Sustainability reporting in banks: History of studies and a conceptual framework for thinking about the future by learning from the past

The importance of sustainability reporting has grown steadily over time and banks, as intermediaries in the capital allocation, are significantly involved in the issue. By analyzing the development of studies on banks' sustainability reporting over the past 30 years, this contribution aims to set up a conceptual framework for guiding historical research and glimpsing future directions. Most of the literature on sustainability reporting is organized by specific topics and rarely by periods, while research in this area suffers from the lack of historical analysis models. The study addresses these two research gaps by applying the historical approach both to a structured literature review and to the interpretation of the results. The theoretical utility of the study consists in the development of a conceptual framework for historical research, while its practical relevance lies in indicating to banks and lawmakers the critical issues and opportunities of the ongoing regulatory changes

Marine-friendly antifouling coating based on the use of a fatty acid derivative as a pigment

This study was devoted to examining the application of copper dodecanoate as a non-contaminant antifouling pigment due to its low copper content and fatty acid nature. For this purpose, antifouling paints with mono-component epoxy resin and rosin matrixes were formulated, and their antifouling efficiency was evaluated. Before its incorporation into the different formulations, the synthesized pigment was characterized. Immersion tests in a marine environment were carried out for 12 months to evaluate the antifouling efficiency of the developed paints; the results were compared with those from a commercial paint. The antifouling efficiency of the new epoxy formulation was found to be considerably higher than that of the rosin formulation and very similar to that of the commercial paint. Most importantly, the release of copper from the epoxy paint formulated with copper dodecanoate was 73.5% lower than that of the commercial paint, suggesting prolonged activity of the developed paint.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Synchrony of hand-foot coupled movements: is it attained by mutual feedback entrainment or by independent linkage of each limb to a common rhythm generator?

BACKGROUND: Synchrony of coupled oscillations of ipsilateral hand and foot may be achieved by controlling the interlimb phase difference through a crossed kinaesthetic feedback between the two limbs, or by an independent linkage of each limb cycle to a common clock signal. These alternative models may be experimentally challenged by comparing the behaviour of the two limbs when they oscillate following an external time giver, either alone or coupled together. RESULTS: Ten subjects oscillated their right hand and foot both alone and coupled (iso- or antidirectionally), paced by a metronome. Wrist and ankle angular position and Electromyograms (EMG) from the respective flexor and extensor muscles were recorded. Three phase delays were measured: i) the clk-mov delay, between the clock (metronome beat) and the oscillation peak; ii) the neur (neural) delay, between the clock and the motoneurone excitatory input, as inferred from the EMG onset; and iii) the mech (mechanical) delay between the EMG onset and the corresponding point of the limb oscillation. During uncoupled oscillations (0.4 Hz to 3.0 Hz), the mech delay increased from -7° to -111° (hand) and from -4° to -83° (foot). In contrast, the clk-mov delay remained constant and close to zero in either limb since a progressive advance of the motoneurone activation on the pacing beat (neur advance) compensated for the increasing mech delay. Adding an inertial load to either extremity induced a frequency dependent increase of the limb mechanical delay that could not be completely compensated by the increase of the neural phase advance, resulting in a frequency dependent increment of clk-mov delay of the hampered limb. When limb oscillations were iso- or antidirectionally coupled, either in the loaded or unloaded condition, the three delays did not significantly change with respect to values measured when limbs were moved separately. CONCLUSION: The absence of any significant effect of limb coupling on the measured delays suggests that during hand-foot oscillations, both iso- and antidirectionally coupled, each limb is synchronised to the common rhythm generator by a "private" position control, with no need for a crossed feedback interaction between limbs

Postprocessing for skin detection

Skin detectors play a crucial role in many applications: face localization, person tracking, objectionable content screening, etc. Skin detection is a complicated process that involves not only the development of apposite classifiers but also many ancillary methods, including techniques for data preprocessing and postprocessing. In this paper, a new postprocessing method is described that learns to select whether an image needs the application of various morphological sequences or a homogeneity function. The type of postprocessing method selected is learned based on categorizing the image into one of eleven predetermined classes. The novel postprocessing method presented here is evaluated on ten datasets recommended for fair comparisons that represent many skin detection applications. The results show that the new approach enhances the performance of the base classifiers and previous works based only on learning the most appropriate morphological sequences

Intencionalidade e técnica(s)

Resumo: A técnica é a ação de um agente Intencional, com uma determinada finalidade, sobre específicas propriedades físicas, ação que constitui um objeto técnico. O reconhecimento desta Intencionalidade da ação dos autores da técnica é necessário para o processo de compreensão desses objetos pelos receptores, principalmente para a compreensão dos objetos técnicos caracterizados também como suportes semióticos. A minha hipótese é que essa Intencionalidade pode vir “mascarada” pela própria ação técnica constituinte da forma do objeto, e também pelo discurso institucional, dificultando a compreensão desses objetos pelo público. Trata-se também de esclarecer quais as propriedades que são realmente ontológicas nos objetos técnicos.Abstract: A technique is an action of an Intentional agent, with a determined purpose, upon specific physical properties. This action constitutes a technical object. Identifying the Intentionality of authors' actions is necessary for the comprehension of these objects by receivers, particularly for the comprehension of technical objects which are also characterized as semiotic supports. My hypothesis is that this Intentionality can be “disguised” by the technical action itself, particularly in questions of form, and also by institutional discourse, which problematizes the comprehension of these same objects by the public. It will be a matter as well of clarifying the ontological properties of technical objects. 

Assessing the quality of regional climate information

There are now a plethora of data, models, and approaches available to produce regional and local climate information intended to inform adaptation to a changing climate. There is, however, no framework to assess the quality of these data, models, and approaches that takes into account the issues that arise when this information is produced. An evaluation of the quality of regional climate information is a fundamental requirement for its appropriate application in societal decision-making. Here, an analytical framework is constructed for the quality assessment of science-based statements and estimates about future climate. This framework targets statements that project local and regional climate at decadal and longer time scales. After identifying the main issues with evaluating and presenting regional climate information, it is argued that it is helpful to consider the quality of statements about future climate in terms of 1) the type of evidence and 2) the relationship between the evidence and the statement. This distinction not only provides a more targeted framework for quality, but also shows how certain evidential standards can change as a function of the statement under consideration. The key dimensions to assess regional climate information quality are diversity, completeness, theory, adequacy for purpose, and transparency. This framework is exemplified using two research papers that provide regional climate information and the implications of the framework are explored

Assessing the quality of state-of-the-art regional climate information: the case of the UK Climate Projections 2018

In this paper, we assess the quality of state-of-the-art regional climate information intended to support climate adaptation decision-making. We use the UK Climate Projections 2018 as an example of such information. Their probabilistic, global, and regional land projections exemplify some of the key methodologies that are at the forefront of constructing regional climate information for decision support in adapting to a changing climate. We assess the quality of the evidence and the methodology used to support their statements about future regional climate along six quality dimensions: transparency; theory; independence, number, and comprehensiveness of evidence; and historical empirical adequacy. The assessment produced two major insights. First, a major issue that taints the quality of UKCP18 is the lack of transparency, which is particularly problematic since the information is directed towards non-expert users who would need to develop technical skills to evaluate the quality and epistemic reliability of this information. Second, the probabilistic projections are of lower quality than the global projections because the former lack both transparency and a theory underpinning the method used to produce quantified uncertainty estimates about future climate. The assessment also shows how different dimensions are satisfied depending on the evidence used, the methodology chosen to analyze the evidence, and the type of statements that are constructed in the different strands of UKCP18. This research highlights the importance of knowledge quality assessment of regional climate information that intends to support climate change adaptation decisions

Revisão das espécies do grupo de Bufo crucifer, com descrições de duas espécies relacionadas (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae)

The Bufo crucifer species group is revised on the basis of external morphological and morphometrical characteristics, evidencing variation in size, shape of the parotoid gland, width of the head, cranial crests, and presence or absence of yellow spots near the cloaca and hind limbs. Five species are recognized: B. crucifer Wied-Neuwied, 1821, B. ornatus Spix, 1824 (revalidated), B. henseli A.Lutz, 1934 (revalidated), B. abei sp.nov., and B. pombali sp.nov. The geographic distribution of the species is associated with the Atlantic Rain Forest and adjacent areas: B. crucifer occurs from the State of Ceará to southern State of Espírito Santo and northeastern State of Minas Gerais; B. ornatus is distributed from southern State of Espírito Santo, through the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to northern State of Paraná, and possibly in northeastern Argentina, in the provinces Misiones and Corrientes; B. henseli is found from southern State of Santa Catarina to the coast of the State of Rio Grande do Sul; B. abei sp.nov., described from Córrego Grande, Municipality of Florianópolis, State of Santa Catarina, is distributed from the State of Paraná to southern State of Santa Catarina and areas of the northern State of Rio Grande do Sul; and B. pombali sp.nov., described from the Reserva Biológica de Peti, Municipality of São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, State of Minas Gerais, occurs in transitional areas between the Atlantic Rain Forest and the “cerrados” in the State of Minas Gerais. Additionally, Bufo crucifer var. pfrimeri Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926, currently in the synonymy of B. crucifer, is transfered to the synonymy of Bufo guttatus Schneider, 1799. Bufo levicristatus Boettger, 1885 is considered a species inquirenda and removed from the synonymy of any species included in the B. crucifer group. Bufo spixii Fitzinger, 1826 is transfered from the synonymy of Bufo margaritifer (Laurenti, 1768) to the synonymy of Bufo ornatus Spix, 1824.O grupo de Bufo crucifer é revisado com base em caracteres morfológicos externos e morfométricos, evidenciando variação em tamanho, forma das glândulas parotóides, largura da cabeça, cristas cefálicas e presença ou ausência de manchas amarelas próximo à cloaca e nas pernas. Cinco espécies são reconhecidas: Bufo crucifer Wied-Neuwied, 1821, B. ornatus Spix, 1824 (revalidada), B. henseli A.Lutz, 1924 (revalidada), B. abei sp.nov. e B. pombali sp.nov. A distribuição geográfica das espécies é associada à Floresta Atlântica e regiões adjacentes: B. crucifer ocorre do Estado do Ceará ao sul do Estado do Espírito Santo e nordeste do Estado de Minas Gerais; B. ornatus ocorre do sul do Estado do Espírito Santo, através dos Estados do Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo até o norte do Estado do Paraná e possivelmente no nordeste da Argentina, nas Províncias Misiones e Corrientes; B. henseli é encontrada do sul do Estado de Santa Catarina até a região costeira do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul; B. abei sp.nov., descrita de Córrego Grande, Município de Florianópolis, Estado de Santa Catarina, está distribuída do Estado do Paraná até o sul do Estado de Santa Catarina e áreas do norte do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul; B. pombali sp.nov., descrita da Reserva Biológica de Peti, Município de São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Estado de Minas Gerais, ocorre nas áreas de transição entre a Floresta Atlântica e os cerrados no Estado de Minas Gerais. Adicionalmente, Bufo crucifer var. pfrimeri Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926, atualmente incluída na sinonimia de B. crucifer, é transferida para a sinonimia de Bufo guttatus Schneider, 1799. Bufo levicristatus Boettger, 1885 é considerada species inquirenda e retirada da sinonimia de qualquer das espécies incluídas no grupo de B. crucifer. Bufo spixii Fitzinger, 1826 é transferida da sinonimia de Bufo margaritifer (Laurenti, 1768) para a sinonimia de Bufo ornatus Spix, 1824

Planejamento de novos agentes anti-chagásicos: síntese e avaliação biológica de nucleosídeos como inibidores da enzima gliceraldeido-3-fosfato desidrogenase glicossomal (ggapdh) de trypanossoma cruzi

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas, Curso de Química.A doença de Chagas é causada pelo protozoário Trypanosoma cruzi e representa um grave problema de saúde em países tropicais como o Brasil. A técnica de planejamento racional de fármacos tem sido aplicada no desenho de inibidores da enzima gliceraldeido-3-fosfato desidrogenase glicossomal (gGAPDH) de T cruz!, uma proteína essencial ao parasita. Através da determinação da estrutura de gGAPDH por difração de Raio-X, modelagem molecular e docking da região do sitio do co-fator NAD + , um conjunto de moléculas representando potenciais inibidores de gGAPDH foi selecionado para síntese, destacando-se alguns derivados de nucleosideos purinicos. Dentre os análogos sintetizados e testados, aqueles contendo grupos aromáticos nas posições 2'-, 3'- e 5'-apresentaram atividade inibitória elevada (IC50 = 70-250pM). Estes resultados conduziram ao planejamento de uma nova geração de nucleosideos como potenciais inibidores de gGAPDH. O presente trabalho envolve a síntese de análogos de nucleosideos e posterior avaliação inibitória frente a gGAPDH de I cruz!. Os alvos sintéticos são derivados de inosina e 6- tioinosina contendo grupos aril, seletivamente substituidos no anel ribofuranosideo. As metodologias sintéticas que estão empregadas neste trabalho estão bem estabelecidas na literatura e envolvem modificações seletivas sobre os vários grupos funcionais presentes, além de química de grupos protetores. Para a preparação dos derivados foram efetuadas reações de benzoilação seletiva na posição 5'- do anel tetrahidrofurano, e também foram preparados derivados seletivamente benzoilados nas posições 2'- e 3'-, obtendo-se assim, derivados seletivamente substituidos nas posições 5'- e 2'-, 3'-. Além do preparo da tioinosina que servirá como precursor sintético para uma vasta coleção de derivados de tióis seletivamente substituídos. Com a síntese destes análogos de nucleosideos para posterior avaliação da atividade inibitória frente a gGAPDH, pretende-se obter um grupo de inibidores potentes e aptos para desenvolvimentos subsequentes até tornarem-se candidatos a testes clínicos

FRI0191 CRANIAL-LIMITED AND LARGE-VESSEL GIANT CELL ARTERITIS: PRESENTING FEATURES AND OUTCOME

Background:Giant cell arteritis (GCA) comprises two main phenotypes: cranial (C) and large-vessel (LV) disease1. A full baseline steroid-free vascular imaging evaluation is required to properly diagnose LV involvement2Objectives:To compare presenting and prognostic features of LV-GCA and C-GCA patients after an adequate vascular imaging evaluation at baselineMethods:Data from GCA patients followed-up at our Institution were retrospectively collected. Only patients who underwent large-vessel imaging (PET, CTA, MRA) at disease onset or within 1 week after steroid introduction were included. Patients with evidence of LV involvement were classified as LV-GCA. Differences between LV-GCA and C-GCA patients regarding presenting features, treatment, prognosis were evaluated. Non-parametric tests were usedResults:In our cohort, we identified 161/280 patients who underwent LV-imaging study at baseline. Of these, 100 (62.1%) had signs of LV inflammation. Table 1 compares demographic features, diagnostic delay, pre-existing comorbidities and complementary treatment between the 2 groups. Table 2 compares disease features at diagnosis. Mean follow-up was similar between LV- and C-GCA patients (31.8±31.8 vs 27.8±29.1 months; 70% vs 73.8% followed-up ≥12 months). Corrected cumulative prednisone dose (CCPD, grams/months) was equivalent (LV, 0.67±0.57; C, 0.87±1.37; p=0.871). A DMARD was added in 73% of LV- and in 55.7% of C-GCA patients (p=0.027), but, notably, it was introduced at baseline in 52% of LV- vs 23.5% of C-GCA patients (p=0.006). CCPD was equivalent even considering only patients who did not receive DMARDs (LV, 0.92±0.81; C, 0.94±1.18; p=0.522). Frequency of relapses was not significantly different (LV, 51%; C, 57.3%, p=0.515), even when considering only DMARD-receiving patients (LV, 36.1%; C, 38.2%, p=0.833). Aortic aneurysms incidence at 5 years was similar (LV, 17.3%; C, 15.7%; p=0.826). Rate of metabolic and infective complications was similar, in terms of arterial hypertension (LV, 3%; C, 0%, p=0.286), diabetes (2% vs 0%, p=0.524), osteoporotic fractures (7% vs 5%, p=0.742), severe infections (3% vs 3.3%, p=1)Table 1.Demographic features, diagnostic delay, pre-existing comorbidities, and complementary treatment at baseline in LV and C-GCA patientsLV imaging +n=100 (%)LV imaging-n=61 (%)p-valueAge (years)73.2 ± 8.976 ± 8.80.018Sex (female)65 (65)40 (65)1Diagnostic delay (months)3.5 ± 4.62.3 ± 4.90.001Pre-existing comorbidities- CAD3 (3)7 (11.5)0.043- Diabetes4 (4)6 (9.8)0.181- Dyslipidemia17 (17)17 (27.9)0.114- Hypertension42 (42)34 (55.7)0.105- Stroke3 (3)3 (5)0.674- Cancer20 (20)6 (9.8)0.122Ongoing complementary treatment- Antiplatelet18 (18)15 (25)0.322- Anticoagulant1 (1)6 (9.8)0.012- Statin14 (14)14 (23)0.198Table 2.Diseases features at onset in LV and C-GCA patientsLV imaging +n=100 (%)LV imaging-n=61 (%)p-valueTemporal biopsy positive17/31 (55)9(43)0.573Symptoms- Headache65 (65)52 (85)0.006- Jaw claudication22 (22)20 (32.8)0.142- Scalp tenderness31 (31)26 (42.6)0.174- Ocular symptoms14 (14)20 (32.8)0.006- Ischemic optic neuropathy7 (7)17 (27.9)<0.001- Stroke3 (3)0 (0)0.290- Polymyalgia rheumatica42 (42)31 (50.8)0.328- Fever44 (44)12 (19.7)0.002- Fatigue72 (72)21 (34.4)<0.001- Weight loss37 (37)7 (11.5)<0.001- Cough10 (10)1 (1.6)0.053Laboratory findings, mean- C-reactive protein, mg/L80.8 ± 60.865.7 ± 58.20.057- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate76.8 ± 3071.5 ± 270.360- Hemoglobin, g/dL11.4 ± 1.512 ± 1.60.007- Platelet count389.4 ± 116.6366.8 ± 125.20.758Conclusion:LV-GCA patients are younger and suffer of a greater diagnostic delay. Although a greater systemic inflammation seems to be a feature of LV-GCA patients, the vascular prognosis is similar to C-GCA patients, who, conversely, have a greater incidence of ocular complicationsReferences:[1]Dejaco C, et al. Nat Rev Rheumatol (2017)[2]Kermani T, et al. Rheumatology (2019)Disclosure of Interests:Alessandro Tomelleri: None declared, Corrado Campochiaro Speakers bureau: Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, GSK, SOBI, Silvia Sartorelli: None declared, Nicola Farina: None declared, Elena Baldissera Speakers bureau: Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Alpha Sigma, Sanofi, Lorenzo Dagna Grant/research support from: Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Janssen, MSD, Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, SG, SOBI, Consultant of: Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen, BMS, Celltrion, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, SG, and SOB