Bike-sharing service has become a popular sustainable means of transportation due to its direct impact on traffic congestion, energy consumption, the environment, and people's quality of life. Existing literature suggests that sustainable consumption can be promoted by engaging consumers with green products. This study examined drivers and the outcome of consumer engagement with bike-sharing services based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). A survey was conducted to collect the data from the users of the bike-sharing service in Kuala Lumpur. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data and find the relationship between variables. The empirical analyses showed that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the bike-sharing service positively impact all facets of consumer engagement with bike-sharing service, which subsequently influences the continuance usage intention of bike-sharing service. The findings of this study offer useful insights that could enhance the consumption of bike-sharing service. This study also offers some guidelines to transportation practitioners, policymakers, and urban planners regarding promoting healthy and sustainable travel behaviour among urban commuters through bike-sharing service.
The dataset includes the particulars of 515 respondents on safety behavior during COVID-19. The questionnaires were adapted using Social Learning Theory and Social Exchange Theory. The variables included in dataset are Transactional Leadership (TSL), Transformational Leadership (TFL), Employee Well-Being (EWB) and Safety behavior (SB). Moreover, the dataset also contains the demographic profile of the respondents. Data was collected with the help of self-administered questionnaire from eight public hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan, namely Services Hospital Lahore, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore, Government General Hospital Faisalabad, DHQ Hospital Chiniot, Municipal General Hospital Sargodha, DHQ Hospital Jhang, DHQ Hospital Multan and Sulehri Children & General Hospital Sialkot. This dataset could provide a significant insight for future research in employee safety behavior.
Service workers are more prone to experience customer mistreatment because of their frequent interactions with them. Hence, it compels them to the level where their performance is compromised. Employees who face customer mistreatment feel ill-treated and develop the desire for revenge. Based on the social exchange and displaced revenge perspective, this study examined the relationship between customer mistreatment and coworker undermining, and individual-level resource-based moderator service rule commitment (SRC) for this relationship. An analysis of time-lagged, dyadic data (81 supervisors and 410 subordinates) from the Chinese service industry confirmed that customer mistreatment significantly predicted coworker undermining. In addition, in support of the resource perspective, employees' SRC effectively restricts an effect of customer mistreatment on coworker undermining. Finally, this study contributes to the customer mistreatment and coworker undermining literature by highlighting their relationship. This study also shows the importance of SRC in restraining the adverse effects of customer mistreatment.
Betamethsone valerate (BMV), a medium potency topical corticosteroid, is one of the most commonly employed pharmacological agents for the management of atopic dermatitis in both adults and children. Despite having remarkable pharmacological efficacy, these agents have limited clinical implication due to poor penetration across the startum cornum (SC). To mitigate issues related to targeted delivery, stability, and solubility as well as to potentiate therapeutic and clinical implication, the nanodelivery systems have gained remarkable recognition. Therefore, this study was aimed to encapsulate BMV into the chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) for optimum dermal targeting and improved penetration across the SC. The prepared NPs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, crystallinity, thermal behavior, morphology, in vitro release kinetics, drug permeation across the SC, and percentage of drug retained into various skin layers. Results showed that optimized BMV-CS-NPs exhibited optimum physicochemical characteristics including small particle size (< 250 ± 28 nm), higher zeta potential (+58 ± 8 mV), and high entrapment efficiency (86 ± 5.6%) and loading capacity (34 ± 7.2%). The in vitro release study revealed that BMV-CS-NPs displayed Fickian-diffusion type mechanism of release in simulated skin surface (pH 5.5). Drug permeation efficiency and the amount of BMV retained into the epidermis and the dermis were comparatively higher in case of BMV-CS-NPs compared to BMV solution. Conclusively, we anticipated that BMV-CS-NPs could be a promising nanodelivery system for efficient dermal targeting of BMV and improved anti-AD efficacy.
Chebulinic acid (CA) is an ellagitannins isolated from the dried fruits of Terminalia chebula with diverse pharmacological activities. The present study focused on the acute toxicity of CA in normal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. CA was administered via oral gavage to different groups in 300 and 2000 mg/kg body weight and vehicle respectively. All the animals were monitored carefully for any physiological or behavioral changes for 14 days. On day 15th animals were euthanized and blood was collected for hematological and biochemical analysis. Different tissues were collected for histopathological study using four different staining techniques (hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, periodic acid Schiff and picro sirius red) to observe any pathological alterations. The results highlighted no morbidity and mortality after oral ingestion of CA (300 and 2000 mg/kg). Food and water consumption, body weight, relative organ weight, hematological and biochemical parameters were normal without any gross pathological lesions in harvested tissues. The outcome of the current study supported safety of CA even at high dose. However, further detailed study is required on experimentally disease model to unfold its therapeutic potential in laboratory animals.
This study sets out to probe into total bioactive contents, UHPLC-MS secondary metabolites profiling, antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating) and enzyme inhibitory (acetylcholinesterase- AChE, butyrylcholinesterase- BChE, α-amylase, α glucosidase, and tyrosinase) activities of methanol extract of Aerva javanica, also known as desert cotton or Kapok bush. Aerva javanica contains considerable phenolic (44.79 ± 3.12 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (28.86 ± 0.12 mg QE/g) contents which tends to correlate with its significant antioxidant potential for ABTS, FRAP and CUPRAC assays with values of 101.41 ± 1.18, 124.10 ± 1.71 and 190.22 ± 5.70 mg TE/g, respectively. The UHPLC-MS analysis identified the presence of 45 phytochemicals belonging to six major groups: phenolic, flavonoids, lignin, terpenes, glycoside and alkaloid. Moreover, the plant extract also showed potent inhibitory action against AChE (3.73 ± 0.22 mg GALAE/g), BChE (3.31 ± 0.19 mg GALAE/g) and tyrosinase (126.05 ± 1.77 mg KAE/g). The observed results suggest A. javanica could be further explored as a natural source of bioactive compounds.
Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites toxic to humans as well as animals. The environmental conditions, conventional agricultural practices, and illiteracy are the main factors which favor the production of AFs in food and feed. In the current study 744 samples of vegetable seeds and oils (soybean, sunflower, canola, olive, corn, and mustard) were collected and tested for the presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total AFs. Liquid-liquid extraction was employed for the extraction of AFs from seeds and oil samples. Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography equipped with fluorescence detection was used for the analysis. The results have shown that 92 (56.7%) samples of imported and 108 (57.0%) samples of local edible seeds were observed to be contaminated with AFs. All samples of edible seeds have AFB1 levels greater than the proposed limit set by the European Union (EU, 2 µg/kg) and 12 (7.40%) samples of imported seeds and 14 (7.40%) samples of local seeds were found in the range ≥ 50 µg/kg. About 78 (43.3%) samples of imported edible oil and 103 (48.3%) sample of local edible oil were observed to be positive for AFs. Furthermore, 16 (8.88%) and six (3.33%) samples of imported vegetable oil have levels of total AFs in a range (21-50 µg/kg) and greater than 50 µg/kg, respectively. The findings indicate significant differences in AFs levels between imported and local vegetable oil samples (t = 22.27 and p = 0.009) at α = 0.05 and a significant difference in AFs levels were found between vegetable seeds and oil samples (t = -17.75, p = 0.009) at α = 0.05. The highest dietary intake was found for a local sunflower oil sample (0.90 µg/kg/day) in female individuals (16-22 age group). The results have shown considerably high levels of AFB1 and total AFs in seeds and oil samples and emphasise the need to monitor carefully the levels of these toxic substances in food and feed on regular basis.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) plays multifaceted role in regulating the various biological processes such as skin repairmen, diagnosis of cancer, wound healing, tissue regeneration, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulation. Owing to its remarkable biomedical and tissue regeneration potential, HA has been numerously employed as one of the imperative components of the cosmetic and nutricosmetic products. The present review aims to summarize and critically appraise recent developments and clinical investigations on cosmetic and nutricosmetic efficacy of HA for skin rejuvenation. A thorough analysis of the literature revealed that HA based formulations (i.e., gels, creams, intra-dermal filler injections, dermal fillers, facial fillers, autologous fat gels, lotion, serum, and implants, etc.) exhibit remarkable anti-wrinkle, anti-nasolabial fold, anti-aging, space-filling, and face rejuvenating properties. This has been achieved via soft tissue augmentation, improved skin hydration, collagen and elastin stimulation, and face volume restoration. HA, alone or in combination with lidocaine and other co-agents, showed promising efficacy in skin tightness and elasticity, face rejuvenation, improving aesthetic scores, reducing the wrinkle scars, longevity, and tear trough rejuvenation. Our critical analysis evidenced that application/administration of HA exhibits outstanding nutricosmetic efficacy and thus is warranted to be used as a prime component of cosmetic products.
The relative yields of ϒ mesons produced in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV and reconstructed via the dimuon decay channel are measured using data collected by the CMS experiment. Double ratios are formed by comparing the yields of the excited states, ϒ(2S) and ϒ(3S), to the ground state, ϒ(1S), in both Pb-Pb and pp collisions at the same center-of-mass energy. The double ratios, [ϒ(nS)/ϒ(1S)]_{Pb-Pb}/[ϒ(nS)/ϒ(1S)]_{pp}, are measured to be 0.308±0.055(stat)±0.019(syst) for the ϒ(2S) and less than 0.26 at 95% confidence level for the ϒ(3S). No significant ϒ(3S) signal is found in the Pb-Pb data. The double ratios are studied as a function of collision centrality, as well as ϒ transverse momentum and rapidity. No significant dependencies are observed.
The first study of charm quark diffusion with respect to the jet axis in heavy ion collisions is presented. The measurement is performed using jets with p_{T}^{jet}>60 GeV/c and D^{0} mesons with p_{T}^{D}>4 GeV/c in lead-lead (Pb-Pb) and proton-proton (pp) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV, recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC. The radial distribution of D^{0} mesons with respect to the jet axis is sensitive to the production mechanisms of the meson, as well as to the energy loss and diffusion processes undergone by its parent parton inside the strongly interacting medium produced in Pb-Pb collisions. When compared to Monte Carlo event generators, the radial distribution in pp collisions is found to be well described by pythia, while the slope of the distribution predicted by sherpa is steeper than that of the data. In Pb-Pb collisions, compared to the pp results, the D^{0} meson distribution for 4
Using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment in 2016-2018, the B_{s}^{0}→X(3872)ϕ decay is observed. Decays into J/ψπ^{+}π^{-} and K^{+}K^{-} are used to reconstruct, respectively, the X(3872) and ϕ. The ratio of the product of branching fractions B[B_{s}^{0}→X(3872)ϕ]B[X(3872)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}] to the product B[B_{s}^{0}→ψ(2S)ϕ]B[ψ(2S)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}] is measured to be [2.21±0.29(stat)±0.17(syst)]%. The ratio B[B_{s}^{0}→X(3872)ϕ]/B[B^{0}→X(3872)K^{0}] is found to be consistent with one, while the ratio B[B_{s}^{0}→X(3872)ϕ]/B[B^{+}→X(3872)K^{+}] is two times smaller. This suggests a difference in the production dynamics of the X(3872) in B^{0} and B_{s}^{0} meson decays compared to B^{+}. The reported observation may shed new light on the nature of the X(3872) particle.
A search for resonancelike structures in the B_{s}^{0}π^{±} invariant mass spectrum is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at sqrt[s]=8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb^{-1}. The B_{s}^{0} mesons are reconstructed in the decay chain B_{s}^{0}→J/ψϕ, with J/ψ→μ^{+}μ^{-} and ϕ→K^{+}K^{-}. The B_{s}^{0}π^{±} invariant mass distribution shows no statistically significant peaks for different selection requirements on the reconstructed B_{s}^{0} and π^{±} candidates. Upper limits are set on the relative production rates of the X(5568) and B_{s}^{0} states times the branching fraction of the decay X(5568)^{±}→B_{s}^{0}π^{±}. In addition, upper limits are obtained as a function of the mass and the natural width of possible exotic states decaying into B_{s}^{0}π^{±}.
A search for narrow resonances decaying to bottom quark-antiquark pairs is presented, using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=8 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb^{-1}. The search is extended to masses lower than those reached in typical searches for resonances decaying into jet pairs at the LHC, by taking advantage of triggers that identify jets originating from bottom quarks. No significant excess of events is observed above the background predictions. Limits are set on the product of cross section and branching fraction to bottom quarks for spin 0, 1, and 2 resonances in the mass range of 325-1200 GeV. These results improve on the limits for resonances decaying into jet pairs in the 325-500 GeV mass range.
The prompt D^{0} meson azimuthal anisotropy coefficients, v_{2} and v_{3}, are measured at midrapidity (|y|<1.0) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV per nucleon pair with data collected by the CMS experiment. The measurement is performed in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range of 1 to 40 GeV/c, for central and midcentral collisions. The v_{2} coefficient is found to be positive throughout the p_{T} range studied. The first measurement of the prompt D^{0} meson v_{3} coefficient is performed, and values up to 0.07 are observed for p_{T} around 4 GeV/c. Compared to measurements of charged particles, a similar p_{T} dependence, but smaller magnitude for p_{T}<6 GeV/c, is found for prompt D^{0} meson v_{2} and v_{3} coefficients. The results are consistent with the presence of collective motion of charm quarks at low p_{T} and a path length dependence of charm quark energy loss at high p_{T}, thereby providing new constraints on the theoretical description of the interactions between charm quarks and the quark-gluon plasma.
Three of the most significant measured deviations from standard model predictions, the enhanced decay rate for B→D^{(*)}τν, hints of lepton universality violation in B→K^{(*)}ℓℓ decays, and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, can be explained by the existence of leptoquarks (LQs) with large couplings to third-generation quarks and masses at the TeV scale. The existence of these states can be probed at the LHC in high energy proton-proton collisions. A novel search is presented for pair production of LQs coupled to a top quark and a muon using data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb^{-1}, recorded by the CMS experiment. No deviation from the standard model prediction has been observed and scalar LQs decaying exclusively into tμ are excluded up to masses of 1420 GeV. The results of this search are combined with those from previous searches for LQ decays into tτ and bν, which excluded scalar LQs below masses of 900 and 1080 GeV. Vector LQs are excluded up to masses of 1190 GeV for all possible combinations of branching fractions to tμ, tτ and bν. With this analysis, all relevant couplings of LQs with an electric charge of -1/3 to third-generation quarks are probed for the first time.
Measurements of fragmentation functions for jets associated with an isolated photon are presented for the first time in pp and Pb-Pb collisions. The analysis uses data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. Fragmentation functions are obtained for jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 GeV/c in events containing an isolated photon with p_{T}^{γ}>60 GeV/c, using charged tracks with transverse momentum p_{T}^{trk}>1 GeV/c in a cone around the jet axis. The association with an isolated photon constrains the initial p_{T} and azimuthal angle of the parton whose shower produced the jet. For central Pb-Pb collisions, modifications of the jet fragmentation functions are observed when compared to those measured in pp collisions, while no significant differences are found in the 50% most peripheral collisions. Jets in central Pb-Pb events show an excess (depletion) of low (high) p_{T} particles, with a transition around 3 GeV/c. This measurement shows for the first time the in-medium shower modifications of partons (quark dominated) with well-defined initial kinematics. It constitutes a new well-controlled reference for testing theoretical models of the parton passage through the quark-gluon plasma.
The first evidence of events consistent with the production of a single top quark in association with a photon is reported. The analysis is based on proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV and recorded by the CMS experiment in 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb^{-1}. Events are selected by requiring the presence of a muon (μ), a photon (γ), an imbalance in transverse momentum from an undetected neutrino (ν), and at least two jets (j) of which exactly one is identified as associated with the hadronization of a b quark. A multivariate discriminant based on topological and kinematic event properties is employed to separate signal from background processes. An excess above the background-only hypothesis is observed, with a significance of 4.4 standard deviations. A fiducial cross section is measured for isolated photons with transverse momentum greater than 25 GeV in the central region of the detector. The measured product of the cross section and branching fraction is σ(pp→tγj)B(t→μνb)=115±17(stat)±30(syst) fb, which is consistent with the standard model prediction.
A search for supersymmetry is presented based on events with at least one photon, jets, and large missing transverse momentum produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13
Te
. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9
fb
- 1
and were recorded at the LHC with the CMS detector in 2016. The analysis characterizes signal-like events by categorizing the data into various signal regions based on the number of jets, the number of b -tagged jets, and the missing transverse momentum. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the expectations from standard model processes. Limits are placed on the gluino and top squark pair production cross sections using several simplified models of supersymmetric particle production with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. Depending on the model and the mass of the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle, the production of gluinos with masses as large as 2120
Ge
and the production of top squarks with masses as large as 1230
The transverse momentum spectra of D^{0} mesons from b hadron decays are measured at midrapidity (|y|<1) in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center of mass energy of 5.02 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The D^{0} mesons from b hadron decays are distinguished from prompt D^{0} mesons by their decay topologies. In Pb-Pb collisions, the B→D^{0} yield is found to be suppressed in the measured p_{T} range from 2 to 100 GeV/c as compared to pp collisions. The suppression is weaker than that of prompt D^{0} mesons and charged hadrons for p_{T} around 10 GeV/c. While theoretical calculations incorporating partonic energy loss in the quark-gluon plasma can successfully describe the measured B→D^{0} suppression at higher p_{T}, the data show an indication of larger suppression than the model predictions in the range of 2
The first observation is reported of the combined production of three massive gauge bosons (VVV with V=W, Z) in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The analysis is based on a data sample recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb^{-1}. The searches for individual WWW, WWZ, WZZ, and ZZZ production are performed in final states with three, four, five, and six leptons (electrons or muons), or with two same-sign leptons plus one or two jets. The observed (expected) significance of the combined VVV production signal is 5.7 (5.9) standard deviations and the corresponding measured cross section relative to the standard model prediction is 1.02_{-0.23}^{+0.26}. The significances of the individual WWW and WWZ production are 3.3 and 3.4 standard deviations, respectively. Measured production cross sections for the individual triboson processes are also reported.