Synthetic Indicator Research Articles

Fast production of highly sensitive nanotextured nonwovens for detection of volatile amines, bacterial growth, and pH monitoring: New tools for real-time food quality monitoring

An efficient manufacturing of colorimetric nonwoven indicators represents a promising alternative to enable applications of such materials in food quality monitoring. The objective of this study is to use the solution blow spinning technique (SBS) to rapidly produce colorimetric nonwoven indicators based on polycaprolactone, incorporating natural or synthetic pH indicators to detect volatile amines, bacterial growth and monitor pH. Produced via the SBS method, these indicators were characterized aiming their physical, mechanical, thermal, and spectroscopic properties, evaluating their efficacy in detecting amines, monitoring bacterial growth, and pH, as well as assessing color stability during storage. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of the nonwovens practically always increased with the incorporation of natural and synthetic indicators. When exposed to volatile amines, the nonwoven indicators, particularly those embedded with bromophenol blue, displayed remarkable color change abilities in the presence of five volatile amines. These smart nonwovens in direct contact with E. coli K-12 or its volatiles in 24 h changed their color perceptible to the naked eye. The nanofiber nonwovens displayed visible color changes (ΔE ≥ 3) in response to buffer solutions (pH between 3 and 10). The smart nonwovens rapidly produced by the solution blow spinning method prove to be a promising tool for real-time monitoring of food freshness.

Investigating water sustainability towards indicators: An empirical illustration using country-level data

This paper contributes to the academic debate on the construction of synthetic indices with respect to water-based sustainability analysis. In this regard, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.4 specifically considers the progress on water-use efficiency within the target of ensuring access to water and sanitation (SDG 6). Our contribution investigates the levels of water sustainability reached by countries around the world considering a suitable measure of the goal obtained by aggregating variables available at the national level, i.e. water efficiency (SDG 6.4.1) and stress (SDG 6.4.2).The construction of a composite index for SDG 6.4 is discussed through the usual steps of normalization, aggregation, and weighting, also highlighting the pros, cons and issues encountered in each step. Fundamental issues faced in the construction of synthetic indices are also discussed: different methods for performing the above steps are compared, and uncertainty analysis is carried out to understand which methods could be reasonably suitable to measure the synthetic indicator of the entire target. As a further theoretical contribution, we illustrate some arguments in favor of the application of categorical scales for normalization, even if the results of some countries seem to be particularly sensitive to the choice of weights in the aggregation phase.Results, obtained after examining univariate and multivariate descriptive statistics, show that the best performances can be observed in small and medium European countries and sub-Saharan African nations (such as Congo, Gabon, and Angola), while the lowest levels appear to be located in Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.A natural implication of this research is its contribution to valorizing the social capital of a regional area, stimulating new approaches to environmental issues, informing public debate, and influencing policy-making.

The pathways of unaccompanied foreign minors evaluated by the social workers: a case study in Italy

AbstractSocial workers, who are responsible for unaccompanied minors (UAM), have in-depth knowledge of those minors’ backgrounds and the reception pathways they follow. The social workers support key aspects of UAM integration such as learning the host country’s language, school integration and vocational training. Via 566 interviews collected through a survey carried out in collaboration with the Municipality of Milan, we asked social workers to provide an overall evaluation of the progress of each reception path, to test a synthetic indicator capable of effectively measuring UAM progress. We confirmed the reliability of this indicator, as the results correlated with outcomes used in the literature to assess UAM pathways, such as learning the host country's language, uninterrupted schooling and training, and deviant behaviour related to crime and drug abuse. We used ordinal logistic regression to identify the UAM characteristics associated with the overall operator’s evaluation. Our analysis showed that the duration of stay in Italy before and after the start of the reception process had an impact on the social workers’ evaluations, as did certain pre-arrival characteristics such as country of origin, years of study in the home country and underlying motivations for migrating. Finally, the psychological vulnerability of a significant number of UAM, often linked to traumatic experiences leading to migration or experienced during the journey, significantly penalises the success of reception pathways.

Efficient Estimation of Synthetic Indicators for the Assessment of Nonlinear Systems Quality

The availability of synthetic indicators of the degree and type of nonlinearity in systems is used in various fields to assess system quality or to highlight possible malfunctions. Different distortion or damage indexes are synthetic measures designed (and standardized) to evaluate the frequency trend of specific aspects resulting from the nonlinear behavior of the system under consideration. The different measures of deviation from linear behavior quantitatively consider the system and its nonlinearity characteristics; they were defined according to practically feasible measurement methodologies and the various aspects of the system’s nonlinearity that needed to be highlighted. In parallel, techniques for representing and modeling nonlinear systems have been defined, capable of describing the system in a more general way, attempting to capture its input–output characteristics by varying the level of stress to which the system is subjected. Numerous modeling techniques have been proposed, aimed at representing the nonlinear behavior of physical devices. In this paper, after an extensive description of the Hammerstein model identification technique based on swept sinusoidal signals, we show how the nonlinear model of the system can be used to obtain accurate estimates of the parameter aimed at describing the nonlinearity characteristics of the system. This extensive description makes it possible to point out that the same Hammerstein model can be obtained not only from a single type of excitation, but it is shown that the identification technique can be extended to input signals of different types. The description of the method also makes clear the motivation behind the introduction of the proposed original technique for estimating, from a single measurement, the model parameters of the nonlinear system—and from these the synthetic estimators—relative to multiple values of the input signal amplitude, thus enabling a considerable increase in the estimation efficiency of these parameters. The proposed technique is verified with both synthetic and laboratory experiments, demonstrating the effectiveness of the method in evaluating nonlinear system parameters, distortion estimates, and parameters defined for an early detection of defects of the structure.

Superhydrophobic Paper Strips with Embedded Agarose-Anthocyanin Mini-Discs for Point-of-Need Quantitative pH Measurements.

Commercial pH paper is a quick and simple tool for measuring a solution's acidity/basicity, but it only provides qualitative or semi-quantitative results, and the synthetic indicator dyes within can be toxic or carcinogenic. Although pH meters enable more accurate and quantitative analysis, they are less convenient to operate and are tedious to calibrate. This presents a need for an alternative pH testing method for applications where it is not easy or possible to use a pH meter, yet quantitative results are desired. We report herein the fabrication of a pH test strip made from superhydrophobic paper and agarose-anthocyanin film discs. In the proposed method, test strips are dipped into samples and then imaged with a portable scanner (or a smartphone). The color of the film is extracted with ImageJ software (or a mobile app), using the RGB color system. By generating a calibration curve relating the film color to the sample pH using standard buffer solutions, we are able to quantify the pH of beverages and other liquids with an accuracy and precision comparable to that of a pH meter. The test strips offer the same convenience as conventional pH paper, with the added capabilities of quantitation and multiplexed testing, which presents a practical tool for point-of-need pH analysis.

Green Economy from a Regional Perspective – a Polish Case Study

The article presents the elaboration and specification of the green economy concept, where resource scarcity, global climate change and environmental degradation are paving a new path towards sustainable development. The article addresses the issue of implementing the principles of green economy at the regional level. The implementation of a green economy at a regional level provides an excellent space for scientific deliberations. The aim of the research is to identify and assess the level of regional disparities in green economy development across Polish regions using a synthetic measure. The basis for the analysis was a set of substantively and statistically analyzed diagnostic variables from the years 2012-2022. The synthetic indicator of the green economy was calculated for every Polish region (NUTS 2) and the regions were ranked based on their score from highest to lowest. As a result of the analysis, the regional polarization and the ordering of regions in Poland in terms of the synthetic metric - green economy development - were discussed. Keywords: green economy, green growth, sustainable development, taxonomic methods.

Multidimensional Framework for Territorial Attractiveness: Crafting Synthetic Indicators for Small Towns in Morocco

This paper presents a comprehensive, multidimensional approach to evaluating the territorial attractiveness of small Moroccan towns, focusing on four critical dimensions: socio-demographic, economic, spatial dynamics, and quality of life. By leveraging synthetic indicators, the study offers an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses across various regions, culminating in a ranking derived from a global synthetic index, calculated using the geometric mean of the four examined dimensions.The findings uncover significant regional disparities, with Casablanca-Settat and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra emerging as the leading regions, underscoring their roles as key economic and administrative centers. In contrast, regions such as Béni Mellal-Khénifra and Drâa-Tafilalet demonstrate weaker performances, indicating the need for targeted interventions to enhance their overall attractiveness.A key contribution of this work is the introduction, for the first time in Morocco, of a methodological reference framework for measuring the territorial attractiveness of small towns. This innovative approach allows for a nuanced, multidimensional evaluation, offering policymakers a robust foundation to inform and refine their development strategies.Furthermore, the article underscores the importance of adopting tailored territorial development strategies that address local characteristics, aiming to reduce intra-regional disparities and unlock the potential of smaller towns. In conclusion, this study provides a crucial decision-making tool, offering insights that can guide territorial planning and foster balanced, sustainable development across Morocco's small towns.

SYNTHETIC INDICATORS OF QUALITY OF LIFE: EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF UKRAINE'S ECONOMIC POLICY

This paper examines the effectiveness of Ukraine's economic policies through the lens of quality of life and argues for the adoption of a minimal set of evaluation criteria, ideally a single composite criterion, to optimise policy evaluation. Despite ongoing efforts to identify such criteria, the study introduces a novel approach by using synthetic indicators of quality of life as the basis for evaluation. This approach is particularly relevant in the context of Ukraine's post-war recovery and its aspirations towards European Union integration. These conditions require the adoption of economic policies that meet European standards of quality of life and facilitate the necessary reforms. Such policies are crucial for improving the living conditions of the Ukrainian population and facilitating the return of refugees after Ukraine's victory over Russia, the aggressor country. This study develops a methodology that uses synthetic indicators of quality of life as a system of criteria to assess the effectiveness of Ukraine's economic policy. The research involves a cross-country analysis of data from seven EU Member States and Ukraine, and the construction of regression models that link the determinants of state economic policy to several indicators: population quality, welfare, social quality, and a comprehensive synthetic indicator – quality of life. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis about the key parameters of the state economic policy as determinants of improving the quality of life of Ukrainian citizens. In addition, the analysis of the dynamics of synthetic indicators of the quality of life in Ukraine and their determinants makes it possible to identify priority areas of economic policy aimed at improving these indicators, which will contribute to the overall efficiency of Ukraine's economic policy.

From Radar Sensor to Floating Car Data: Evaluating Speed Distribution Heterogeneity on Rural Road Segments Using Non-Parametric Similarity Measures

Rural roads, often characterized by winding paths and nearby settlements, feature frequent curvature changes, junctions, and closely spaced private accesses that lead to significant speed variations. These variations are typically represented by average speed or v85 profiles. This paper examines complete speed distributions along rural two-lane roads using Floating Car Data (FCD). The Wasserstein distance, a non-parametric similarity measure, is employed to compare speed distributions recorded by a radar Control Unit (CU) and a selected FCD sample. Initially, FCD speeds were validated against CU speeds. Subsequently, differences in speed distributions between the CU location and specific sections identified by sharp curves, intersections, or accesses have been assessed. The Wasserstein Distance is proposed as the most effective synthetic indicator of speed distribution variability along roadways, attributed to its metric properties. This measure offers a more concise and immediate assessment compared to an extensive array of statistical metrics, such as mean, median, mode, variance, percentiles, v85, interquartile range, kurtosis, and symmetry, as well as qualitative assessments derived from box plot trends.

Reevaluating Economic Drivers of Household Food Waste: Insights, Tools, and Implications Based on European GDP Correlations

This article examines the relationship between household food waste and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in various European regions, aiming to determine how economic prosperity influences the levels of household food waste. Using comparative analysis of secondary and tertiary data, a synthetic indicator (IpFW) was developed to assess the interaction between GDP per capita and household food waste per capita. Linear correlation analysis was also applied for better interpretation of the data. Despite expectations, higher GDP is not consistently correlated with lower household food waste, challenging economic prosperity and environmental stewardship assumptions. This research highlights the complexity of the interaction between economic factors and household food waste management, revealing a lack of significant correlation even at the regional level. The findings indicate a need to re-evaluate current policies and highlight that improving food supply chains and influencing consumer behavior can promote more sustainable consumption patterns, which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Primary care performance measurement in Brazil (Previne Brasil Program), 2022–2023

BackgroundPrevine Brasil is a new way of financing Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil that places users of public health services at the center of the system’s analysis and attention through the use of seven performance indicators. This study aims to analyze the performance of Primary Health Care in Brazil under the new financing model (Previne Brasil) in the period from the first four months of 2022 to the first four months of 2023.MethodsThis is a territorial ecological study using secondary data from the Primary Care Health Information System (SISAB). Seven performance indicators were included and analyzed according to Brazil, its regions, states and capitals. A comparative descriptive analysis was carried out between the spatial units.ResultsOf the seven indicators analyzed, only one (Proportion of pregnant women tested for syphilis and HIV) reached the proposed target considering the average of the four-month periods evaluated (target: 60%; Observed: 62.5%). The Northeast was the region with the best performance, surpassing the target in three of the seven indicators (prenatal consultations, tests for syphilis and HIV in pregnant women and dental care for pregnant women). The states and capitals showed progressive improvement in the performance indicators over the four quarters analyzed, although unevenly between the indicators. The indicators related to hypertension and diabetes were the worst. The Final Synthetic Indicator (FSI) showed an increase in the median over the four quarters (4.78; 5.65; 6.02 6.29), which represents an increase of 1.51 in the indicator between the first four months of 2022 and the first four months of 2023.ConclusionAlthough there have been improvements in the performance of Primary Health Care in Brazil, the achievement of the agreed targets for the indicators seems a long way off. The socio-spatial inequalities in the indicators reflect the country’s health complexity and reinforce the need for policies that take into account the local-regional context.

Evaluation of the impact of mining royalties on socio-environmental indicators in Parauapebas, Pará, the Eastern Amazon

This research evaluated the impact of applying financial resources from mining exploitation (known as CFEM) on socio-environmental indicators in Parauapebas municipality, eastern Amazon. This study applies synthetic control methodology to establish a counterfactual for Parauapebas by weighting data from municipalities that did not experience the same impact due to the absence of mineral resources. We created synthetic indicators for before and after 1991, the initial year in which these royalties were received. Parauapebas municipality achieved a higher level of socio-environmental well-being with mining royalties than those without this activity. The rates (highest impact since 2000) for the population served with water were 3 %; sanitary sewage: 7 %; and waste collection: 3 %. Thus, resources allocation considers territory demands and expectations for the maintenance of municipality development. This research has important implications: it may guide the actions of various actors operating locally and support government development planning.

Population Aging and the Potential for Developing a Silver Economy in the Polish National Cittaslow Network

The objective of this study has been to diagnose the demographic situation of older people in municipalities that belong to the Polish National Cittaslow Network, and to assess their potential for developing a local silver economy. The study covered all 36 municipalities that compose the Polish National Cittaslow Network. The following research methods were employed: a critical review of the literature, analysis of secondary data, including strategic development planning documents, and quantitative methods, including a method of grouping objects on the basis of a synthetic variable. The study has demonstrated that nearly all Cittaslow municipalities experienced a decrease in population during the analyzed period, which coincided with a growing share of the non-working-age population. This attests to the ongoing process of population aging. A significant challenge that the analyzed municipalities faced was determined to be the growing demographic burden. Based on a synthetic indicator of the potential for silver economy development, the municipalities were divided into five classes: very high, high, medium, low, and very low potential. Interestingly, most of the municipalities are now distinguished as having medium, low, or very low potential for the development of the silver economy. The analysis presented in this article contributes to further research on factors and tools shaping a development policy that may influence the development of the silver economy in the Cittaslow municipalities of Poland and the world.

Study of preparation of Herbal indicator from selected flower parts for acid base titration: A Green Chemical Approach

Suffering from the rapid depletion of the natural resource, the current world scenario calls for the need of sustainable development so as to obtain ecofriendly environment. Flowers impart beauty to the nature, pleasure to the heart and attract insects for pollination by their diversified colour, fragrance, shape and size. The variation in colour of flowers is due to the presence of pigments present in the petals or bracts. One of these pigments is anthocyanin which is a natural plant pigment. These pigments impart different colours in acidic and basic medium. This change in colour forms the basis for using flower sap as indicator in acidimetry and alkalimetry. Synthetic indicators are good choice for acid base titration. But due to environmental pollution, less availability and high cost of synthetic indicator, the search for natural compounds as an acid base indicator started. Natural indicators are easy to prepare, are easily available and promising results are obtained when tested against standard synthetic indicators.

An Overview of the Use of Natural Indicators in Acid-Base Titrations

While titrimetric and gravimetric analysis were the most concerning analytical techniques, they are now the most commonly used techniques for identifying chemicals. The endpoint in the titrimetric analysis method is identified by colour changes from one medium to another caused by the addition of chemicals referred to as indicators. There are a lot of synthetic indicators on the market these days, which are expensive and pollute the environment. Human toxicity is produced by a number of synthetic markers. As demonstrated by their use in acid-base titrimetric analysis, floral extracts have a very promising analytical potential. Seven plant extracts were found to function well in strong acid-strong base titrations: violet cabbage, beetroot, red hibiscus flower (shoe flower), turmeric powder, red rose flower, henna leaves, and pink Mirabilis Jalapa flower (4 o'clock flower). For the violet cabbage, there was a noticeable and distinct colour shift from pale pink to violet; for the beetroot, it was dark brown to red; and for the red hibiscus flower extract, it was pale yellow to pink.

Rozwiązania instytucjonalne na rzecz rozwoju konkurencyjności sektora gazu ziemnego w UE

The study explores the subject of sectoral competitiveness on the example of gas sectors in different European countries. Literature review on sectoral competitiveness suggests that the concept has evolved considerably over time and that contemporary definitions of competitiveness span beyond traditional economic factors. Studies on gas sector in this context to date, however, have largely focused on export competitiveness of upstream activities. To address the research gap, a targeted approach is suggested to study and compare competitiveness of the entire national gas sectors, spanning beyond standard productivity measures. A dedicated synthetic indicator is designed to perform a comparative analysis of contemporary gas sectors, taking account of the gas price offered to the industry, institutional performance, infrastructure readiness and job creation potential. Then, the case study is presented and it examines four countries that have liberalized their gas sectors and are reliant on gas imports to a different degree. Results confirm that the application of a synthetic indicator factoring in different aspects of sectoral competitiveness is appropriate to arrive at a holistic view of gas sector’s relative performance. The significance of the institutional setup is also confirmed from the perspective of inducing investment, enhancing market liquidity, as well as creating sustainable jobs in the gas sector.

Use of a multidimensional comparative analysis to evaluate a synthetic indicator measuring environmental management in rural areas in Poland

The main objective of this study has been to measure and evaluate changes in the values of metrics applied to environmental management systems implemented in rural areas in the years 2010 and 2022. The study included three provinces in Poland representing different socio-economic development classes. Two strategic research groups were distinguished within the provinces: rural municipalities and rural areas in urban-rural municipalities. With the Perkal method, a synthetic indicator was constructed to measure environmental performance in rural areas. The Pearson correlation coefficient was applied, leading to the results which substantiated the conclusion that the highest improvement of the environmental management indicator value was achieved in the province at the highest socio-economic development level, even though the sub-indicators did not improve between 2010 and 2022 in all the analysed groups. The management of the environment is a task mostly delegated to local governments. Proposing an environmental monitoring method can support making decisions at the level of local governments as regards directions in the management of the environment in a given area because the synthetic indicator created in this study comprises only these elements that can be moulded by actions undertaken by local governments.

WELFARE ABUSE IN POLAND: A RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Welfare abuse is a complex and multidimensional problem. In this article, the subject of interest is the abuse committed by individuals of take-up welfare benefits. The theoretical part presents the author's concept of the term "welfare abuse"; with discussion of the essence and categories of this problem. Then, in the empirical part, we present the results of the survey study. On this basis, we evaluate the level of tolerance for particular abuses, and also calculate a synthetic indicator showing the general level of social acceptance for the abuse of welfare benefits in Poland.

Comparação dos modelos de trabalho na atenção primária em saúde por meio da análise de indicadores de desempenho

This study aims to compare two working models in health care developed in Primary Health Care (PHC), through the evaluation of the results of performance indicators postulated by the Previne Brasil Program to compare the performance of two PHC units in Ribeirão Preto-SP – Brazil, with similar enrolled populations: the first with a conventional work model (Family Health Strategy – ESF), called Unit A, and the second, with a “parametrized” composition (Primary Care Team – EAB), called Unit B. The data were obtained through the Hygia system, e-Gestor AB and statistical data from B.I. (Business Intelligence), between January and December 2021. Unit A achieved a Final Synthetic Indicator (ISF), represented by the average of the Weighted Scores of the Indicators of each unit, equivalent to the value of 6 for the year 2021, while the Unit B recorded an ISF of 3.4 over the same period, verifying that the Family Health Strategy (ESF) model demonstrated superior performance to the parameterized Primary Care Team (EAB), with a percentage discrepancy of 76.47%. According to the indicators of the Previne Brasil Program for the year 2021, the performance in managing the work process of the assistance model called conventional ESF was greater than that of the model called parameterized EAB, with a difference of more than 75%

Residential segregation in two cities in Peru’s southern macro-region

Studies on residential segregation in Peru have privileged the study of the capital city, to the detriment of cities with other scales and contexts. This article analyzes the residential segregation levels and patterns in two Peruvian cities in the southern macro-region: Arequipa and Tacna. Based on data provided by the 2007 and 2017 censuses, synthetic and spatial segregation indicators were analyzed in both cities, taking as reference the educational level of the head of household and calculating the data on the block, census area, and district scales. The results show that inherited segregation patterns are maintained, while at the same time, the growing middle-class sectors are included in the more consolidated working-class settlements. In addition, processes that reinforce segregation were identified, such as the modification of the role of central areas, urban land production for the upper-class areas, and homogeneity of disadvantages in new areas of urban expansion, which are linked, particularly in the city of Arequipa, to the occupation of risk areas. The study suggests that these processes shape a low-scale urban segregation or fragmentation pattern in both cities, which coexists with inherited patterns.