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Summary Cyclical industrial networks are becoming highly desirable for their efficient use of resources and capital. Progress toward this ideal can be enhanced by mimicking the structure of naturally sustainable ecological food webs (FWs). The structures of cyclic industrial networks, sometimes known as eco-industrial parks (EIPs), are compared to FWs using a variety of important structural ecological parameters. This comparison uses a comprehensive data set of 144 FWs that provides a more ecologically correct understanding of how FWs are organized than previous efforts. In conjunction, an expanded data set of 48 EIPs gives new insights into similarities and differences between the two network types. The new information shows that, at best, current EIPs are most similar to those FWs that lack the components that create a biologically desirable cyclical structure. We propose that FWs collected from 1993 onward should be used in comparisons with EIPs, given that these networks are much more likely to include important network functions that directly affect the structure. We also propose that the metrics used in an ecological analysis of EIPs be calculated from an FW matrix, as opposed to a community matrix, which, to this point, has been widely used. These new insights into the design of ecologically inspired industrial networks clarify the path toward superior material and energy cycling for environmental and financial success.

For the past ten years, the number of dengue cases has gradually increased in India. Dengue is driven by complex interactions among host, vector and virus that are influenced by climatic factors. In the present study, we focused on the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) and its variability in different climatic zones of India. The EIP was calculated by using daily and monthly mean temperatures for the states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kerala. Among the studied states, a faster/low EIP in Kerala (8-15 days at 30.8 and 23.4 °C) and a generally slower/high EIP in Punjab (5.6-96.5 days at 35 and 0 °C) were simulated with daily temperatures. EIPs were calculated for different seasons, and Kerala showed the lowest EIP during the monsoon period. In addition, a significant association between dengue cases and precipitation was also observed. The results suggest that temperature is important in virus development in different climatic regions and may be useful in understanding spatio-temporal variations in dengue risk. Climate-based disease forecasting models in India should be refined and tailored for different climatic zones, instead of use of a standard model. Emerging Microbes & Infections (2017) 6, e70 doi:10.1038/emi.2017.57; published online 9 August 2017

This study aims to investigate the potential mutual interdependence between an environment that fosters and encourages innovation and the economic performance of agricultural businesses operating in the sector. Specifically, it seeks to determine whether the economic performance of farms in regions with established Operational Groups (OG) is better than that of farms located in regions where OGs have not yet been implemented, using the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). We combine data on OG’s collected from the Innovarurale website, with financial information from the ORBIS database for the period 2013-2022, to assess farm performance. Our estimation strategy employs three staggered difference-in-differences (DID) models and an event-study to validate the parallel trends assumption. The results show a positive association between the presence of OGs in a region and an improved economic performance. Our findings suggest that the diffusion of innovation tends to be related to the characteristics of the local economic environment, which should be a critical factor in future policy discussions.

The time it takes for malaria parasites to develop within a mosquito, and become transmissible, is known as the extrinsic incubation period, or EIP. EIP is a key parameter influencing transmission intensity as it combines with mosquito mortality rate and competence to determine the number of mosquitoes that ultimately become infectious. In spite of its epidemiological significance, data on EIP are scant. Current approaches to estimate EIP are largely based on temperature-dependent models developed from data collected on parasite development within a single mosquito species in the 1930s. These models assume that the only factor affecting EIP is mean environmental temperature. Here, we review evidence to suggest that in addition to mean temperature, EIP is likely influenced by genetic diversity of the vector, diversity of the parasite, and variation in a range of biotic and abiotic factors that affect mosquito condition. We further demonstrate that the classic approach of measuring EIP as the time at which mosquitoes first become infectious likely misrepresents EIP for a mosquito population. We argue for a better understanding of EIP to improve models of transmission, refine predictions of the possible impacts of climate change, and determine the potential evolutionary responses of malaria parasites to current and future mosquito control tools.

The objective of this study is to investigate the mediating role of (Knowledge sharing behavior, work engagement) and moderating role of creative self-efficacy in the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and employee’s innovative performance in the information technology sector of China. Data for this study was collected randomly in three phases with the time-lagged method. Voluntary participation of 452 employees (313 subordinates and 139 immediate supervisors) from the information technology sector. The findings of this study confirm that knowledge-sharing behavior and work engagement mediate the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and employees’ innovative performance. Moreover, the current study’s findings also prove the moderating effect of creative self-efficacy between the relationship of knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge-sharing behavior and work engagement. Additionally, moderated mediation results confirm that a higher level of creative self-efficacy increases the employees’ innovative performance level through the indirect effect of knowledge-oriented leadership via knowledge-sharing behavior and work engagement. The findings of the present study are helpful for the management to enhance the innovative performance of employees through knowledge-oriented leadership especially in the information technology sector. Further, Knowledge-sharing behavior and work engagement helps innovative work behavior. Moreover, creative self-efficacy is a beneficial tool for employees to achieve the organizational goals.

Summary In pursuit of more sustainable development of industry, China has been actively developing eco-industrial parks (EIPs) for more than a decade. However, the environmental value of these EIPs remains largely unverified. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental performance of national EIPs in China using data envelopment analysis. Eco-efficiency and environmental performance indices were used to represent the static and dynamic environmental performance of EIPs, respectively. An environmental performance index was formed by combining measures of eco-efficiency in a dynamic setting with the sequential Malmquist index approach. We obtained three main empirical findings. First, 34 national EIPs exhibited a cumulative environmental performance improvement of 89.4% from 2007 to 2010, which is primarily the result of eco-efficiency change rather than environmental technical change. Second, compared with the trial EIPs, the demonstration EIPs had a higher average eco-efficiency (0.611 vs. 0.446 in 2010) and experienced greater average environmental performance improvement (129% vs. 60%). Third, the EIPs retrofitted from high-tech industrial development zones exhibited much higher average eco-efficiency (0.798 vs. 0.440 in 2010) than those retrofitted from economic and technical development zones. The key measures supporting the performance improvement and policy implications for the development of EIPs are also discussed.

Mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission has almost exclusively been detected in the tropics despite the distributions of its primary vectors extending farther into temperate regions. Therefore, it is unknown whether ZIKV's range has reached a temperature-dependent limit, or if it can spread into temperate climates. Using field-collected mosquitoes for biological relevance, we found that two common temperate mosquito species, Aedes albopictus and Ochlerotatus detritus , were competent for ZIKV. We orally exposed mosquitoes to ZIKV and held them at between 17 and 31°C, estimated the time required for mosquitoes to become infectious, and applied these data to a ZIKV spatial risk model. We identified a minimum temperature threshold for the transmission of ZIKV by mosquitoes between 17 and 19°C. Using these data, we generated standardized basic reproduction number R 0 -based risk maps and we derived estimates for the length of the transmission season for recent and future climate conditions. Our standardized R 0 -based risk maps show potential risk of ZIKV transmission beyond the current observed range in southern USA, southern China and southern European countries. Transmission risk is simulated to increase over southern and Eastern Europe, northern USA and temperate regions of Asia (northern China, southern Japan) in future climate scenarios.

With the goal of furthering the understanding and investigation of emotional intelligence (EI), the present paper aims to address some of the characteristics that make EI a useful skill and, ultimately, a predictor of important life outcomes. Recently, the construct of hypersensitivity has been presented as one such necessary function, suggesting that high-EI individuals are more sensitive to emotions and emotional information than low-EI individuals. In this contribution, we aim to shift the perception of hypersensitivity, which is mostly seen with a negative connotation in the literature, to the perspective that hypersensitivity has the capacity to result in both negative and positive outcomes. We advance this possibility by discussing the characteristics that distinguish hypersensitive individuals who are also emotionally intelligent from those who are not. Based on an emotion information processing approach, we posit that emotional intelligence stems from the ability to manage one’s level of hypersensitivity: high-EI individuals are those who are better able to use hypersensitivity as an adaptive rather than a disabling feature. Ultimately, we propose that hypersensitivity can represent a sort of “superpower” that, when paired with regulatory processes that balance this hypersensitivity, characterizes the functioning of high-EI individuals and accounts for the positive outcomes reported in the literature.

Climate change, urbanization and water pollution cause adverse effects and rehabilitation costs that may exceed the carrying capacity of cities. Currently, there is no internationally standardized indicator framework for urban Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The City Blueprint® is a first attempt and aims to enhance the transition towards water-wise cities by city-to-city learning. This paper provides a three step revision of the City Blueprint Framework (CBF) based on data of 45 municipalities and regions in 27 countries: (1) A distinction has been made between trends and pressures (on which urban IWRM has a negligible influence) and IWRM performances . Therefore, a separate trends and pressures framework has been developed; (2) Only the purely performance-oriented indicators have been selected from the CBF. Furthermore, the indicator accuracy and boundaries have been re-assessed, and new indicators have been added; (3) By analyzing correlations and variances, the performance-oriented indicators have been rearranged in order to establish a proportional contribution of all indicators and categories to the overall score, i.e., the Blue City Index®. In conclusion, six indicators have been removed because of insufficient accuracy, overlap or lack of focus on IWRM. Seven indicators have been added, i.e., secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment, operation cost recovery, green space and three indicators concerning solid waste treatment. The geometric aggregation method has been selected because it emphasizes the need to improve the lowest scoring indicators. In conclusion, the improved CBF is more performance-oriented and therefore more suitable to assist cities in their transition towards water-wise cities.

This study reports a new hybrid integrated technique to predict the absorptivity of absorber and the interface temperature of the joint in laser transmission welding. The new approach is more robust as the numerical model is confirmed through experimental observations initially with weld width and further with surface temperature. Experiments are performed on polycarbonate sheets with electrolytic iron powder (EIP) as an absorber. The surface temperature and weld width are measured from the experiments. A transient 3-D finite element-based numerical model is developed for heat transfer analysis. The variation of heat flux with stand-off distance is also considered to enhance the accuracy of the computed results. The absorptivity is tuned in the numerical model by inverse analysis so that the numerical weld width is in close conjunction with the experimental weld width. After inverse estimation, the numerical model is validated with the experimental results of surface temperature using infrared thermography. The results indicate that the upper surface temperatures at the center in the numerical model are found to be in good agreement with experimental observations, and the average error is obtained to be less than 6%. Then, the interface temperatures are estimated after the validation of the numerical model.