Search Results (493)

Industrial polypropylene portfolios comprise multiple commercial grades differentiated by molecular architecture, phase morphology, processability, and performance. In this study, 81 industrial polypropylene grades, including 38 homopolymers, 21 random copolymers, and 22 impact copolymers, were analyzed to evaluate the chemometric organization and structure–property relationships of a complete commercial portfolio. The dataset integrated melt flow index, xylene-soluble fraction, total ethylene content, ethylene content of the rubber phase, rubber-phase fraction, and mechanical, thermal, and optical performance variables obtained from routine industrial quality-control and product-certification activities. Principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and variable importance in projection analysis were used to examine portfolio organization, evaluate consistency with the predefined polypropylene families, and identify the descriptors contributing most strongly to family-level discrimination. The first two principal components explained 83.8% of the total variance. They revealed a low-dimensional organization consistent with the molecular and morphological differences among homopolymer, random copolymer, and impact copolymer grades. The full-descriptor PLS-DA model achieved 98.8% cross-validated accuracy and correctly classified 80 of the 81 grades using two latent variables. This performance reflects the internal consistency between the descriptor matrix and the existing industrial family classification rather than independently validated predictive capability for unknown grades. Homopolymer differentiation was mainly associated with molecular-weight-related flow behavior, random copolymer organization with ethylene-induced modification of crystallinity, and impact copolymer differentiation with heterophasic rubber-phase characteristics. The results provide a portfolio-specific chemometric workflow for grade organization and structure–property interpretation. However, the numerical domain boundaries and their transferability require validation using independent polypropylene portfolios from other producers. Full article

The internal audit function provides consulting services and recommendations for management on performance quality, business environment security, or risk management. Internal auditors are expected to monitor the senior managers’ behaviors and support them in operational and strategic decision making. They should recognize and reduce the possibility of an employee’s opportunistic behavior, improve internal control, and prevent financial fraud. Therefore, they should be highly qualified, and their competencies are to be constantly updated. Hence, they are encouraged to learn and participate in certification processes organized by various institutions, e.g., the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Although there are many strategies of learning in the certification process, this study focuses on learning-by-testing approach. This method emphasizes the use of testing to acquire the internal audit knowledge needed to successfully pass the professional certified exams. Beyond that, the authors present the use of large language models (LLMs) in internal auditing. However, the research goal is to how the large language models (LLMs) can be used to answer questions included in the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam directed by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). In the research section, fourteen LLMs were evaluated using English and Polish-language CIA test sets comprising 184 and 183 multiple-choice questions, respectively, with accuracy as the primary performance metric. The best-performing individual model achieved approximately 91% accuracy, while the Friedman test identified statistically significant overall differences among the models for both datasets. The findings indicate that a multi-agent system can achieve better performance than an individual LLM. The learning-by-testing method can be supported not only by the use of professional association materials but also by the opportunity learners have to enrich their knowledge through the use of LLMs in the learning process. Full article

Certification schemes are increasingly positioned as institutional mechanisms that may support sustainable food markets, yet the joint longitudinal relationship between certified production penetration, certified supply-chain infrastructure and organic market uptake remains insufficiently integrated in European-scale empirical analyses. This study examined how certified organic production, supply-chain infrastructure, and market uptake co-evolved across Europe. A country–year panel of 995 observations from 41 European countries (2000–2024) was assembled from FiBL statistics and analysed using descriptive trend analysis, Spearman correlations, linear mixed-effects models with country random intercepts, and k-means clustering. Certified organic systems expanded substantially: mean organic farmland share rose from 2.80% to 9.73%, retail sales share from 1.42% to 4.49%, and per capita consumption from €25.82 to €87.60. Organic area share remained positively associated with organic retail sales share after adjustment for PPP-adjusted GDP per capita (β = 1.247, p < 0.001), with a similar pattern for the secondary per capita consumption outcome (β = 36.426, p < 0.001). Certified supply-chain actors were strongly intercorrelated (producers–processors ρ = 0.824). Organic farmland share was the most consistent correlate of market uptake, including after adjustment for GDP per capita, whereas absolute operator counts and supply-chain infrastructure indicators were more difficult to interpret independently because of collinearity. A four-cluster typology showed that countries with the largest certified production bases were not those with the most mature markets. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that certification penetration may support market development by providing credible institutional signals, but trust creation, information asymmetry reduction, and legitimacy were not directly measured. The results, therefore, indicate an association between certification-system development and market uptake, while also showing that production expansion and market maturity are distinct dimensions of the sustainability transition. Full article

Hotel capacity in emerging destinations is often described through room counts or conventional classifications, even when these say little about how accommodation systems operate. This study investigates the accommodation sector in Villavicencio, Colombia, through the Hotel Capacity Index (ICH), a classification tool based on three variables: rooms, beds, and services. Using field data from 84 hotels, the analysis considers capacity structure, room and bed configuration, occupancy patterns, service provision, and selected operational practices. The results show a hotel system concentrated mainly in medium-capacity establishments, with 71% of the sample in the ICH-2 category. Although the sector shows some internal flexibility in the way sleeping capacity is organized, it remains only weakly differentiated in service provision and operational sophistication. Occupancy patterns also show marked seasonality, with stronger performance in the second half of the year and clear peaks in the final quarter. Limited digital integration, low levels of certification, weakly formalized feedback systems, and incomplete accessibility conditions show broader constraints in upgrading the accommodation base. The study shows that the main issue in Villavicencio is not simply the amount of hotel supply, but the composition and functionality of that supply. In emerging destinations, expanding accommodation supply is not enough when the structure of that supply remains concentrated and only weakly differentiated. Full article

Airports are complex infrastructure systems with important environmental, operational, and social impacts that require integrated sustainability governance. Although numerous international regulations, environmental management standards, certification schemes, and policy initiatives have been developed to support airport sustainability, existing research has largely examined these mechanisms independently, resulting in fragmented approaches to sustainability planning and implementation. This study develops an Integrated Airport Sustainability Policy Framework through a qualitative conceptual methodology based on a systematic literature review, guided by PRISMA-ScR principles, and comparative policy analysis. Peer-reviewed literature was systematically analyzed alongside international regulatory and policy documents, including guidance and standards published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA), the European Commission, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United Nations (UN). The thematic synthesis identified four connected dimensions that consistently underpin sustainable airport governance: environmental management and emissions reduction, operational and energy efficiency, community and social sustainability, and governance, collaboration, and compliance. These dimensions were integrated into a scalable conceptual framework that consolidates existing sustainability mechanisms into an integrated governance structure adaptable to airports with various operational characteristics and regulatory contexts. The proposed framework addressed the fragmentation of existing policy approaches and proposes a structured basis for integrating environmental, operational, social, and governance aspects into airport decision-making. As a conceptual model developed through secondary evidence synthesis, the framework is intended to support future research and policy development and requires empirical validation through application across airports of different sizes and geographical contexts. Full article

Background: Anthropometric analysis has become a key tool for analyzing body composition to assess, monitor, and track structural changes in soccer players. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the scientific literature on body composition and anthropometry in soccer using a bibliometric analysis. Material and Methods: The following databases were consulted: Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), PubMed (Medline), SportDiscus, and the ScienceDirect publishing platform. The study included documents published between 1990 and 2025. Data was selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines statement flowchart and subsequently analyzed using Bibliometrix and R software to identify keywords, frequency of occurrence, journal analysis, countries, and other bibliometric indicators. Results: A total of 384 documents met the inclusion criteria. Spain, Italy, Brazil and Portugal stand out as the countries with the highest output. These countries are associated with the most representative authors, led by Suarez-Arrones, L; Nikolaidis, PT; and Campa, F., who are in turn associated with the most representative concepts: “Male”, “Adolescent” and “Athletic performance”. The most prevalent concepts are population-based: “Adolescent” and “Young adult”. The top three organizations in terms of contributing to the scientific study of body composition and anthropometry were the University of the Basque Country, Pablo de Olavide University, and the University of Coimbra. It can be observed that most of the literature has focused on youth (29.16% of the total documents), followed by elite players (22.91%) and professionals (14.84%), where the focus is on those aged 14 to 19 years and playing at highly competitive levels, seeking peak performance. Conclusions: Methodological heterogeneity in evaluation protocols constitutes the main structural shortcoming in this field: 32.29% of studies do not specify their protocols, which compromises the comparability of the results. The widespread adoption of international standards, such as the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) methodology, along with a requirement to indicate the instrument used and the evaluator’s certification level, is a priority for improving the quality of scientific communication in future research. Full article

Myanmar has developed a range of legality assurance and traceability mechanisms to support legal timber production and respond to evolving international market requirements. This study examines the institutional development of timber legality assurance and traceability in Myanmar’s forest supply chains and its implications for verification, market access, and trade. A qualitative research design was employed, combining thematic analysis of 200 publicly available documents collected between January and May 2026 with descriptive analysis of timber production and trade statistics from successive editions of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Biennial Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation. The trade analysis used annual production, import, export, and domestic consumption data for 2010–2024 together with direction-of-trade statistics for 2013–2023. The findings show that Myanmar has established formal institutional arrangements for timber legality assurance through the Myanmar Timber Legality Assurance System (MTLAS), the Myanmar Timber Chain of Custody (CoC) Process, the Myanmar Forest Certification Scheme (MFCS), and the Digital Timber Traceability System (DTTS). Documentary evidence indicates progressive institutional development while providing comparatively limited evidence regarding operational effectiveness. Descriptive trade analysis identified structural changes in timber exports and increasing orientation towards regional Asian markets. The review demonstrates that the principal challenge lies not only in establishing legality assurance mechanisms but also in maintaining transparent, reliable, and independently verifiable information capable of supporting evolving international due-diligence requirements. Full article

Testing and medical laboratories have been undergoing a process of progressive, unstoppable digitalization. The digitalization of laboratories carries risks for information security. There are differences between medical laboratories according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189 and testing laboratories according to ISO 17025. ISO 15189 refers to information security based on ISO 27001, while ISO 17025 is limited to certain clauses. Medical laboratories can use the guidelines with sources from Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) documents. The European Federation of National Associations of Measurement, Testing, and Analysis Laboratories (EUROLAB) provides a guide to digitalization security that combines ISO 17025 requirements with ISO 27001 controls. The Italian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (SIPMeL) Q18R1 Recommendations regarding requirements for medical laboratory information systems confirm that laboratories should obtain at least ISO/IEC 27001 certification. Full article

Corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure has become an increasingly important mechanism for improving transparency, accountability, and climate governance. Although ISO 14001, ISO 14064, and the GHG Protocol provide complementary approaches to environmental management, greenhouse gas quantification, and reporting, studies integrating these frameworks remain limited, particularly in emerging economies. This study proposes and theoretically substantiates an integrated Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV)-based governance framework and empirically examines organizational characteristics associated with Brazilian companies that voluntarily publish Gold-level GHG inventories under the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining bibliometric analysis, thematic content analysis supported by NVivo, and statistical analyses based on a sample of 92 organizations. The empirical analysis evaluates the association between ISO 14001 certification and selected organizational characteristics, including public listing status, within this homogeneous group of companies recognized for preparing complete and independently verified GHG inventories. The findings indicate a statistically significant association between ISO 14001 certification and public listing status and suggest that robust climate disclosure is supported by complementary governance, measurement, verification, and reporting practices rather than by the isolated adoption of individual standards. The study contributes to the literature by proposing an integrated MRV-based governance framework, providing empirical evidence from the Brazilian context, and offering practical insights for organizations seeking to strengthen the credibility and transparency of corporate climate reporting. Full article

Low-rise terraced housing constitutes a major segment of Taiwan’s residential market, yet stakeholder perception differences during residential development planning remain insufficiently understood, particularly regarding sustainability considerations. In this study, we investigate cognitive gaps among developers, homebuyers, and construction professionals across six planning dimensions, including site selection, housing price, capital capacity, construction risk, building planning, and sustainability. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted in Changhua County, Taiwan, yielding 176 valid responses (37 developers, 92 homebuyers, and 47 construction professionals). Data were analyzed using Cronbach’s α reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, Fisher’s LSD post hoc comparisons, and robustness analyses using ANCOVA and Tukey’s HSD. Significant stakeholder perception differences were identified for 15 of the 19 planning factors (p < 0.05). Supply-side stakeholders consistently prioritized construction cost, financing capacity, and construction risk, whereas homebuyers placed greater emphasis on transportation convenience, living amenities, spatial quality, and sustainability-related attributes, particularly green building certification and energy efficiency. Construction risk exhibited the largest cognitive gaps, with large effect sizes for construction difficulty (η² = 0.450) and government regulation (η² = 0.454). Within the sustainability dimension, governance transparency remained non-significant, suggesting that governance awareness has not yet matured into a differentiated stakeholder concern. Based on these findings, we propose the Stakeholder Cognitive Gap Framework (SCGF) as a conceptual and diagnostic framework for organizing stakeholder perception patterns. The findings contribute to understanding stakeholder cognitive divergence in residential development planning and provide practical implications for sustainable housing policy, developer decision-making, and participatory planning in non-metropolitan housing markets. Full article

Aquaculture development increasingly depends on complex relationships among environmental, institutional, regulatory, and market-related factors rather than on isolated strategic processes. This study examined sustainability governance in Türkiye’s aquaculture sector through an expert-based interaction framework. A structured SWOT-derived assessment framework was applied involving 25 experts representing academia, public institutions, producer organizations, and the aquaculture industry. Twenty strategic factors equally distributed across strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were evaluated through pairwise assessments of perceived strategic connectedness. Aggregated interaction matrices, orientation-level comparisons, subgroup evaluations, and robustness analyses were conducted to examine strategic interdependencies within the sector. The findings revealed moderately strong interaction patterns distributed across all four strategic orientations. Among the four strategic orientations, the Strength–Opportunity (SO) orientation exhibited the highest mean interaction score (3.84), followed by Strength–Threat (ST; 3.66), Weakness–Opportunity (WO; 3.43), and Weakness–Threat (WT; 3.19). These results indicate that sustainability-related governance challenges are embedded within interconnected environmental, institutional, regulatory, and market-related processes rather than isolated strategic domains. Sustainability certification, export competitiveness, institutional support mechanisms, regulatory adaptation, and environmental pressure emerged as the most prominent components within the overall interaction structure. These findings reflect expert-perceived strategic associations rather than empirically verified causal relationships among sectoral factors. Reliability and robustness analyses indicated substantial consistency across expert evaluations and limited sensitivity to alternative scoring conditions. Overall, the findings indicate that maintaining long-term sustainability in export-oriented aquaculture systems depends not only on production performance but also on institutional coordination, regulatory adaptation, and the effective integration of sustainability-oriented governance practices. Full article

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention depends on accurate risk stratification before symptoms develop. Standard tools such as the Pooled Cohort Equations, QRISK3, and SCORE2 require laboratory data and are less informative in borderline-risk individuals, creating a role for accessible adjuncts. Retinal imaging directly visualizes the systemic microvasculature, and deep-learning oculomics may provide complementary risk information. Reti-CVD generates a three-tier classification from a retinal photograph and is among the more extensively validated retinal-AI tools. This narrative review evaluates its clinical positioning and implementation as an exemplar rather than a product endorsement, organizing evidence by cohort, comparing the approach with established scores and subclinical atherosclerosis markers, and considering implementation, regulation, and equity. RetiCAC was trained using coronary artery calcium as a surrogate label; subsequent Reti-CVD studies included UK Biobank, Singapore SEED, and CMERC-HI. Reported discrimination was approximately 0.75 by the Harrell C-index, with modest reclassification improvement, particularly in borderline-risk groups. As the commercial product DrNoon for CVD, the tool holds marketing authorization from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and, according to the manufacturer, CE certification under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR); in Korea it entered outpatient practice through a time-limited non-covered (out-of-pocket) assessment-deferral pathway, and it has not yet received US FDA authorization. Most evidence originates from one research group and one commercial algorithm, and no randomized or outcome-based study has shown that Reti-CVD-guided care improves clinical outcomes. These observational findings remain hypothesis-generating rather than evidence of established clinical utility. Reti-CVD is therefore best regarded as a non-invasive risk enhancer for borderline/intermediate-risk reclassification, not as a tool of established clinical utility; independent validation, intervention trials, and cost-effectiveness and reimbursement evidence are needed before broad integration. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global fashion industry, yet its adoption within the Australian market (a geographically isolated, SME-dominated sector) remains under-researched. This study explores the current state of AI implementation, the principal barriers, and the perceived opportunities in Australian fashion businesses, with particular attention to sustainability. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nine professionals spanning fashion-technology start-ups, sustainable manufacturing, textile recycling, ethical certification, and global retail planning, and analyzed them thematically through the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework. The findings indicate that AI adoption is nascent and fragmented, typically entering firms through vendor-embedded features rather than deliberate strategy. Contrary to international studies that foreground cost and data infrastructure as primary barriers, participants in this sample identified a risk-averse organizational culture and limited perceived need as the dominant constraints. Sustainability emerged as the most significant yet largely unrealized opportunity, spanning reduced overproduction, fewer size-related returns, and improved textile recycling. These exploratory insights offer a context-specific reading of the TOE framework, suggesting that organizational culture may weigh more heavily than technological capability in isolated, SME-dominated markets, and that cultural change, supported by tiered education and industry-specific value propositions, is needed to realize AI’s sustainability potential. Full article

The Philippines achieved World Health Organization (WHO) certification for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in 1998. Despite this milestone, new cases continue to be reported each year, highlighting the need for sustained surveillance and interventions to achieve zero transmission. This paper provides an update on the country’s progress toward interruption of leprosy transmission using national surveillance data and programmatic reports from 2020–2024. Quantitative data were obtained from the Department of Health (DOH) Field Health Services Information System (FHSIS), while policy and programmatic information were drawn from national reports, WHO guidance, and implementation reviews. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine trends in prevalence, case detection rates (CDRs), and age-sex distribution patterns to identify high-risk groups. Leprosy prevalence declined from 0.41 per 10,000 population in 2020 to 0.11 in 2024, remaining below the WHO elimination threshold. The CDR increased from 0.45 in 2022 to 1.17 per 100,000 in 2024, indicating recovery of active surveillance after COVID-19-related disruptions. Most newly detected cases occurred among adults aged 20–59 years (72%), although continued detection among children aged 0–14 years (6–7%) suggests ongoing transmission in selected endemic areas. Key program strengths include policy integration and WHO-supported surveillance initiatives, while major barriers include stigma, uneven local implementation, and limited access to rehabilitation. The Philippines has maintained low national prevalence while strengthening efforts toward transmission interruption. Continued investment in surveillance, contact tracing, stigma reduction, and integrated neglected tropical disease (NTD) services will be essential to achieving zero transmission, zero disability, and zero discrimination by 2030. Full article

Accredited sensory certification is increasingly central to the credibility of EU Geographical Indications (GIs), particularly for wine, where typicity and regional identity complicate harmonization. In the absence of shared descriptors, reference standards, and decision rules, sensory control may produce inconsistent conformity outcomes across certification bodies. This study examines the main drivers and limitations of sensory harmonization in GI wine certification, with particular focus on Portugal’s mandatory batch-level sensory approval system. Using a structured narrative review and comparative analysis, it integrates sensory science literature with the EU regulatory framework requiring verifiable organoleptic characteristics in product specifications. National approaches from Portugal, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain are compared, alongside the harmonized IOC Panel Test model for virgin olive oil. Accreditation is analyzed through International Organization for Standardization standards ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17065, as well as EA guidance. Results show increasing convergence toward formal sensory certification but persistent divergence in how typicity is operationalized and translated into conformity decisions. The study proposes a conceptual framework in which harmonization focuses on evidential conditions rather than uniform sensory identities. Full article