Green Drivers and Green Manufacturing Practices Integration in Agro Processing Industry: Moderating Effect of Sustainability Orientation

Developing a balance between manufacturing and ecological preservation is considered a major issue in every society and so attention must be paid to this relationship to protect plant, animal and human lives. Pressure for manufacturing firms to become green has risen greatly. Green manufacturing has been encouraged, practiced and researched for years but mostly in developed nations, but low in developing countries. This is a follow up study on a previous one conducted by the authors on the direct effects of green drivers on green practices, and this current one aims at the moderating role of sustainability orientation on the effects of driving factors on green practices in Ghana. Analysis was done using structural equation modeling (SEM). Evidently, sustainability orientation (SUO) moderated significantly between driving factors and green design practices, green purchasing practices and green promotion/selling. Green design practices adoption was facilitated most by SUO. Green management practices and green logistics practices were not moderated by SUO. Outcomes of this work could serve as a guide towards decision making by industry actors and government of Ghana on policy formulation and better processes for integrating green practices, not just in the agro processing industry but all others with activities of possible damage to the environment. Keywords: Green drivers, green practices, agro processing, sustainability orientation DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-12-03 Publication date:June 30th 202

Characteristics Analysis of Bovine HSPA6 Protein and Construction of Protein Interaction Network

In this study, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using bovine heat shock protein A6 (HSPA6) sequences and those of other organisms, and bioinformatic methods were used to analyze the basic physicochemical properties and hydrophilicity of bovine HSPA6 protein. Meanwhile, a protein interaction network was constructed to investigate the structural and functional properties of the protein encoded by the HSPA6 gene. The results showed that bovine HSPA6 protein had high similarity in amino acid sequence with those of sheep, Yangtze finless porpoise and other mammals. The molecular mass of bovine HSPA6 protein was 70 570.64 u, the theoretical isoelectric point was 5.66, and it was an acidic hydrophilic protein without transmembrane structure or signal peptide. Bovine HSPA6 protein may have 11 phosphorylation sites with score greater than 0.900 and N-glycosylation sites at the terminal bases, and it was a relatively stable protein with a secondary structure consisting mainly of 40.38% α-helix and 33.65% random coil, containing two major structural domains, the N-terminal nucleotide-binding domain and the C-terminal peptide-binding domain, which played a role in the cytoplasm. The constructed protein network showed that bovine HSPA6 protein mainly interacted with BAG1, DNAJA4, DNAJB1 and DNAJC2, and was involved in the activity of adenylate exchange factors, ATPase activity and chaperone binding, indicating that the HSPA6 protein exerted a potential function in biological processes such as energy metabolism in the bovine organism. These multiple bioinformatic analyses provide a theoretical basis for an in-depth investigation of the mechanism of the effect of bovine HSPA6 protein on meat quality

VAT Reform, Regional Ownership Structure, and Industrial Upgrading:Evidence From Firms in Northeast China

We estimate the extent of the moderating effect of varying regional ownership structures on the relationship between the VAT reform and industrial upgrading in a panel differences-in-differences framework, using a natural experiment of the China’s 2004 value-added tax (VAT) reform pilot that introduces a permanent 17%-tax credit for fixed investment in six industries in the North-eastern regions. Results reveal that the VAT reform helps firms increase their capital-to-labor ratio, labor input, and labor productivity, indicating the positive effect of VAT reform on fixed asset renewal and industrial structure upgrading in the region. As for the role of regional ownership structure, the positive effects of the VAT reform on labor input and labor productivity are significantly suppressed in areas with large market shares of state-owned enterprises. In another words, the VAT reform significantly promotes industrial upgrading in areas with market-sensitive economies.</p

Cynaroside ameliorates methotrexate-induced enteritis in rats through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation

IntroductionCynaroside exhibits various biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumor, and cardioprotective effects. However, its involvement in methotrexate (MTX)-induced intestinal inflammation remains inadequately understood. Thus, we investigated the impact of cynaroside on MTX-induced intestinal inflammation and its potential mechanisms.MethodsTo assess the protective potential of cynaroside against intestinal inflammation, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a regimen of 7 mg/kg MTX for 3 days, followed by treatment with cynaroside at varying doses (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg). Histopathological evaluations were conducted alongside measurements of inflammatory mediators to elucidate the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in alleviating intestinal inflammation.ResultsAdministration of 7 mg/kg MTX resulted in decreased daily food intake, increased weight loss, and elevated disease activity index in rats. Conversely, treatment with cynaroside at 20 or 40 mg/kg ameliorated the reductions in body weight and daily food intake and suppressed the MTX-induced elevation in the disease activity index. Notably, cynaroside administration at 20 or 40 mg/kg attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration, augmented goblet cell numbers and lowered serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18, as well as the CD68-positive cell rate in the intestines of MTX-induced rats. Furthermore, cynaroside downregulated the expression levels of NLRP3, cleaved caspase 1, and cleaved IL-1β in MTX-induced rats.DiscussionCollectively, our findings indicated that cymaroside alleviates intestinal inflammatory injury by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in MTX-induced rats

Potential impact of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundNumerous studies have confirmed that inflammation promotes the occurrence, development and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC).ObjectiveThis study focuses on the potentially prognostic value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in CRC patients.Data SourcesThis study was registered at PROSPERO (ID: CRD42020219215). Relative studies were searched on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and clinical trial databases by two back-to-back reviewers. Study Selection and Intervention: Studies were screened according to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, comparing prognosis differences between low PLR levels and high PLR levels for CRC patients. Main Outcome Measures: Studies were integrated and compared to analyze the value of PLR in predicting overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of CRC. Results: Outcomes were compared using Review Manager (version 5.4) software from Cochrane Collaboration. A total of 27 literary works, including 13,330 patients, were incorporated into our study. The final results showed that higher PLR levels had worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21–1.62, P &lt; 0.00001), DFS (HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.09–1.90, P = 0.01) and RFS (HR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.13–1.94, P = 0.005) than lower PLR levels, respectively. However, there was no evidence of significance for PFS (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.84–1.54, P = 0.40) and CSS (HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.88–1.53, P = 0.28) in the final meta-analysis.LimitationsOur study has the following limitations. First of all, we only included literature published in English, which means that some publication bias may be inevitable. In addition, our study used aggregate data, not individual data; furthermore, we did not define the exact cut-off value representing the PLR level.ConclusionAn elevated PLR seems to be an adverse prognostic factor affecting survival outcomes in patients with CRC. Meanwhile, more prospective studies are required to confirm our conclusion.PROSPERO ID: CRD42020219215

Pneumonia Incidence and Mortality in Mainland China: Systematic Review of Chinese and English Literature, 1985–2008

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a leading infectious disease killer worldwide, yet the burden in China is not well understood as much of the data is published in the non-English literature. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We systematically reviewed the Chinese- and English-language literature for studies with primary data on pneumonia incidence and mortality in mainland China. Between 1985 and 2008, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was highly variable. For children <5 years, incidence ranged from 0.06-0.27 episodes per person-year and mortality ranged from 184-1,223 deaths per 100,000 population. Overall incidence and mortality were stable or decreased over the study period and were higher in rural compared to urban areas. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Pneumonia continues to be a major public health challenge in young children in China, and estimates of pneumonia incidence and mortality vary widely. Reliable surveillance data and new prevention efforts may be needed to achieve and document additional declines, especially in areas with higher incidence and mortality such as rural settings

Research on the integration level measurement and optimization path of industrial chain, innovation chain and service chain

The contemporary scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation are accelerating an overall industrial evolution. The integration of industrial, innovation, and service chains (three-chain) has become an important measure for countries around the world for assessing and enhancing international competitiveness. Based on regional economic theory, industrial policy theory, and synergy theory, this study constructs an evaluation index to measure three-chain integration. A model to measure the degree of synergy among the three chains of the composite system is applied using sample data from Zhenjiang, China from 2012 to 2020. The relevant results are threefold. (1) The three chains of Zhenjiang are at a low level of synergy, which exhibits a downward trend. (2) The industrial chain's degree of synergy is the lowest, and must assume more responsibility for addressing the low three-chain integration level. (3) When examining the integration of any two chains, the integration level of the industrial and innovation chains is the highest. Finally, combined with the research results, optimization paths are proposed to promote three-chain integration. This research contributes to the field by integrating industrial, innovation, and service chains into a comprehensive research framework, constructing a universally applicable evaluation index system to empirically test the level of three-chain integration, and proposing optimal paths to provide scientific methods and decision-making reference to advance three-chain research

Strategic assessment of energy resources, economic growth, and CO2 emissions in G-20 countries for a sustainable future

Anthropogenic environmental pollution has become a global concern due to its profound impact on Earth's ecosystems. This study examines the interrelation between energy resources (both renewable and non-renewable), economic growth, and CO2 emissions across G-20 countries, using historical data from 1990 to 2020. The study employs a robustness analysis to confirm the stability and consistency of the data acquired from the primary approaches. The study utilizes FMOLS (Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares) and DOLS (Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares) methodologies to investigate endogeneity issues and examine the dynamic linkages in long-term and short-term contexts. The analysis is bifurcated based on two distinct dependent variables: CO2 emissions from gas and oil. Results indicate that gas and oil energies directly augment CO2 emissions. While hydro and renewable energies typically diminish CO2 emissions, specific quantiles suggest a slight increase, indicating an indirect contribution. GDP's quantile transition from positive to negative implies that economic growth can curtail CO2 emissions, suggesting a shift in developed economies from non-renewable to renewable energy dependencies. This study offers insightful policy implications, emphasizing the need to transition from harmful conventional energy sources to renewables to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030