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  • 1
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: This study provides empirical evidence related to the “it pays to be green” hypothesis. Based on information from panel data approximately 42 industrial companies during an 8-year period, we determine some of the factors and contingences that affect the fulfilment of that hypothesis. We find that a certain level of proactivity in environmental strategy design is one of the conditions that favors a positive relationship between environmental investment and financial performance. We also provide empirical evidence on how some external conditions affect this positive relationship, such as regulatory pressure from the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the financial crisis.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
    Published by MDPI
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  • 2
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: The Circular Economy is a paradigm shift attempting to replace the end-of-life concept with reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering materials and to slow down, close and narrow material and power loops. This concept is much discussed in the academic literature, but limited progress has been accomplished so far regarding its empirical analysis. The objective of this work is to study circular economy practices and analyze in depth the circular economy behavior in European firms. We find that firms’ circular economy behavior is a gradual process where measures are implemented gradually, starting with activities involving control measures and ending with putting preventive practices in place. We discovered also that the most proactive companies in implementing circular economy measures generally come across certain common barriers such as administrative processes, regulations and a lack of human resources to perform these practices, while firms that have not implemented circular economy measures view financing, investment and cost–benefit barriers as the most significant. Significant efforts need to be undertaken by firms to accomplished circular economy. Also circular economy regulation should be improved to make it easier for companies to implement strategies that will make them more sustainable.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
    Published by MDPI
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  • 3
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: The evolution of individual and total capsaicinoids content in three pepper varieties of Capsicum chinense Jacq. (‘Bode’ (B), ‘Habanero’ (H), and ‘Habanero Roxo’ (Hr)) during fruit ripening was studied. The five major capsaicinoids (nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, homocapsaicin, and homodihydrocapsaicin) were extracted using ultrasound-assisted extraction and the extracts were analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (UHPLC-Fl). The plants were grown in a glasshouse and sampled every 7 days until over-ripening. As expected, the results indicated that the total capsaicinoids content increases during the ripening of pepper fruits. The maximum contents of capsaicinoids were reached at different fruit development stages depending on the cultivar. The ‘Habanero Roxo’ pepper presented the greatest total capsaicinoids content (3.86 mg g−1 fresh weigh, F.W.), followed by the ‘Habanero’ pepper (1.33 mg g−1 F.W.) and ‘Bode’ pepper (1.00 mg g−1 F.W.). In all the samples, capsaicin represented more than 80% of the total capsaicinoids content. Due to the high variability observed in the evolution of capsaicinoids content over the ripening process, this work intends to contribute to the existing knowledge on this aspect in relation to the quality of peppers.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4395
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by MDPI
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  • 4
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: This paper reviews the most commonly used scales for measuring service quality in sustainable tourism destinations to analyse if the requirements of tourists with special needs are considered. Results highlight that most of the recent research on service quality in tourism published in scientific journals is focused on a relative reduced number of validated scales. Variables related to tourists with special needs are often omitted or represent a reduced weight in the complete scale. Thus, this paper highlights the importance of including variables that collect the perceptions of service quality in this target group to better understand the individual perception of service quality and to move forward to sustainable tourism, considering the social dimension.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by MDPI
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  • 5
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: Genetic markers (DNA barcodes) are often used to support and confirm species identification. Barcode sequences can be generated in the field using portable systems based on the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION sequencer. However, to achieve a broader application, current proof-of-principle workflows for on-site barcoding analysis must be standardized to ensure a reliable and robust performance under suboptimal field conditions without increasing costs. Here, we demonstrate the implementation of a new on-site workflow for DNA extraction, PCR-based barcoding, and the generation of consensus sequences. The portable laboratory features inexpensive instruments that can be carried as hand luggage and uses standard molecular biology protocols and reagents that tolerate adverse environmental conditions. Barcodes are sequenced using MinION technology and analyzed with ONTrack, an original de novo assembly pipeline that requires as few as 1000 reads per sample. ONTrack-derived consensus barcodes have a high accuracy, ranging from 99.8 to 100%, despite the presence of homopolymer runs. The ONTrack pipeline has a user-friendly interface and returns consensus sequences in minutes. The remarkable accuracy and low computational demand of the ONTrack pipeline, together with the inexpensive equipment and simple protocols, make the proposed workflow particularly suitable for tracking species under field conditions.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4425
    Topics: Biology
    Published by MDPI
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  • 6
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: Few long-term demographic studies have been conducted on freshwater turtles of South America, despite the need for this type of inquiry to investigate natural variation and strengthen conservation efforts for these species. In this study, we examined the variation in demography of the Chocoan River Turtle (Rhinoclemmys nasuta) based on a population from an island locality in the Colombian Pacific region between 2005 and 2017. We calculated survival, recapture, and transition probabilities, and the effects of stream substrate and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases (El Niño, Neutral, La Niña) on these variables using a multi-state model. We found differences in survival probabilities between ENSO phases, likely as a consequence of an increase in flood events. In addition, we found support for survival being greater in muddy streams than rocky streams, possibly because it is easier to escape or hide in mud substrates. Recapture probabilities varied by life stages; differences in the probability of recapture between size classes were associated with the high fidelity to territories by adults. The present increases in frequency and severity of El Niño and La Niña may exacerbate the consequences of climatic regimes on natural populations of turtles by increasing the mortality caused by drastic phenomena such as floods.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-2818
    Topics: Biology
    Published by MDPI
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  • 7
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: A fifth-order dynamic continuous model of a linear induction motor (LIM), without considering “end effects” and considering attraction force, was developed. The attraction force is necessary in considering the dynamic analysis of the mechanically loaded linear induction motor. To obtain the circuit parameters of the LIM, a physical system was implemented in the laboratory with a Rapid Prototype System. The model was created by modifying the traditional three-phase model of a Y-connected rotary induction motor in a d–q stationary reference frame. The discrete-time LIM model was obtained through the continuous time model solution for its application in simulations or computational solutions in order to analyze nonlinear behaviors and for use in discrete time control systems. To obtain the solution, the continuous time model was divided into a current-fed linear induction motor third-order model, where the current inputs were considered as pseudo-inputs, and a second-order subsystem that only models the currents of the primary with voltages as inputs. For the discrete time model, the current-fed model is discretized by solving a set of differential equations, and the subsystem is discretized by a first-order Taylor series. Finally, a comparison of the continuous and discrete time model behaviors was shown graphically in order to validate the discrete time model.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by MDPI
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  • 8
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: Extrusion-based additive manufacturing (EBAM) or 3D printing is used to produce customized prototyped parts. The majority of the polymers used with EBAM show moisture sensitivity. However, moisture effects become more pronounced in polymers used for critical applications, such as biomedical stents, sensors, and actuators. The effects of moisture on the manufacturing process and the long-term performance of Shape Memory Polyurethane (SMPU) have not been fully investigated in the literature. This study focuses primarily on block-copolymer SMPUs that have two different hard/soft (h/s) segment ratios. It investigates the effect of moisture on the various properties via studying: (i) the effect of moisture trapping within these polymers and the consequences when manufacturing; (ii) and the effect on end product performance of plasticization by moisture. Results indicate that higher h/s SMPU shows higher microphase separation, which leads to an increase of moisture trapping within the polymer. Understanding moisture trapping is critical for EBAM parts due to an increase in void content and a decrease in printing quality. The results also indicate a stronger plasticizing effect on polymers with lower h/s ratio but with a more forgiving printing behavior compared to the higher h/s ratio.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by MDPI
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  • 9
    Publication Date: 2017-11-16
    Description: Agronomy, Vol. 7, Pages 74: Resistance to Wheat Curl Mite in Arthropod-Resistant Rye-Wheat Translocation Lines Agronomy doi: 10.3390/agronomy7040074 Authors: Lina Aguirre-Rojas Luaay Khalaf Sandra Garcés-Carrera Deepak Sinha Wen-Po Chuang C. Smith The wheat curl mite, Aceria toschiella (Keifer), and a complex of viruses vectored by A. toschiella substantially reduce wheat yields in every wheat-producing continent in the world. The development of A. toschiella-resistant wheat cultivars is a proven economically and ecologically viable method of controlling this pest. This study assessed A. toschiella resistance in wheat genotypes containing the H13, H21, H25, H26, H18 and Hdic genes for resistance to the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say) and in 94M370 wheat, which contains the Dn7 gene for resistance to the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov). A. toschiella populations produced on plants containing Dn7 and H21 were significantly lower than those on plants of the susceptible control and no different than those on the resistant control. Dn7 resistance to D. noxia and H21 resistance to M. destructor resulted from translocations of chromatin from rye into wheat (H21—2BS/2RL, Dn7—1BL/1RS). These results provide new wheat pest management information, indicating that Dn7 and H21 constitute resources that can be used to reduce yield losses caused by A. toschiella, M. destructor, D. noxia, and wheat streak mosaic virus infection by transferring multi-pest resistance to single sources of germplasm.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4395
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by MDPI
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  • 10
    Publication Date: 2019
    Description: The central and northern Chilean coasts are part of the Humboldt Current System, which sustains one of the largest fisheries in the world due to upwelling. There are several upwelling focal points along the Chilean coast; however, from a physical standpoint, the region between 39° and 41° S has not been studied in detail despite being one of the most productive zones for pelagic extraction in Chile. Here, we evaluated the seasonal variability of coastal upwelling off central-southern Chile using principally daily sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface wind (SSW), and 8-day composite chlorophyll-a concentration between 2003 and 2017. Through the seasonal evaluation of the net surface heat flux and its relationship with the SST as well as daily SST variability, we determined the “maximum upwelling” on our area. The direction of surface winds is controlled throughout the year by the Southeast Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone, which produces a cold tongue and an upwelling shadow north of Punta Galera (40° S) in austral spring and summer. A cross-correlation analysis showed a decrease of SST follow the alongshore SSW with a lag of 2 days in the months favorable to the upwelling. However, the correlations were not as high as what would be expected, indicating that there is a large advection of waters from the south that could be related to the greater volume of subantarctic water present in the zone.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
    Published by MDPI
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