Search Results (71)

The present research examines how employees perceive their firms’ CSR initiatives that ultimately translate into desired attitudes and behaviors, i.e., employee environmental commitment (EEC) and knowledge sharing (KS) at the workplace, by underpinning social identity theory. However, when do undesired working conditions, i.e., Perception of Politics (POP), adversely influence these desired outcomes? We deliberately selected 45 firms in the services and manufacturing sectors of Pakistan operating in larger metropolitan cities and prevalent tourist destinations, and actively participating in CSR activities. Thereafter, three self-administered surveys were conducted by employing a time-lagged design with two temporal breaks. A total of 655 surveys were distributed among middle managers across selected firms. Accordingly, it is found that employees who strongly identify with their organizations tend to align their personal values with organizational sustainability efforts and actively participate in environmentally responsible practices. They also demonstrate a greater willingness to share knowledge and enhance the organization’s collective intelligence. However, when employees perceive a high level of political behavior within the organization, their trust in its ethical standards diminishes, leading to various negative attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. This research contributed in two ways to the existing literature: (a) by examining the employees’ understandings of firms’ CSR engagements and their trickle-down effect on EEC and KS, (b) and studying when POP adversely effects the above relationship. Full article

Objectives: The impact of combining animal and plant protein sources on digestibility is unclear, despite their increasing clinical use. Using a non-invasive dual stable isotope tracer approach, we assessed the digestibility, bioavailability and utilization of distinct protein blends in older adults, and associated plasma amino acid profiles and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates. Methods: Thirty-two older men (69 ± 3 y) consumed one of four protein blends (A (51:49, casein/soy); B and C (35:25:20:20, whey/casein/soy/pea); D (80:20, casein/whey)) alongside primed constant infusions of [1,2-¹³C₂] leucine for 8 h. Arterialized blood and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were collected during a trickle feed protocol with all blends providing 20 g total protein, universally labeled ¹³C-spirulina, and ²H-cell free amino acid mix to determine digestibility. This trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (ID-NCT07038655). Results: No differences (¹³C:²H ratios) were found in digestibility between the protein blends (p > 0.05). Mean (±SEM) fed state MPS at 2.5 h was 0.078 ± 0.009%/h, 0.075 ± 0.012%/h, 0.085 ± 0.007%/h and 0.065 ± 0.011%/h for drinks A, B, C and D, respectively, with a main time effect observed (p < 0.01), but no significant differences between drinks. Plasma essential amino acids (EAAs) increased significantly from baseline for all blends by 40 min (p < 0.05), with no differences between blends at any time point. Conclusions: These findings suggest that protein quantity (and/or leucine content), rather than composition, appears to be the most important factor driving MPS. Future work should focus on clinical populations where protein requirements and digestibility characteristics may differ. Full article

Air pollution remains a major global health concern, contributing to millions of premature deaths annually. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is strongly associated with sick building syndrome (SBS), which can lead to various health problems and reduced workplace productivity. This study examines the role of trickle vents as a passive component in natural and hybrid ventilation systems aimed at improving IAQ and occupant comfort. Two types of factory-produced trickle vents were tested in a controlled climatic chamber under systematically varied indoor–outdoor pressure differentials, generated using a blower system. Airflow measurements revealed a strong relationship between pressure difference and vent performance. Differences between the two vent types were largely due to variations in cross-sectional areas, influencing airflow resistance and pressure drop. Although neither vent achieved the required ventilation rates for standard conditions, their integration into hybrid systems, particularly in combination with mechanical exhaust fans, was found to significantly enhance potential airflow. The findings underline both the challenges and opportunities in achieving effective ventilation, especially in upper building floors where natural driving forces are reduced. This work contributes to the understanding of passive ventilation components and their potential to support healthier, more sustainable indoor environments. Full article

Economic growth can bring material prosperity and improvements in public services to a country yet can simultaneously lead to environmental pollution that threatens population health, which has important implications for shaping macro-level policies. Here, we investigate the relationship between economic growth and mortality attributable to air pollution in China from 2002 to 2021, using data analyzed with Stata 18 software. We identify a counterintuitive U-shaped relationship between the two, with the coefficient of the primary term for economic growth at −1.222 and the quadratic term at −0.053, both statistically significant at the 1% level. The inflection point, with accounting for control variables, is calculated to be 99,708 yuan (CNY) per person. These results withstand different empirical testing. We then perform heterogeneity analyses at the city level and find that disparities in social, economic, and physical geographical conditions lead to an unequal mortality burden that persists. Economic growth may have negative impacts on population health after crossing a certain threshold, although the effects vary across different regions. Our findings reveal that the benefits of economic growth may not “trickle down” to improve population health. Policymakers cannot take economic growth as an intrinsic good that would inevitably lead to better population health. Greater emphasis should be placed on egalitarian welfare systems, investments in environmental improvements, and other life-supporting priorities, as these measures could mitigate the negative health impacts of economic growth and promote a virtuous cycle between the economy and population health. Full article

This paper presents a top-down approach to gang prevention, emphasizing the importance of addressing the complex structural conditions that accumulate to foster gang activity. In the title, we use the metaphor of “smoke” to represent the underlying structural conditions that are often overlooked or ignored, while “fire” symbolizes the resulting consequences of this neglect—specifically, gangs and gang violence. The authors argue that factors such as poverty, poor education, and racialized housing policies have created environments conducive to gang membership and violence. These structural inequities not only create fertile ground for gang activity but also trickle down to affect communities, as well as youth on an individual level, leading to trauma, multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and, in some cases, long-term offending. This paper also underscores the importance of addressing individual agency as well as recognizing that empowering youths to make choices outside of the constraints imposed by their environments is crucial for effective prevention. By examining broader structural issues, this paper highlights the need for comprehensive solutions that go beyond grassroots efforts. We critique current legislative measures and propose that effective gang prevention must tackle the root causes embedded in America’s socio-economic and political systems, as most gang prevention programs fail to address the institutional frameworks that contribute to individuals’ propensity to join, leave, or remain in gangs. Full article

Supervisors’ chronic regulatory foci significantly influence their leadership styles and behaviors, with prevention focus and promotion focus exerting distinct impacts on their actions and outcomes. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, we propose a conceptual model that links supervisor promotion focus and supervisor prevention focus to new employee task performance through the mediating role of supervisor developmental feedback. We conducted a matched questionnaire survey involving 253 supervisor–new employee pairs at two time points. The findings indicated that supervisor promotion focus was positively associated with supervisor developmental feedback, whereas supervisor prevention focus was negatively associated with supervisor developmental feedback. Furthermore, supervisor developmental feedback enhanced new employees’ task performance. This study elucidates the trickle-down effects of supervisor promotion focus and supervisor prevention focus and offers practical implications for organizations on effectively managing supervisors with varying regulatory foci. Full article

Water scarcity hinders sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigated the combined effects of trickle irrigation and biochar application on sugar beet cultivation in northwest China’s arid and semi-arid regions, addressing challenges of water scarcity. Three-year field experiments were conducted using plastic film mulch, four irrigation levels based on crop evapotranspiration (0.6–1.2 ETc), and four biochar application rates (0–30 t ha⁻¹). Results showed that biochar application increased sugar beet germination rates by 7.2–24.5% and enhanced relative chlorophyll content by 3.1–22.1%. Optimal combinations of irrigation and biochar significantly improved growth indices and yield, with maximum values observed under the highest irrigation (1.2 ETc) and 10 t ha⁻¹ biochar treatment. However, the 1.0 ETc irrigation treatment with 10 t ha⁻¹ biochar demonstrated superior water use efficiency (14.8% higher), sustainable yield index (1.1% higher), and economic benefits (1.4% higher) compared to the highest irrigation treatment. Considering growth, yield, quality, water use efficiency, sustainability, and economic factors, an irrigation level of 1.0 ETc combined with a biochar application rate of 10 t ha⁻¹ is recommended for sugar beet cultivation in Xinjiang. This study provides valuable insights and practical strategies for water conservation, high yield, and quality improvement in sugar beet cultivation under arid and semi-arid conditions, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices in water-scarce regions. Full article

Promoting green innovation is an important way to implement the dual carbon strategy and build an innovative country. Based on the panel data of 250 cities in China from 2011 to 2018, this paper constructs a two-way fixed-effect model, an intermediary effect model and a spatial Durbin model, and empirically studies the impact and mechanism of digital finance on urban green innovation. The results show that digital finance can improve the ability of urban green innovation, and its enabling effect mainly comes from improving the financial service model and improving the digital level. However, the role of digital finance in improving the efficiency of green innovation is not significant. Digital finance can promote urban green innovation by promoting the development of the Internet and alleviating the distortion of labor factors. A good environment for innovation will enhance the role of digital finance in promoting green innovation. Through further analysis, the spatial spillover effect of digital finance on green innovation at this stage is dominated by the siphon effect while the “trickle-down” effect is blocked. Full article

The increasing demand for efficient and sustainable industrial processes has accelerated research into green alternatives. Gas fermentation in a trickle bed reactor is a promising technology; however, optimal scaling up is still challenging. A mass transfer model is crucial for identifying bottlenecks and suggesting design improvements to optimize the scale-up of TBR for gas fermentation. This study explores the effects of temperature, reactor dimensions, and packing material size on the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k_La) in a commercial-scale trickle bed reactor (TBR). Using dynamic mass transfer modeling, the research results highlight that thermophilic conditions (60 °C) significantly enhance k_La and mass transfer rates for H₂, CO, and CO₂, despite reduced gas solubility at higher temperatures. Additionally, packing material of smaller particles improves k_La by increasing the surface for gas–liquid interaction, while reactor dimensions, particularly volume and diameter, are shown to critically influence k_La. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing TBR design and scale-up, emphasizing the importance of thermophilic conditions, proper packing material selection, and reactor geometry for efficient gas–liquid mass transfer in syngas (a mixture of H₂, CO, and CO₂) biological conversion. Overall, the findings offer practical guidelines for enhancing the performance of industrial-scale TBR systems. Full article

Biological trickling filtration (BTF) has the advantages of simple operation, low energy consumption, and low sludge production, and its application in the treatment of domestic wastewater in rural areas has been widely discussed. In this study, ceramic granule (R1), zeolite (R2), and sponge (R3), three typical nitrogen and phosphorus removal fillers, were selected to investigate the differences in the removal performance of COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus in BTF, analyze the characteristics of the fillers and biofilm, and determine the performance of simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The results show that among the three fillers, zeolite has the larger specific surface area and roughness and has the best treatment effect on the adhesion performance of sewage and biofilm. The richness and diversity of the microbial community are higher, and the system is more stable, with a COD removal rate of 77.10 ± 8.67% and an NH₄⁺-N removal rate of 75.20 ± 6.64%. The TP removal rate was 22.04 ± 10.27%. The surface of ceramic particles showed a regular cluster structure with a loose distribution. The removal rate of COD was 78.49 ± 6.92%, the concentration of NH₄⁺-N in the effluent was 27.95 ± 8.23 mg/L, and the removal rate of TP was 38.83 ± 12.14%. As a polymer composite material, the sponge has large internal pores and a smooth surface, which is not conducive to biofilm adhesion. Therefore, the removal rate of nitrogen and phosphorus in sewage is poor; the removal rate of COD is 75.94 ± 6.98%, NH₄⁺-N is 27.89 ± 21.06%, and the removal rate of TP is 14.07 ± 11.76%. Compared with the metabolic function of genes, zeolites have a more stable enzyme digestion ability than the other two fillers, and the genes related to the nitrification process (amo, hao, nxr, etc.) and functional genes encoding key enzymes related to the TCA cycle are relatively abundant. Full article

Agricultural green development is crucial for achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with the digital technology revolution acting as a catalyst for both China’s green agricultural transformation and global sustainable development efforts. This study utilizes panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities) from 2012 to 2022 to assess the digitalization level and agricultural green development through a combined entropy weight and TOPSIS method. It also investigates the spatial agglomeration of agricultural green development using Moran’s I index and empirically evaluates the impact of digitalization on agricultural green development through OLS and spatial Durbin models. The findings reveal that, while China’s agricultural green development has progressed slowly yet steadily during the study period, it demonstrates significant spatial agglomeration, driven primarily by agricultural production efficiency and resource recycling. Notably, a non-linear U-shaped relationship exists between digitalization and agricultural green development, suggesting that digitalization fosters agricultural green development only after surpassing a certain threshold. Additionally, digitalization has spatial spillover effects: advancements in neighboring provinces correlate with local agricultural green development in a U-shaped manner, with an initial “siphon effect” followed by a “trickle-down effect.” These insights inform policy recommendations aimed at optimizing the use of digital technology to facilitate green agricultural transformation, offering valuable guidance for policymakers. Full article

In the context of the coordinated development of Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, examining the spatial connections and network structure characteristics of the tourism economy holds substantial theoretical and practical significance. This study constructs a tourism economic quality evaluation index system from four dimensions and optimizes the tourism economic gravity model by incorporating time distance and weight factors to dynamically simulate the intensity of tourism economic spatial connection (ITESC). Based on the new perspective of relational data, social network analysis is employed to investigate the spatial correlation network characteristics and group structure changes in the tourism economy within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration (BTHUA). The results demonstrate a significant improvement in overall tourism economic quality from 2013 to 2022, with the average quality increasing from 0.128 in 2013 to 0.157 in 2022. Tourism economic spatial connections are prevalent among cities, exhibiting heterogeneous characteristics, characterized by density in the north and relatively sparse in the south. The network cohesion of ITESC strengthens, and the network structure evolves from a highly centralized to a multi-centralized configuration, with increasingly frequent cooperation and interaction in tourism between cities. Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang occupy central positions in the network, exhibiting strong ITESC and a high degree of connectivity, generating a significant “trickle-down effect” on peripheral cities. Consequently, strengthening ITESC between peripheral cities and core areas, as well as enhancing the bidirectional spillover of tourism development between cities, is crucial for the future sustainable and coordinated development of tourism in the BTHUA. Full article

In the context of the “ecological priority and green development” strategy, examining the co-evolution between the tourism economy and the efficiency of urban green development can offer both theoretical insights and quantitative foundations to support ecological preservation and high-quality development in China’s Yellow River Basin. This research utilized approaches such as the Haken model and the geographically and temporally weighted regression model to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns, synergistic characteristics, and driving factors of the tourism economy and urban green development efficiency within the Yellow River Basin. The findings reveal the following: (1) Regional disparities in the tourism economy are progressively widening, whereas the efficiency of green development tends to decline. Furthermore, both the tourism economy and urban green development efficiency display “high-high clustering” and “low-low clustering” spatially. (2) The synergistic evolution of the two systems displays spatial characteristics of transitioning from polarization to trickle-down effects. (3) Natural factors such as topography and vegetation coverage, as well as human economic factors like industrial structure and the degree of openness, positively promote the synergy. However, elements such as temperature, precipitation, economic development level, and openness to innovation have a certain inhibitory effect on the synergistic evolution. Full article

The removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from air was investigated in two similar biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyurethane (PU) foam, differing in terms of inoculation procedure (BTF A was packed with pre-incubated PU discs, and BTF B was inoculated via the continuous recirculation of a liquid inoculum). The effects of white rot fungi enzyme extract addition and system responses to variable VOC loading, liquid trickling patterns, and pH were studied. Positive effects of both packing incubation and enzyme addition on biotrickling filtration performance were identified. BFF A exhibited a shorter start-up period (approximately 20 days) and lower pressure drop (75 ± 6 mm H₂O) than BTF B (30 days; 86 ± 5 mm H₂O), indicating the superior effects of packing incubation over inoculum circulation during the biotrickling filter start-up. The novel approach of using white rot fungi extracts resulted in fast system recovery and enhanced process performance after the BTF acidification episode. Average BTEX elimination capacities of 28.8 ± 0.4 g/(m³ h) and 23.1 ± 0.4 g/(m³ h) were reached for BTF A and BTF B, respectively. This study presents new strategies for controlling and improving the abatement of BTEX in biotrickling filters. Full article

Phosphorus (P) discharge from anthropogenic sources, notably sewage effluent and agricultural runoff, significantly contributes to eutrophication in aquatic environments. Stringent regulations have heightened the need for effective P removal technologies in wastewater treatment processes. This paper provides a comprehensive review of current P removal methods, focusing on both biological and chemical approaches. Biological treatments discussed include enhanced biological P removal in activated sludge systems, biological trickling filters, biofilm reactors, and constructed wetlands. The efficiency of microbial absorption and novel biotechnological integrations, such as the use of microalgae and fungi, are also examined. Chemical treatments reviewed encompass the application of metal salts, advanced oxidation processes such as chlorination, ozonation, and the Fenton reaction, as well as emerging techniques including the Electro-Fenton process and photocatalysis. Analytical methods for P, including spectrophotometric techniques and fractionation analyses, are evaluated to understand the dynamics of P in wastewater. This review critically assesses the strengths and limitations of each method, aiming to identify the most effective and sustainable solutions for P management in wastewater treatment. The integration of innovative strategies and advanced technologies is emphasized as crucial for optimizing P removal and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. Full article