Immune stress in late pregnant rats decreases length of gestation and fecundity, and alters later cognitive and affective behaviour of surviving pre-adolescent offspring

Immune challenge during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth and poor perinatal development. The mechanisms of these effects are not known. 5α-Pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP), the neuroactive metabolite of progesterone, is critical for neurodevelopment and stress responses, and can influence cognition and affective behaviours. To develop an immune challenge model of preterm birth, pregnant Long–Evans rat dams were administered lipopolysaccharide [LPS; 30 μg/kg/ml, intraperitoneal (IP)], interleukin-1β (IL-1β; 1 μg/rat, IP) or vehicle (0.9% saline, IP) daily on gestational days 17–21. Compared to control treatment, prenatal LPS or IL-1β reduced gestational length and the number of viable pups born. At 28–30 days of age, male and female offspring of mothers exposed to prenatal IL-1β had reduced cognitive performance in the object recognition task compared to controls. In females, but not males, prenatal IL-1β reduced anxiety-like behaviour, indicated by entries to the centre of an open field. In the hippocampus, progesterone turnover to its 5α-reduced metabolites was lower in prenatally exposed IL-1β female, but not in male offspring. IL-1β-exposed males and females had reduced oestradiol content in hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex and diencephalon compared to controls. Thus, immune stress during late pregnancy reduced gestational length and negatively impacted birth outcomes, hippocampal function and central neurosteroid formation in the offspring

Effects of carbon nanotubes geometrical distribution on electrical percolation of nanocomposites: a comprehensive approach

The main objective of this study was to study the effects of length, alignment and diameter distribution of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the percolation threshold of nanocomposites using computational simulations. Furthermore, the effects of the aforementioned parameters on the efficiency of the produced networks are investigated. The best distribution for optimum connectivity and the lowest CNTs concentration for the onset of percolation is determined via analyzing the geometrical characteristics of carbon nanotubes. The critical volume fraction of CNTs for percolation was found to be 0.1% while the mean number of bonds per object was 1.3 at the best distribution condition. The results from this study are compared to available experimental data and good agreement was found

The Impact of carbon emissions on market performance: fintech versus non-fintech

This study aimed to examine the impact of Scope 3 carbon emissions on market performance and the moderating effect of financial technology (fintech) on this particular relationship. Empirical data on Scope 3 carbon emissions from 2010 to 2022, which covered both fintech and traditional (non-fintech) financial firms, were collected from Bloomberg. All data were subjected to ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Generalised method of moments (GMM) was performed to deal with potential endogeneity issues. The significant negative relationship between Scope 3 carbon emissions and market performance in this study implied investors’ concerns about the environmental impacts. With the noticeably lower carbon emissions, indicating the adoption of an eco-friendly orientation, fintech financial firms demonstrated positive relationship between their market performance and Scope 3 carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the results revealed otherwise for non-fintech financial firms. It is recommended for future research to consider the qualitative approach, such as structured or semi-structured interviews, to further validate the quantitative results of the current study. This study demonstrated the significant role of fintech financial firms in environmental stewardship, specifically with their markedly lower Scope 3 carbon emissions. Their approaches and practices can benefit ESG implementors in designing and implementing more effective and responsible operational models. Despite the current global challenges, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing environmental awareness and concerns, this study commended the sustainable approaches of fintech financial firms, which served as a benchmark for ESG initiatives. This can potentially boost their ESG ratings and market standing. To date, the relationship between Scope 3 carbon emissions and market performance and the moderating role of fintech on this relationship have remained underexplored, which were addressed in the current study

The role of sustainability control systems in translating CSR into performance in Iran

Purpose: This study aims to explore the extent to which companies rely on sustainability management control systems (SMCS) to translate corporate social responsibility (CSR) into superior performance building upon the premise of the natural resource orchestration perspective. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected based on a survey data set from 118 Chief Financial Officers of publicly listed companies in Iran. The theoretical model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM, SmartPLS 3.0) as a method that enjoys minimum demands concerning normality assumptions and sample size. Findings: The findings support the full mediation effect of SMCS on the relationship between CSR and organizational performance. This implies that CSR affects performance only through the mediating role of SMCS. Practical implications: The central premise in the proposed theoretical framework is that the utilization of proper management control mechanisms (i.e. SMCS) can help the organization to better synchronize, measure and manage – i.e. “orchestrate” – the social, environmental and economic impacts, and this, in turn, leads to improved organizational performance. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind, building on a unique synthesis of the agency cost perspective and resource orchestration theory, to introduce the “natural resource orchestration” approach for examining the intervening role of SMCS between CSR and organizational performance. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited