Pioneer Approach Research Articles

Novel approach toward hole-transporting layer doped by hydrophobic Lewis acid through infiltrated diffusion doping for perovskite solar cells

In this work, an alternative processing route for doping of hole-transporting layer (HTL) with improved hole extraction and passivation of anionic Pb–I antisite defects at the perovskite/HTL heterojunction is reported for the first time in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), referred as the infiltrated diffusion doping (INDD) method. In INDD processing, HTL is prepared by depositing the hole-transporting material and dopant sequentially in separate steps, involving deposition of the hole-transporting material (PTAA) in the first step, followed by the deposition of novel fluorine-containing hydrophobic Lewis acid dopant (LAD) in the second step, employing an orthogonal solvent with respect to the PTAA. To the best of our knowledge, it is a pioneer approach which replaces traditional blend casting doping technique for HTL. Consequently, the optimized PSC based on LAD doped PTAA by INDD processing shows a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.32%, marking a record PCE in PSCs with a single dopant for PTAA reported to date, and superior long-term stability, retaining 93% of their initial efficiency in ambient environment without any encapsulation up to 1500 h.

A Pioneering Approach to Reducing Fuel Cost and Carbon Emissions from Transportation

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to present a unique approach to reducing fuel cost and emissions from transportation. The approach involves analyzing the potential for savings in fuel cost, engages shippers and transporters to bring greater transparency, and optimizes the choice of vehicle and route. The suggested approach has resulted in a saving of 7.5 million gallons of diesel in transportation and reduced 76,910 metric tons of CO2 emissions for Whirlpool between 2007 and 2016 in the United States. This approach leads to the saving in fuel cost and a reduction in carbon emissions. The proposed methodology offers a mutually benefiting solution to supply chain management professionals in reducing their carbon footprint from transport activities while saving in transport cost.

Breaking the BIT Mold: Brazil's Pioneering Approach to Investment Agreements

Brazil only recently joined the collection of states that have adopted international investment agreements (IIAs), but in doing so it developed a noteworthy approach in the form of the Cooperation and Facilitation Investment Agreement (CFIA). In this essay, we explore the characteristics and merits of this particular treaty model, making three points: First, the CFIA exhibits unique features that set it apart from traditional bilateral investment treaties (BITs), including the state-to-state management of investment relations and an emphasis on investment facilitation rather than investment protection. Second, the CFIA displays a degree of “interoperability” that has made it possible for Brazilian partners to sign these agreements while simultaneously holding BIT portfolios, despite significant differences between the two approaches. Finally, one of the CFIA's key features — that of investment facilitation — is a promising basis for reform in multilateral settings such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). In short, we believe that the CFIA offers an innovative and attractive option for states looking to supplement or revise traditional BITs, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Blockchain and Smart-Contract: A Pioneering Approach of Inter-Firms Relationships? The Case of Franchise Networks

This paper is interested in the analysis of Blockchains and Smart-contracts applied to inter-firms relationships, in particular the franchise networks. After defining the Blockchain technology and the Smart-contract as a particular type of contract stored in blockchains, we question the theory of contracts and its conception(s) of transactions, information asymmetries, firm or inter-firm relations. To better understand the challenges of blockchain for franchise networks and identify opportunities for implementation in these networks, we present some relevant applications of this technology. We identify different ways where blockchain technology could improve the network management and therefore their performance: the supply-chain, the brand-name protection, security and transparency in the payment of fees and royalties, access to reliable information via an oracle.

Balanced Scorecard in Universities

Abstract Objective: Performance measurement and reporting leading to greater transparency and accountability of universities have become a challenging issue. Increasingly, universities have been required to provide performance indicators—empirical evidence of their value creation — to the different group of stakeholders. One of the approaches that may be applied by universities is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The objective of this paper is to indicate the BSC as a useful tool for the evaluation of the universities’ performance. Methodology: This study is based on the following research methods: descriptive, deductive, and the literature review. It refers also to case studies that are quoted in the context of their practical BSC application experience and it presents the pioneer approach of California University in BSC adoption. The rationale of this paper follows the principal-agent theory that is a foundation of the accountability concept. It refers also to the new managerialism, new public management, and entrepreneurial university. Findings: Based on the literature review concerning the analysis of the examples of universities implementing BSC, this paper argues that BSC provides a framework for the performance measurement that allows for the increased transparency and accountability of these institutions. Value added: The pioneer BSC framework presented in this paper can be used as the basis for the development of general performance measurement in universities. Recommendations: It is recommended that the universities that want to boost their transparency and be accountable for their outcomes apply and develop the BSC framework to which we refer to in this paper.

Delimiting the knowledge space and the design space of nanostructured lipid carriers through Artificial Intelligence tools

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) are biocompatible and biodegradable nanoscale systems with extensive application for controlled drug release. However, the development of optimal nanosystems along with a reproducible manufacturing process is still challenging. In this study, a two-step experimental design was performed and databases were successfully modelled using Artificial Intelligence techniques as an innovative method to get optimal, reproducible and stable NLC. The initial approach, including a wide range of values for the different variables, was followed by a second set of experiments with variable values in a narrower range, more suited to the characteristics of the system. NLC loaded with rifabutin, a hydrophobic drug model, were produced by hot homogenization and fully characterized in terms of particle size, size distribution, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and drug loading. The use of Artificial Intelligence tools has allowed to elucidate the key parameters that modulate each formulation property. Stable nanoparticles with low sizes and polydispersions, negative zeta potentials and high drug loadings were obtained when the proportion of lipid components, drug, surfactants and stirring speed were optimized by FormRules® and INForm®. The successful application of Artificial Intelligence tools on NLC formulation optimization constitutes a pioneer approach in the field of lipid nanoparticles.

Breaking the BIT Mold: Brazil's Pioneering Approach to Investment Agreements

Brazil only recently joined the collection of states that have adopted international investment agreements (IIAs), but in doing so it developed a noteworthy approach in the form of the Cooperation and Facilitation Investment Agreement (CFIA). In this essay, we explore the characteristics and merits of this particular treaty model, making three points: First, the CFIA exhibits unique features that set it apart from traditional bilateral investment treaties (BITs), including the state-to-state management of investment relations and an emphasis on investment facilitation rather than investment protection. Second, the CFIA displays a degree of “interoperability” that has made it possible for Brazilian partners to sign these agreements while simultaneously holding BIT portfolios, despite significant differences between the two approaches. Finally, one of the CFIA's key features—that of investment facilitation—is a promising basis for reform in multilateral settings such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). In short, we believe that the CFIA offers an innovative and attractive option for states looking to supplement or revise traditional BITs, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Metabarcoding: A powerful tool to investigate microbial communities and shape future plant protection strategies

Microorganisms are the main drivers shaping the functioning and equilibrium of all ecosystems, contributing to nutrient cycling, primary production, litter decomposition, and multi-trophic interactions. Knowledge about the microbial assemblies in specific ecological niches is integral to understanding the assemblages interact and function the function, and becomes essential when the microbiota intersects with human activities, such as protecting crops against pests and diseases. Metabarcoding has proven to be a valuable tool and has been widely used for characterizing the microbial diversity of different environments and has been utilized in many research endeavors. Here we summarize the current status of metabarcoding technologies, the advantages and challenges in utilizing this technique, and how this pioneer approach is being applied to studying plant diseases and pests, with a focus on plant protection and biological control. Current and future developments in this technology will foster a more comprehensive understanding of microbial ecology, and the development of new, innovative pest control strategies.

The Outpatient Clinic for Adolescent Risk-taking and Self-harm behaviors (AtR!Sk) - A Pioneering Approach of Outpatient Early Detection and Intervention of Borderline Personality Disorder

The Outpatient Clinic for Adolescent Risk-taking and Self-harm behaviors (AtR!Sk) - A Pioneering Approach of Outpatient Early Detection and Intervention of Borderline Personality Disorder Self-harm and risk-taking behaviors are frequently occurring problems in adolescents' everyday life and commonly challenge the present child and adolescent health-care system. Those behaviors are typical features of borderline-personality disorder (BPD), a severe mental disorder that is associated with immense psychological strain, increased risk of mortality and poor psychosocial functioning. Despite controversy in the past, recent evidence shows that BPD is a valid and reliable diagnosis in adolescence. Consequently, specified and effective intervention programs for this age group are necessary. Instead, present health-care services for children and adolescents in Germany are usually characterized by long waiting periods for specialized outpatient treatments and unnecessary expanses of unnecessary long inpatient stays. Alternatively, and in order to prevent serious long-term consequences, new concepts - integrated in an ambulatory setting and close to patients' daily routines - should focus on early detection and treatment of adolescents at-risk presenting with borderline personality features. The specialist outpatient clinic AtR!Sk at the University Hospital Heidelberg ensures a low-threshold initial contact service, comprehensive and accurate diagnosis of BPD features, and rapidly "tailored" therapy for young people presenting with any types of risk-taking and self-harm behavior. AtR!Sk - as a pioneering approach in south Germany - provides evidence-based early detection and intervention for adolescent BPD.

Discovering suspicious behavior in multilayer social networks

Discovering suspicious and illicit behavior in social networks is a significant problem in social network analysis. The patterns of interactions of suspicious users are quite different from their peers and can be identified by using anomaly detection techniques. The existing anomaly detection techniques on social networks focus on networks with only one type of interaction among the users. However, human interactions are inherently multiplex in nature with multiple types of relationships existing among the users, leading to the formation of multilayer social networks. In this paper, we investigate the problem of anomaly detection on multilayer social networks by combining the rich information available in multiple network layers. We propose a pioneer approach namely ADOMS (Anomaly Detection On Multilayer Social networks), an unsupervised, parameter-free, and network feature-based methodology, that automatically detects anomalous users in a multilayer social network and rank them according to their anomalousness. We consider the two well-known anomalous patterns of clique/near-clique and star/near-star anomalies in social networks, and users are ranked according to the degree of similarity of their neighborhoods in different layers to stars or cliques. Experimental results on several real-world multilayer network datasets demonstrate that our approach can effectively detect anomalous nodes in multilayer social networks.

Termites as Structural Pest: Status in Indian Scenario

In this status paper, impact of termites as serious structural insect-pests is highlighted with relevant information in Indian context. Worldwide, more than $40 billion was estimated towards the termite damage. Study revealed at least thirteen species of termites belonging to three families are closely associated with structural damage in India. Heterotermes indicola (Rhinotermitidae: Isoptera) was discussed as the key termite species causing structural damage with substantial impact (even with astounding cases of abandoning houses by victimized villagers). Swarming, the most important sign of termite infestation in and around buildings/structures is discussed. A nation-wide scenario of termite damage in various buildings, public places, dams and dykes, agri-horticultural constructions and timber-in-service are presented. Sustainable termite control in the light of present and upcoming eco-technologies is identified as the major focal point. Use of termiticides as recognized and recommended by Indian Standards, Insecticide Act (1968) and United Nation Environment Program for management of termites in pre- and post-construction stages of various buildings and other structures are recorded with relevance of application and dose. Termite management technologies like use of borate, bait and barrier (3B) are briefed; with pest-control industry-invented devices such as termatrac are brought into focus along with indigenous traditional knowledge of termite control. Status of termite R&D in India is discussed in various institutional and web-based levels along with recognizing research gaps. The present study is a pioneer approach in its kind which can be a platform to formulate compact eco-friendly, environmentally sustainable and economic module of termite control interventions indoor.

Un encuentro morfofonológico insólito

In this article we will examine a somewhat strange and still unexplored area of Spanish morphophonology. It is a well-known fact that the use of evaluative (and particularly the diminutive) suffixes enjoys a great vitality in today’s Spanish. Their vitality is reflected by the regular and productive character of the application of the process. It has also been demonstrated that the choice between the allomorphs of the diminutive suffixes is governed by welldefined phonological principles. But what happens when native speakers must leave behind their linguistic routine and have to add a diminutive suffix to words that they rarely would summit to this mechanism (namely, international brand names)? The article displays a pioneer approach to the question with particular focus on analogy and concludes that while the suffixation of the brand names that end in a phonotactically natural segment is somewhat less consistent than the suffixation of Spanish words with the same ending, those of exotic ending do show certain degree of coherence with the rest of the system.

Scientific Study of Magic: Binet's Pioneering Approach Based on Observations and Chronophotography.

In 1894, French psychologist Alfred Binet (1857-1911) published an article titled "The Psychol- ogy of Prestidigitation" that reported the results of a study conducted in collaboration with two of the best magicians of that period. By using a new method and new observation techniques, Binet was able to reveal some of the psychological mechanisms involved in magic tricks. Our article begins by presenting Binet's method and the principal professional magicians who par- ticipated in his studies. Next, we present the main psychological tools of magicians described by Binet and look at some recent studies dealing with those mechanisms. Finally, we take a look at the innovative technique used by Binet for his study on magic: the chronophotograph.

Qualifications of managers vs. effectiveness of investment funds in Poland

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionThe person of a fund manager is closely connected with the efficiency of portfolio management. The complexity of the investment decision making process in the given environments requires highly skilled manager, such as since prices of companies securities are affected by a wide range of factors (Kulisauskas & Galiniene, 2015), such as performance of business companies (Lauzikas & Krasauskas, 2013); performance of industry sector, to which a company is attributed (Schroder et al., 2015) mode of economic growth (Demir et al., 2014), volatility of stock indexes (Peker et al., 2014) etc.Therefore the elements forming a broad portfolio of manager's qualifications include: education, experience, position, selection, market timing and intuition (Zamojska, 2012; Prakapaviciute &Korsakiene, 2016). He decides about the level and returns of the fund, determines the size, and also realizes style and investment strategy, which is to correspond to customers' preferences and objectives of the fund. The way in which he manages the fund and returns which thus achieves determine the allocative decisions of investors that are expressed in the inflow or outflow of capital funds. It can be said that the effectiveness of investment funds is the result of the behavior of market participants standing on the side of supply and demand, which affect the shape of the characteristics of the funds (Perez, 2012).Therefore, an essential prerequisite for writing this publication was to know the qualifications of Polish managers of investment funds. The assessments were based on quotations of these funds over the period 2000-2015.1. A review of researchWhen making a literature review of the work on investment funds by domestic authors it is worth mentioning the publications by K. Perez (Perez, 2012). She carries out a broad review of issues related to investment funds, both in developed markets and in Poland. Also Z. Wilmowska and M. Madeira (Wilmowska & Madeira, 2001) focus their attention on the Polish market of investment funds. A large contribution to the development of knowledge about investment funds have T. Miziolek, who in the years 1998-2008 issued a number of interesting articles in the journal of Our Capital Market which was dedicated to the development of that market segment. In turn, A Zamojska (Zamojska, 2012) refers to the measure of effectiveness of these funds. The works by D. Witkowska (Wiktowska, 2009) and K. Kompa (Kompa & Witkowska, 2010) are devoted to the same subject. Both Kompa and Witkowska tend mainly to research on the effectiveness of the investment funds market. However, it seems that one of the forerunners of information on the investment fund market in Poland is Tarczynski (Tarczynski, 1997). In the compact publication devoted to capital markets he presents a quantitative approach to the study, among others, investment funds which in those times was quite a pioneer approach when it comes to Polish investment fund market.When analyzing the global market, the forerunners in this area were I. Friend, F. E. Brown, E. S. Herman and D. Vickers (Friend et al., 1964) who described the study results of one hundred and fifty open-end investment funds existing in the US market in the years 1953-1959. Until now classic works devoted to the performance of investment funds include the articles by J.L. Treynor (Treynor, 1965), W. F. Sharp (Sharp, 1966) and M. Jensen (Jensen, 1968), which were of great importance because of the way the construction of measures for evaluating the performance of investment funds. A large contribution to the development of research on investment funds had the work by I. Friend, M. Blume and J. Crockett (Friend et al., 1970), T. Kim (Kim, 1978), E. C. Chang and W. G. Lewellen (Chang & Lewellen, 1984), R. D. Henriksson (Henriksson, 1984) and J. D. Jackson and S. E. Skomp (Jackson & Skomp, 1985). …

Nano chitosan-NPK fertilizer enhances the growth and productivity of wheat plants grown in sandy soil

Nanofertilizers have become a pioneer approach in agriculture research nowadays. In this paper we investigate the delivery of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) for wheat plants by foliar uptake. Chiotsan-NPK nanoparticles were easily applied to leaf surfaces and entered the stomata via gas uptake, avoiding direct interaction with soil systems. The uptake and translocation of nanoparticles inside wheat plants was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that nano particles were taken up and transported through phloem tissues. Treatment of wheat plants grown on sandy soil with nano chitosan-NPK fertilizer induced significant increases in harvest index, crop index and mobilization index of the determined wheat yield variables, as compared with control yield variables of wheat plants treated with normal non-fertilized and normal fertilized NPK. The life cycle of the nano-fertilized wheat plants was shorter than normal-fertilized wheat plants with the ratio of 23.5% (130 days compared with 170 days for yield production from date of sowing). Thus, accelerating plant growth and productivity by application of nanofertilizers can open new perspectives in agricultural practice. However, the response of plants to nanofertilizers varies with the type of plant species, their growth stages and nature of nanomaterials.

An integrated data envelopment analysis–artificial neural network approach for benchmarking of bank branches

Efficiency and quality of services are crucial to today’s banking industries. The competition in this section has become increasingly intense, as a result of fast improvements in Technology. Therefore, performance analysis of the banking sectors attracts more attention these days. Even though data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a pioneer approach in the literature as of an efficiency measurement tool and finding benchmarks, it is on the other hand unable to demonstrate the possible future benchmarks. The drawback to it could be that the benchmarks it provides us with, may still be less efficient compared to the more advanced future benchmarks. To cover for this weakness, artificial neural network is integrated with DEA in this paper to calculate the relative efficiency and more reliable benchmarks of one of the Iranian commercial bank branches. Therefore, each branch could have a strategy to improve the efficiency and eliminate the cause of inefficiencies based on a 5-year time forecast.

The Scientific Programming Integrated Degree Program – A Pioneering Approach to Join Theory and Practice

While already established in other disciplines, integrated degree programs have become more popular in computer science and mathematical education in Germany as well over the last few years. These programs combine a theoretical education and a vocational training. The bachelor degree course “Scientific Programming”, offered at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, is such an integrated degree program. It consists of 50% mathematics and 50% computer science. It incorporates the MATSE (MAthematical and Technical Software dEveloper) vocational training in cooperation with research facilities and IT companies located in and nearby Aachen, Jülich and Cologne.This paper presents the general concept behind integrated degree programs in Germany and the Scientific Programming educational program in particular. A key distinguishing feature of this concept is the continuous combination of theoretical education at university level with practical work experience at a company. In this fashion, students end up being very well positioned for the labor market, and companies educate knowledgeable staff familiar with their products and processes. Additionally students are able to earn two degrees in three years, which is a rare approach for computer science programs in Germany. Therefore, Scientific Programming offers an important contribution towards reducing the shortage in advanced software development and engineering on the German labor market.

Reliability Estimation Measure: Generic Discounting Approach

In the belief function theory, several measures of uncertainty have been introduced. One of their possible use is unreliable source discounting before the fusion stage. Two different measures of uncertainty exist which are the intrinsic and extrinsic ones. The intrinsic measure makes it possible to assess the source's confusion whereas the extrinsic one measures the contradiction between sources. In this paper, we associate both measures in order to estimate the global reliability of a source. This method, named Generic Discounting Approach (GDA), is proposed in two different versions: Weighted GDA and Exponent GDA. Those reliability measures are integrated into a classifier. The method was tested, against to some pioneer approaches, on several UCI datasets as well as on an urban image classification problem and showed very encouraging results.

AuFeAg hybrid nanoparticles as an efficient recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of α,β- and β,β-dichloroenones

A facile and green pioneer approach for the synthesis of stable trimetallic AuFeAg hybrid nanoparticles is described. This synthetic method is green-chemistry compatible and totally free of additives. The particle shape and size, surface chemistry, crystallinity, elemental composition, thermal and magnetic properties were investigated. The catalytic performance of the synthesized nanoparticles is also described. The hybrid nanocatalyst exhibited strong catalytic activity for the synthesis of α,β- and β,β-dichloroenones, which are important synthetic intermediates in the preparation of natural products. The reason behind the catalytic performance of nano sized hybrid particles was attributed to their high specific surface area. In addition, the nanocatalyst was easy to separate from the reaction mixture using an external magnet and could be reused for five consecutive reactions without any significant loss of activity. Using the present method, the trimetallic hybrid combination can be designed for similar types of catalytic reactions.

Cytochrome P450-dependent metabolism of caffeine in Drosophila melanogaster.

Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine), an alkaloid produced by plants, has antioxidant and insecticide properties that can affect metabolism and cognition. In vertebrates, the metabolites derived from caffeine have been identified, and their functions have been characterized. However, the metabolites of caffeine in insects remain unknown. Thus, using radiolabelled caffeine, we have identified some of the primary caffeine metabolites produced in the body of Drosophila melanogaster males, including theobromine, paraxanthine and theophylline. In contrast to mammals, theobromine was the predominant metabolite (paraxanthine in humans; theophylline in monkeys; 1, 3, 7-trimethyluric acid in rodents). A transcriptomic screen of Drosophila flies exposed to caffeine revealed the coordinated variation of a large set of genes that encode xenobiotic-metabolizing proteins, including several cytochromes P450s (CYPs) that were highly overexpressed. Flies treated with metyrapone—an inhibitor of CYP enzymes—showed dramatically decreased caffeine metabolism, indicating that CYPs are involved in this process. Using interference RNA genetic silencing, we measured the metabolic and transcriptomic effect of three candidate CYPs. Silencing of CYP6d5 completely abolished theobromine synthesis, whereas CYP6a8 and CYP12d1 silencing induced different consequences on metabolism and gene expression. Therefore, we characterized several metabolic products and some enzymes potentially involved in the degradation of caffeine. In conclusion, this pioneer approach to caffeine metabolism in insects opens novel perspectives for the investigation of the physiological effects of caffeine metabolites. It also indicates that caffeine could be used as a biomarker to evaluate CYP phenotypes in Drosophila and other insects.