumer goods business.

Complexity academic level
The target audience can be an Executive Program in Operations Management, BBA and Postgraduate Diploma in Management students who have opted for Operations Management or Operations Strategy as their major/minor specialization.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
Relationship between ESG and corporate financial performance in the energy sector: empirical evidence from European companies
Authors: Makridou Georgia , Doumpos Michalis , Lemonakis Christos 
Published: July 2023

Purpose
Considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors is vital in climate change mitigation. Energy companies must incorporate ESG into their business plans, although it unquestionably affects their corporate financial performance (CFP). This paper aims to investigate the effect of ESG on energy companies’ profitability through return on assets by analysing the combined score and individual dimensions of ESG.

Design/methodology/approach
The study examined a panel data sample of 911 firm-year observations for 85 European energy-sector companies during 1995–2020. Two distinct modelling specifications were applied to explore the impact of ESG components on the CFP of EU energy companies. The financial data and ESG scores were obtained from the Thomson Reuters Eikon database in July 2021.

Findings
The empirical findings revealed that energy companies’ profitability is marginally and negatively affected by their ESG performance. Whereas independent evaluation of the ESG subcomponents indicated that environmental responsibility has a significant negative effect. In contrast, corporate social and governance responsibilities are positively but not significantly associated with the company’s CFP.

Originality/value
This study fills a research gap in the ESG–CFP literature in the European energy sector, a pioneer in sustainable development. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study’s originality lies in its analysis of ESG factors’ role in profitability by considering different EU countries and energy sectors.
Nomination committees in Australia, outcomes for influence of a powerful CEO and diversity
Authors: Elms Natalie , Kent Pamela Fae 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe authors investigate the adoption of nomination committees in Australia and identify the managerial power perspective as one explanation for firms not establishing nomination committees. A positive outcome of establishing a nomination committee from the perspective of board diversity is also examined.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt an archival approach by collecting data for firms listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) during the period 2010 to 2018. The authors establish the prevalence of nomination committees for small medium and large Australian firms. Regression analyses are used to determine whether the power of the chief executive officer (CEO) influences the adoption of a nomination committee. The association between having nomination committee and board diversity is also analyzed using regression analyses.FindingsLess than half of firms adopt a nomination committee. Larger firms are more likely to adopt a nomination committee than medium and smaller sized firms. Firms with less powerful CEOs are more likely to adopt a nomination committee. Adoption of a nomination committee is also associated with greater board tenure dispersion and board gender diversity in medium and smaller sized firms.Originality/valueEvidence on nomination committees provides original research that extends previous research focusing on the audit, risk and remuneration committees and samples restricted to large firms. The nomination committee has an important role to play in the appointment of directors yet limited evidence exists of the adoption rate, explanation for non-adoption and benefits of adoption. The authors add to this evidence.
Meeting the complex health and social care needs of older adults: a response to the recent viewpoint paper on “how to handle gerontocracy”
Authors: Feather Julie 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a response to the previously published paper on “Gerontocracy”.Design/methodology/approachThis paper views care services through the lens of safeguarding, risks and responsibility in contradistinction from the largely economic and cost relevant argument put forward in the original paper.FindingsThis paper articulates the contribution of informal carers to integrated care solutions solely from an economic perspective overlooks the wider human and social dimensions of care provision in society.Originality/valueEngaging in the wider debate about the status, contribution of informal carers to care solutions highlights the complexity of the carers' role in society which should evoke a more holistic debate of this important topic.