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The continent of Antarctica consists of 14 million km², roughly equivalent to the whole of South America, and is of immense interest to humanity, in particular to the countries of the Antarctic Treaty. The Antarctic continent is the continent of superlatives: it is almost isolated from the rest of the continents, and is severely cold, windy, and dry. In winter, the Antarctic area increases to nearly 32 million km², because of formation of a 1,000km wide ice‐belt. The average depth of ice on the continent is in the order of 2,000m, and in the transantarctic region this depth is 4,800 meters. Antarctica is the biggest sweet water reservoir of the planet earth. Icebergs are common and huge ones (190km in length and 130km wide) have also been observed. The minimum temperature recorded (–89.2°C) at Vostok (Russian base) on 21 July 1983 is also the minimum recorded environmental temperature on the planet earth. Because of extreme temperature variations the Antarctic winds have high velocity. The environment is very dry and at the center of the continent the dryness is of the same magnitude as in the driest desert anywhere on the planet. This is the only uninhabited continent of the planet, except for some 50 research bases which cover an insignificant area located on the continent and the Antarctica Peninsula. Because of its economic, strategic, geopolitical, scientific, meteorological, and oceanographic importance and possible exploitation in the future, Antarctica has been attracting greater attention every day. Antarctica is basically concentrated around the South Pole and it touches the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Brazil, in common with many other nations, has geopolitical interests and in untapped mineral deposits (considerable deposits of coal, petroleum, gas). In the south, where the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans meet, the cold water of Antarctica is the habitat housing hundreds of species of sea life. Unrestricted and unbalanced exploitation of Antarctica could cause changes in the meteorological and oceanographic balance. In the present paper, the Brazilian Antarctic Program, and summarized results of studies of Antarctic soil, rocks, and sediments are reported.

Conventional street lighting systems in areas with a low frequency of passersby are online most of the night without purpose. The consequence is that a large amount of power is wasted meaninglessly. With the broad availability of flexible‐lighting technology like light‐emitting diode lamps and everywhere available wireless internet connection, fast reacting, reliably operating, and power‐conserving street lighting systems become reality. The purpose of this work is to describe the Smart Street Lighting (SSL) system, a first approach to accomplish the demand for flexible public lighting systems.

This work presents the SSL system, a framework developed for a dynamic switching of street lamps based on pedestrians' locations and desired safety (or “fear”) zones. In the developed system prototype, each pedestrian is localized via his/her smartphone, periodically sending location and configuration information to the SSL server. For street lamp control, each and every lamppost is equipped with a ZigBee‐based radio device, receiving control information from the SSL server via multi‐hop routing.

This research paper confirms that the application of the proposed SSL system has great potential to revolutionize street lighting, particularly in suburban areas with low‐pedestrian frequency. More important, the broad utilization of SSL can easily help to overcome the regulatory requirement for CO₂ emission reduction by switching off lampposts whenever they are not required.

The paper discusses in detail the implementation of SSL, and presents results of its application on a small scale. Experiments have shown that objects like trees can interrupt wireless communication between lampposts and that inaccuracy of global positioning system position detection can lead to unexpected lighting effects.

This paper introduces the novel SSL framework, a system for fast, reliable, and energy efficient street lamp switching based on a pedestrian's location and personal desires of safety. Both safety zone definition and position estimation in this novel approach is accomplished using standard smartphone capabilities. Suggestions for overcoming these issues are discussed in the last part of the paper.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives add value to Brazilian companies and how these companies perceive the impact of CSR initiatives on their customers, employees, and society.

A multiple case study was conducted on 17 Brazilian companies, from diverse industries, that started their CSR initiatives between 1984 and 2011.

It is possible to identify ten companies with CSR initiatives disconnected from business strategy. In such cases, CSR started as an altruistic contribution to the local community. Actions have been limited to the employees and have demanded resources without perceived value for stakeholders. In seven companies, CSR initiatives are linked to the business strategy. In these cases, CSR initiatives add value to the companies promoting companies’ or brands’ reputation. It is observed to provide better working environment through employees’ motivation and their involvement in CSR initiatives. This value is perceived for the customers, employees, and for the society. However, to reinforce this perception, interested stakeholders should be informed about CSR initiatives and their contribution to the society.

This research attempts to analyze the CSR initiatives of the companies in emerging countries and to understand how CSR could add value to these companies and how this value is perceived. It also aims to understand how these initiatives have been organized and could support the altruistic efforts with effective results to the companies and to the society.

Introduction: Human resource management (HRM) is going through a transformation phase due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis compelled the employees to work virtually. To mitigate the effects of COVID-19, several organisations heavily invested in artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of HRM.

Purpose: With limited studies on the paradigm shift in HRM post-pandemic and the role of AI, the study investigates and proposes a conceptual framework for the paradigm shift in HRM practices post-COVID-19 pandemic and the significance of AI. Furthermore, the study investigates the outcomes of the use of AI in HRM for organisations and employees.

Methodology: A comprehensive review of the literature based on the guidelines of Tranfield, Denyer, and Smart (2003) and Crossan and Apaydin (2010) has been followed. A systematic literature review assisted in critically analysing, synthesising, and mapping the extant literature by identifying the broad themes involved.

Findings: COVID-19-related economic disruption has led to a paradigm shift in HRM practices. AI-enabled HRM practices are now centred around remote and contingent workforce management, mindfulness, social capital, increasing employee engagement, reskilling and upskilling towards new competencies, etc. AI is making remote work seamless through smooth recruitment and selection process, onboarding, career and development, tracking and managing the performance, facilitating learning, and talent management. Post-pandemic, AI-powered tools based on data mining (DM), predictive analytics, big data analytics, natural language processing (NLP), intelligent robots, machine learning (ML), virtual (VR)/augmented reality (AR), etc., have paved the way for managing the HRM practices effectively, thereby leading to enhanced organisational performance, employee well-being, automation, and reduced cost.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of a process interruption on the tensile properties of AlSi10Mg samples produced by selective laser melting (SLM).

Using identical processing parameters, cylindrical samples were produced in either a continuous or interrupted SLM build operation. The tensile properties and microstructure of the samples were determined as a function of process type as well as orientation.

All samples produced in this paper displayed superior tensile properties to those produced in high pressure die casting. In general, the samples produced in the continuous build process had higher strengths and microhardness than those produced in the interrupted process. However, while most samples displayed random failure locations, the vertical samples produced in the interrupted build process showed a strong tendency for localized failure in the vicinity of the stoppage plane.

This paper demonstrated that samples produced in an interrupted build process tend to have poorer mechanical properties than those produced in a continuous process. Together, these observations highlight the importance of a suitable technique for restarting and completing an interrupted build process to ensure the production of high quality components.

The importance of packaging attributes for purchase decisions has generated interest in the research and food industry. As a matter of fact, innovation in packaging is constantly searching for new solutions that generate customer experience. The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of packaging attributes (protection, convenience, portability and storage, information, sustainability, branding and engagement) on consumer purchase intention of experiential packaging especially designed to provide an extraordinary sensory or interactive communicational experience and the influence of potential moderators.

The authors used a quantitative methodology based on the partial least squares (PLS) technique to estimate the structural model proposed. A purposely developed questionnaire was administered to a non-probabilistic sample of 1,489 European consumers. The questionnaire included questions related to consumers' perception of packaging attributes and purchase intention of different experiential packages.

The results indicate that packaging attributes are related to consumer purchase intention of experiential packaging. Engagement attributes show the strongest positive influence followed by branding and economy. However, attributes such as sustainability showed a negative effect on the purchase intention of these packages. The authors’ results also show the influence of gender, family structure and residential background as moderators of the relationships.

Customers' decision-making processes are strongly influenced by product packaging. However, little is known about how new technologies and design in packaging influence consumers' responses. This research provides evidence of the influence of packaging attributes on consumer purchase intention for experiential packaging, a proliferating area of research.

This article aims to collect data on the aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 machinability used in the manufacturing of aeronautical structures, using the combination of the jatropha vegetable-base soluble cutting oil in relation to the canola vegetal and semisynthetic mineral oils and the technique to apply cutting fluid by flood in relation to the Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) in the milling process (HSM – high-speed machining).

It was observed that the jatropha vegetal cutting oil presented the best results in relation to requirements for lubrication, superficial mean roughness (index Ra) and shape errors in relation to the other oils in both the techniques to apply fluid which were tested. Comparing the application techniques, the jatropha vegetal oil offered an increase in the life span of the cutting tool, using the flood technique, exceeding in almost six times the machined length of the cutting tool in relation to the MQL technique in the same process conditions.

The Jatropha vegetable-base cutting oil, besides being produced from a renewable source, has inherent characteristics that can help attain a sustainable manufacturing, mainly with the use of the flood technique to apply cutting fluid in the aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 machining.

The Jatropha (vegetable) oil, in relation to its physicochemical properties, appeared to be the best one fit for being used in the machining of aluminum alloys 7050-T7451 because it did not interfere with any of the elements involved in the formation of intergranular corrosion and/or pitting, which are not allowed in the aeronautical production of parts. Jatropha (vegetable) cutting oil, besides being produced from a clean and renewable source, has the inherent characteristics that can help attain a sustainable manufacturing.

This paper aims to advance the idea of sustainable flood reduction. Flood reduction through the use of the drainage system is considered an unsustainable approach that decreases the use of water. In contrast, the Water Sensitive City is a sustainable concept aimed at increasing the value of water for human needs and reduce flooding.

The current approach of relying on drainage systems is ineffective and must be combined with green infrastructures to reduce flooding. Green infrastructures can increase infiltration rates or facilitate rain harvesting. The study developed four scenarios that combine green and grey infrastructures and used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to select the most effective scenario based on the remaining amount of flood volume in every scenario.

Green infrastructures that are related to increased infiltration and rain-harvesting instruments reduced flooding by 22.3 and 27.7 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, a combination of the two types of green infrastructures reduced flooding up to 45.5 per cent. Conversely, applying only grey infrastructures (by increasing drainage capacity) to reduce the flooding to zero is unfeasible, as this requires more than double the current capacity. Therefore, a combination of green and grey infrastructures can significantly reduce flooding in a water sensitive and feasible manner.

Applying a combination of green and grey infrastructures is a new and effective approach to reduce flooding in the Kedurus Catchment Area.

This paper aims to investigate whether the interaction between vitamin D receptor (VDR) FokI polymorphism and dietary patterns is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components.

In total, 304 Iranians were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis. Fasting serum glucose and lipid profile were also assessed. FokI polymorphism of the VDR gene was genotyped using the restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Individuals in third tertile of “Unhealthy Patterns had greater odds for MetS (odds ratio: 2.9; 95 per cent CI: 1.3, 6.1; P for trend = 0.03) compared to those in first tertile. Significant results disappeared after controlling for covariates (p = 0.09). There was no significant relationship between adherence to ‘Healthy Pattern’ and odds of MetS (p = 0.55). There were not any interactions between FokI polymorphism and major dietary patterns associated with MetS.

No evidence found for the interaction between polymorphism FokI and major dietary patterns associated with MetS and its components in Iranian subjects. Genome-wide association techniques are needed to assess the direct effect of this polymorphism on MetS.

This study aims to define objectively what are the elements that should be considered in the repositioning of international cooperation, less under its value, which is unquestionable, but more under the optics of the procedure, how can it be operationalized. International cooperation goes beyond the regulatory effort, which, although an important step, is insufficient. It is inserted in an environment in which there is a multiplicity of forces and instances, non-converging and tensioned. At the same time, in the authors’ view, it is not about cooperation between states or between states and international organizations only, it must understand the private sector equally, which has the expressive property of the technologies used.

The study uses an interdisciplinary approach, and the method of analysis is the typothetical deductive.

Cybersecurity as a global and complex issue demands cooperation between nations, but also the private sector and civil society engagement. It also demands a good governance in the decision making process, more integrated, accurated and precised.

This study is original, and it represents a special concern and vision from professional and academic fields.