To develop a better way of assessing the sustainability efficiency (SE) and profitability efficiency (PE) of mining multinational enterprises (MNEs), the two‐stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) ...network model is proposed. The study shows that slack‐based models (SBM) can strengthen the previous and present measurements of the mining industry. When we assess the SE and PE of 53 mining MNEs from 2016 to 2019, the overall efficiencies of both the sustainability and profitability of mining MNEs are not higher than 70%. Such results are shown to be helpful for suggesting that global mining companies need to improve their efficiencies. This study addresses filling the research gap in the literature review about SE positively and significantly influencing PE with the moderating effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in mining MNEs. The result reveals that higher sustainability yields higher returns to the companies. In other words, MNEs have improved their SE to achieve a higher PE. Furthermore, the value of SE significantly influences PE regardless of whether the moderating effect, CSR, is higher or lower. The results show that a higher governance pillar score (GPS) and social pillar score (SPS) lead them to have greater profitability. However, a higher Environmental Pillar Score (EPS) tends to create a weaker relationship between SE and PE. We addressed a few interpretations of why higher EPS negatively influences profitability. Nevertheless, our study strongly recommends companies to increase their CSR score. Last, this study proves that all hypotheses are supported.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper proposes a new approach and coding scheme for solving economic dispatch problems in power systems through simulated annealing like particle swarm optimization (SA-PSO). This novel coding ...scheme could effectively prevent obtaining infeasible solutions through the application of stochastic search methods, thereby dramatically improving search efficiency and solution quality. Many nonlinear characteristics of power generators, and their operational constraints, such as generation limitations, ramp rate limits, prohibited operating zones, transmission loss, and nonlinear cost functions, were all considered for practical operation. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method were demonstrated by four system case studies and compared with previous literature in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency. The experiment showed encouraging results, suggesting that the proposed approach was capable of efficiently determining higher quality solutions addressing economic dispatch problems.
Uremic toxins, such as indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresol, or p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), are markedly accumulated in the organs of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. These toxins can induce ...inflammatory reactions and enhance oxidative stress, prompting glomerular sclerosis and interstitial fibrosis, to aggravate the decline of renal function. Consequently, uremic toxins play an important role in the worsening of renal and cardiovascular functions. Furthermore, they destroy the quantity and quality of bone. Oral sorbent AST-120 reduces serum levels of uremic toxins in CKD patients by adsorbing the precursors of IS and PCS generated by amino acid metabolism in the intestine. Accordingly, AST-120 decreases the serum IS levels and reduces the production of reactive oxygen species by endothelial cells, to impede the subsequent oxidative stress. This slows the progression of cardiovascular and renal diseases and improves bone metabolism in CKD patients. Although large-scale studies showed no obvious benefits from adding AST-120 to the standard therapy for CKD patients, subsequent sporadic studies may support its use. This article summarizes the mechanisms of the uremic toxins, IS, and PCS, and discusses the multiple effects of AST-120 in CKD patients.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pandemic has posed a huge threat to global health because of its rapid spread and various mutant variants. Critical illness occurs in ...the elderly and vulnerable individuals, such as those with chronic kidney disease. The severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD)and even kidney transplantation (KT) because of the chronic use of immunosuppressive agents. To develop adaptive immunity against SARS-CoV-2, vaccination against the spike protein is important. Current phase III trials of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have not focused on a specific group of individuals, such as patients with CKD or those undergoing dialysis or kidney transplantation. Chronic use of immunosuppressive agents might disturb the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. On the basis of limited evidence, the immune compromised status of CKD patients might decrease neutralizing antibody development after a single dose of a specific vaccine. Boosting dosage more than the protocol might increase the titer of the neutralizing antibody in CKD patients. Further evidence is needed to understand the factors disturbing the immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and CKD patients should receive the recommended dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine due to their relatively immune compromised status.
In the port industry, productivity is one of the vital factors for ports to develop competitiveness and market potential. The paper integrates context-dependent data envelopment analysis and ...forecasting models to conduct an efficient measurement of 53 Vietnamese ports and predict future performance in the port industry. By using the technique to get the measure of performance, this study builds the ports’ benchmark-learning stepping tools for the inefficient ports to enhance increasingly. The attractiveness and progress scores are resulted to assist the ports in situating themselves. Moreover, forecasting port performance results help decision-makers having more detailed information to make better decisions in their strategies and investments.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study aims to investigate the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate performance in the global retail industry. We adopt the modified data envelopment analysis (DEA) game ...cross-efficiency approach in assessing the longitudinal efficiency of a sample of 414 listed retail firm-year observations given by Forbes 2000 between 2013 and 2018. The performance result indicates that the Americas retail industry is growing steadily and continues to dominate other regions. Not only the retail industry but all industries in Europe have severe environmental safety rules and management requirements in business operations, hence, Europe also scored high in both the overall environmental index in CSR and all their component indices. Additionally, panel regression revealed that the environmental dimension in CSR is significantly and directly correlated to firm performance. This study's findings will provide practitioners and policymakers with managerial and strategic implications to enhance their efficiency by applying the CSR dimension in the retail industry.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Macroautophagy/autophagy is a fundamental intracellular degradation process with multiple roles in immunity, including direct elimination of intracellular microorganisms via 'xenophagy.' In this ...review, we summarize studies from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that highlight the roles of autophagy in innate immune responses to viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. Research from these genetically tractable invertebrates has uncovered several conserved immunological paradigms, such as direct targeting of intracellular pathogens by xenophagy and regulation of autophagy by pattern recognition receptors in D. melanogaster. Although C. elegans has no known pattern recognition receptors, this organism has been particularly useful in understanding many aspects of innate immunity. Indeed, work in C. elegans was the first to show xenophagic targeting of microsporidia, a fungal pathogen that infects all animals, and to identify TFEB/HLH-30, a helix-loop-helix transcription factor, as an evolutionarily conserved regulator of autophagy gene expression and host tolerance. Studies in C. elegans have also highlighted the more recently appreciated relationship between autophagy and tolerance to extracellular pathogens. Studies of simple, short-lived invertebrates such as flies and worms will continue to provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms by which autophagy and immunity pathways intersect and their contribution to organismal survival.
Abbreviations
Atg
autophagy related
BECN1
Beclin 1
CALCOCO2
calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2
Cry5B
crystal toxin 5B
Daf
abnormal dauer formation
DKF-1
D kinase family-1
EPG-7
Ectopic P Granules-7
FuDR
fluorodeoxyuridine
GFP
green fluorescent protein
HLH-30
Helix Loop Helix-30
Imd
immune deficiency
ins-18
INSulin related-18; LET-363, LEThal-363
lgg-1
LC3, GABARAP and GATE-16 family-1
MAPK
mitogen-activated protein kinase
MATH
the meprin and TRAF homology
MTOR
mechanistic target of rapamycin
NBR1
neighbor of BRCA1 gene 1
NFKB
nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells
NOD
nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing
OPTN
optineurin
PAMPs
pathogen-associated molecular patterns
Park2
Parkinson disease (autosomal recessive, juvenile) 2, parkin
pdr-1
Parkinson disease related
PFTs
pore-forming toxins
PGRP
peptidoglycan-recognition proteins
PIK3C3
phosphatidylinositol 3- kinase catalytic subunit type 3
pink-1
PINK (PTEN-I induced kinase) homolog
PRKD
protein kinase D; PLC, phospholipase C
PRKN
parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase
PRRs
pattern-recognition receptors
PtdIns3P
phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate
rab-5
RAB family-5
RB1CC1
RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1
RNAi
RNA interference
sqst
SeQueSTosome related
SQSTM1
sequestosome 1
TBK1
TANK-binding kinase 1
TFEB
transcription factor EB
TGFB/TGF-β
transforming growth factor beta
TLRs
toll-like receptors
unc-51
UNCoordinated-51
VPS
vacuolar protein sorting; VSV, vesicular stomatitis virus
VSV-G
VSV surface glycoprotein G
Wipi2
WD repeat domain, phosphoinositide interacting 2
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Recent investigations have found a biphasic pattern of choroidal thickness within polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients. This study aims to investigate the relationship between choroidal ...thickness and the clinical features of PCV eyes.
We investigated the correlation between various clinical features including subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and the response to 3-monthly anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments in 62 consecutive, treatment-naive PCV patients (66 eyes). After finding out SFCT as the only factor that was correlated with anti-VEGF treatment, we then set up to determine a best cutoff line for SFCT that could be used as a parameter to differentiate PCV patients into pachychoroid and nonpachychoroid groups using the Youden index for best combined specificity and sensitivity. We then compared the demographic features, clinical characteristics, and the response to anti-VEGF between both groups, to determine whether there is a difference between these two groups.
Subfoveal choroidal thickness was the only significant factor for the treatment effect. The SFCT of 267.5 µm is the best cutoff line. The pachychoroid group showed significant younger ages (64.1 ± 9.6 vs. 72.0 ± 8.2, P = 0.004), fewer age-related macular degeneration-like features (50.0 vs. 81.3%, P = 0.027), more central serous chorioretinopathy-like features (typical retinal pigment epithelial mottling 61.1 vs. 16.7%, P = 0.0014 and choroidal vascular hyperpermeability 88.9 vs. 37.5%, P = 0.0002), and less response to 3-monthly anti-VEGF treatments (27.8 vs. 83.3%, P < 0.0001) as compared to the nonpachychoroid group.
Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy patients could be subclassified into pachychoroid and nonpachychoroid groups. The pachychoroid subtype of PCV has significantly younger ages, fewer age-related macular degeneration-like features, more central serous chorioretinopathy-like features, and less response to anti-VEGF treatment.
Promoting the development of green technologies and replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric ones can abate the environmental anxieties and issues associated with energy supply security. The ...increasing demand for electric vehicles requires an upgrade and expansion of the available charging infrastructure to accommodate the fast public adoption of this type of transportation. Ethiopia set a pro-electric cars policy and made them excise-free even before the first electric vehicle charging stations were launched by Marathon Motors Engineering in 2021. This paper presents the first ever technical, economic and environmental evaluation of electric vehicle charging stations powered by hybrid intermittent generation systems in three cities in Ethiopia. This paper tests this model using three different battery types: Lead-acid (LA), Flow-Zince-Bromine (ZnBr) and Lithium-ion (LI), used individually. Using these three battery technologies, the proposed hybrid systems are then compared in terms of system sizing, economy, technical performance and environmental stability. The results show that the feasible configuration of Solar Photovoltaic (PV)/Diesel Generator (DG)/ZnBr battery systems provide the lowest net present cost (NPC), with values of $2.97M, $2.72M and $2.85M, and cost of energy (COE), with values $0.196, $0.18 and $0.188, in Addis Ababa, Jijiga and Bahir Dar, respectively. Of all feasible systems, the Wind Turbine (WT)/PV/LI, PV/LI and WT/PV/LI configurations have the highest values of NPC and COE in Addis Ababa, Jijiga and Bahir Dar. Using this configuration, the results demonstrate that ZnBr battery is the most favorable choice because the economic parameters, including total NPC and COE, are found to be lowest.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
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