bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The force explosion condition is consistent with spherically symmetric CCSN explosions
Authors: Gogilashvili Mariam , Murphy Jeremiah W , O’Connor Evan P
Published: July 2023

One of the major challenges in core-collapse supernova (CCSN) theory is to predict which stars explode and which collapse to black holes. The analytic force explosion condition (FEC) shows promise in predicting which stars explode in that the FEC is consistent with CCSN simulations that use the light-bulb approximation for neutrino heating and cooling. In this follow-up manuscript, we take the next step and show that the FEC is consistent with the explosion condition when using actual neutrino transport in gr1d simulations. Since most 1D simulations do not explode, to facilitate this test, we enhance the heating efficiency within the gain region. To compare the analytic FEC and radiation-hydrodynamic simulations, this manuscript also presents a practical translation of the physical parameters. For example: we replace the neutrino power deposited in the gain region, Lντg, with the net neutrino heating in the gain region; rather than assuming that $\dot{M}$ is the same everywhere, we calculate $\dot{M}$ within the gain region; and we use the neutrino opacity at the gain radius. With small, yet practical modifications, we show that the FEC predicts the explosion conditions in spherically symmetric CCSN simulations that use neutrino transport.
Discordance of dipole asymmetries seen in recent large radio surveys with the cosmological principle
Authors: Singal Ashok K
Published: July 2023

In recent years, large radio surveys of active galactic nuclei, comprising millions of sources, have become available where one could investigate dipole asymmetries, assumedly arising due to a peculiar motion of the Solar system. Investigations of such dipoles have yielded in past much larger amplitudes than the cosmic microwave background (CMB) dipole, though their directions seem to lie close to the CMB dipole. Here we investigate dipole asymmetries in two recent large radio surveys, Very Large Array sky survey (VLASS) containing 1.9 million sources, covering the sky north of −40° declination, and the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) containing 2.1 million sources, covering the sky south of +30° declination We find dipoles determined from the VLASS and RACS surveys to be significantly larger than the CMB dipole. Dipole directions from the VLASS and RACS data differ significantly from each other. Nevertheless, along with a number of other previously determined dipoles, including the CMB, they all appear to lie in a narrow sky region, which argues for the various dipoles to be related somehow. However, significant differences in their derived peculiar velocities, including that of the CMB, cannot be explained by a peculiar motion of the Solar system, which should necessarily be a single value. Instead, their discordant peculiar velocities may be indicating that different cosmic reference frames are moving relative to each other or that the matter distribution on cosmic scales is not homogeneous and isotropic, either scenario being in contravention of what expected from the cosmological principle.
A bioinformatic analysis of zinc transporters in intestinal Lactobacillaceae
Authors: Huynh Uyen , Nguyen Hazel N , Trinh Brittany K , Elhaj Joanna , Zastrow Melissa L
Published: July 2023

As the second most abundant transition element and a crucial cofactor for many proteins, zinc is essential for the survival of all living organisms. To maintain required zinc levels and prevent toxic overload, cells and organisms have a collection of metal transport proteins for uptake and efflux of zinc. In bacteria, metal transport proteins are well defined for model organisms and many pathogens, but fewer studies have explored metal transport proteins, including those for zinc, in commensal bacteria from the gut microbiota. The healthy human gut microbiota comprises hundreds of species and among these, bacteria from the Lactobacillaceae family are well documented to have various beneficial effects on health. Furthermore, changes in dietary metal intake, such as for zinc and iron, are frequently correlated with changes in abundance of Lactobacillaceae. Few studies have explored zinc requirements and zinc homeostasis mechanisms in Lactobacillaceae, however. Here we applied a bioinformatics approach to identify and compare predicted zinc uptake and efflux proteins in several Lactobacillaceae genera of intestinal relevance. Few Lactobacillaceae had zinc transporters currently annotated in proteomes retrieved from the UniProt database, but protein sequence-based homology searches revealed that high-affinity ABC transporter genes are likely common, albeit with genus-specific domain features. P-type ATPase transporters are probably also common and some Lactobacillaceae genera code for predicted zinc efflux cation diffusion facilitators. This analysis confirms that Lactobacillaceae harbor genes for various zinc transporter homologs, and provides a foundation for systematic experimental studies to elucidate zinc homeostasis mechanisms in these bacteria.
Classical Realism and the Rise of Sino-American Antagonism: A Review Essay
Authors: Platias Athanasios , Trigkas Vasilis
Published: July 2023

Has the United States been trying to contain China? If so, why now? Still, proponents of Chinese containment have been critical of the United States' continued fixation with Russia - a declining state - arguing that this diversion undermines a focused Chinacentric strategy. This is not the first time that U.S. strategic attention has been diverted from China. Back in 2001, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, embarked on an ambitious endeavor to revise U.S. grand strategy and focus on China which was perceived as the sole state capable of becoming a peer rival to the United States. However, following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, the Bush administration redirected its focus away from great power antagonism with China towards the Global War on Terror. Could any political scientist, speculating upon the direction of American grand strategy in the summer of 2001, by any accounts have foreseen that the United States would waste significant strategic capital in pursuing terrorists in Afghanistan and promoting democracy in the Middle East over the next decade? Nowadays, could any political theorist in December 2021 have foreseen that the United States would drive Russia into the open arms of China and create Mackinder's Eurasian nightmare? Classical realism may have the best answers. Jonathan Kirshner's latest treatise explains why past is more than prologue and how classical realism is superior to other “realisms” in providing the most authoritative insights about the complex strategic behavior of states.
Complex Langevin method on rotating matrix quantum mechanics at thermal equilibrium
Authors: Azuma Takehiro , Morita Takeshi , Yoshida Hiroki
Published: July 2023

Rotating systems in thermal equilibrium are ubiquitous in our world. In the context of high-energy physics, rotations would affect the phase structure of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). However, the standard Monte Carlo methods in rotating systems are problematic because the chemical potentials for the angular momenta (angular velocities) cause sign problems even for bosonic variables. In this article, we demonstrate that the complex Langevin method (CLM) may overcome this issue. We apply the CLM to the Yang–Mills (YM)-type one-dimensional matrix model (matrix quantum mechanics) that is a large-N reduction (or dimensional reduction) of the (D + 1)-dimensional U(N) pure YM theory [bosonic Banks–Fischler–Shenker–Susskind (BFSS) model]. This model shows a large-N phase transition at finite temperature, which is analogous to the confinement/deconfinement transition of the original YM theory, and our CLM predicts that the transition temperature decreases as the angular momentum chemical potential increases. In order to verify our results, we compute several quantities via the minimum sensitivity method and find good quantitative agreements. Hence, the CLM works properly in this rotating system. We also argue that our results are qualitatively consistent with a holography and the recent studies of the imaginary angular velocity in QCD. As a byproduct, we develop an analytic approximation to treat the so-called “small black hole” phase in the matrix model.
An Algorithmic Approach to Dual-System Venous Drainage for DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Jabbour Samer , Youn Richard , Kim Kevin G. , Tirrell Abigail R. , Harbour Patrick W. , Dekker Paige K. , Fan Kenneth L. , Song David H.
Published: July 2023

Background:

Few studies compared the use of the deep venous system alone versus combined superficial and deep venous drainage in deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps. The objective of this study was to compare DIEP flap breast reconstruction using either the deep venous system alone versus dual-system venous drainage and to propose an algorithm for flap design and orientation and vein selection to facilitate consistent use of dual-system venous drainage.

Methods:

Patients undergoing DIEP flap breast reconstruction between March of 2017 and April of 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Flaps were divided into 2 groups: deep venous system only (group 1) or dual system (group 2). Outcomes included take-back to the operating room, flap loss and thrombosis, and operative time.

Results:

A total of 244 DIEP flaps in 162 patients met inclusion criteria. A total of 130 flaps were included in group 1 (53.3%) and 114 flaps were included in group 2 (46.7%). Sixteen flaps (6.6%) required immediate take-back to the operating room, and take-back rates were not significantly different between groups (P = 0.606). The flap loss rate was significantly higher in group 1 at 2.5% versus group 2 at 0% (P = 0.031). Flap thrombosis occurred in 8 flaps (3.3%) and tended to occur more frequently in group 1, but this finding did not reach significance (group 1, 5.4%; group 2, 0.9%; P = 0.071).

Conclusions:

The use of dual-system venous drainage in DIEP flap breast reconstruction decreases the rate of flap loss. The authors’ algorithm can be used to guide selection of flap laterality, rotation, and veins and recipient vessels to facilitate routine use of dual-system venous drainage.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Vaginal Preservation in Shaft-Only Phalloplasty: Y-to-V Advancement Technique for Clitoral Hood Redundancy and Reduction Labiaplasty
Authors: Moorefield Amanda K. , Veith Jacob P. , Mills Andrew , Hebert Kevin , McCormick Benjamin , Goodwin Isak A.
Published: July 2023

As the prevalence and understanding of genital gender-affirming surgery have grown, so has the spectrum of surgical techniques to better serve a wider range of transgender and nonbinary individuals. Given the diverse spectrum of individuals seeking phalloplasty, patient-driven decision-making, beginning with the initial consultation, is critical. Phalloplasty is not a one-size-fits-all surgery, but instead should be viewed as an individually customized approach. This article discusses the technical details of vaginal preservation without scrotoplasty or clitoral tissue burial in a shaft-only phalloplasty. The technique involves degloving the clitoral shaft with inset at the ventral base of the phallus, addressing the redundant clitoral hood, and accompanying reduction labiaplasty with a Y-to-V adjacent tissue transfer. The phallus may be neurotized with clitoral nerves from one side of the clitoris and/or the ilioinguinal nerve. This technique obliterates the degloved clitoral hood and resuspends the labia minora anteriorly, improving final aesthetics and striving to meet the patient’s genital goals.
Desperation and inequality increase stealing: evidence from experimental microsocieties
Authors: Radkani Setayesh , Holton Eleanor , de Courson Benoît , Saxe Rebecca , Nettle Daniel
Published: July 2023

People facing material deprivation are more likely to turn to acquisitive crime. It is not clear why it makes sense for them to do so, given that apprehension and punishment may make their situation even worse. Recent theory suggests that people should be more willing to steal if they are on the wrong side of a ‘desperation threshold’; that is, a level of resources critical to wellbeing. Below such a threshold, people should pursue any risky behaviour that offers the possibility of a short route back above, and should be insensitive to the severity of possible punishments, since they have little left to lose. We developed a multi-round, multi-player economic game with a desperation threshold and the possibility of theft as well as cooperation. Across four experiments with 1000 UK and US adults, we showed that falling short of a desperation threshold increased stealing from other players, even when the payoff from stealing was negative on average. Within the microsocieties created in the game, the presence of more players with below-threshold resources produced low trust, driven by the experience of being stolen from. Contrary to predictions, our participants appeared to be somewhat sensitive to the severity of punishment for being caught trying to steal. Our results show, in an experimental microcosm, that some members of society falling short of a threshold of material desperation can have powerful social consequences.
Perspectives on scientific error
Authors: van Ravenzwaaij D. , Bakker M. , Heesen R. , Romero F. , van Dongen N. , Crüwell S. , Field S. M. , Held L. , Munafò M. R. , Pittelkow M. M. , Tiokhin L. , Traag V. A. , van den Akker O. R. , van ‘t Veer A. E. , Wagenmakers E. J.
Published: July 2023

Theoretical arguments and empirical investigations indicate that a high proportion of published findings do not replicate and are likely false. The current position paper provides a broad perspective on
scientific error,
which may lead to replication failures. This broad perspective focuses on reform history and on opportunities for future reform. We organize our perspective along four main themes: institutional reform, methodological reform, statistical reform and publishing reform. For each theme, we illustrate potential errors by narrating the story of a fictional researcher during the research cycle. We discuss future opportunities for reform. The resulting agenda provides a resource to usher in an era that is marked by a research culture that is less error-prone and a scientific publication landscape with fewer spurious findings.
Ancient
Yersinia pestis
genomes lack the virulence-associated Ypf
Φ
prophage present in modern pandemic strains
Authors: Bonczarowska Joanna H. , Susat Julian , Krause-Kyora Ben , Dangvard Pedersen Dorthe , Boldsen Jesper , Larsen Lars Agersnap , Seeberg Lone , Nebel Almut , Unterweger Daniel
Published: July 2023

Yersinia pestis
is the causative agent of at least three major plague pandemics (Justinianic, Medieval and Modern). Previous studies on ancient
Y. pestis
genomes revealed that several genomic alterations had occurred approximately 5000–3000 years ago and contributed to the remarkable virulence of this pathogen. How a subset of strains evolved to cause the Modern pandemic is less well-understood. Here, we examined the virulence-associated prophage (Ypf
Φ
), which had been postulated to be exclusively present in the genomes of strains associated with the Modern pandemic. The analysis of two new
Y. pestis
genomes from medieval/early modern Denmark confirmed that the phage is absent from the genome of strains dating to this time period. An extended comparative genome analysis of over 300 strains spanning more than 5000 years showed that the prophage is found in the genomes of modern strains only and suggests an integration into the genome during recent
Y. pestis
evolution. The phage-encoded Zot protein showed structural homology to a virulence factor of
Vibrio cholerae
. Similar to modern
Y. pestis
, we observed phages with a common origin to Ypf
Φ
in individual strains of other bacterial species. Our findings present an updated view on the prevalence of Ypf
Φ
, which might contribute to our understanding of the host spectrum, geographical spread and virulence of
Y. pestis
responsible for the Modern pandemic.
Alternate inks for arbuscular mycorrhizal root staining
Authors: Wilkes Thomas I
Published: July 2023

Alternate methods for root staining of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have recently gained more attention for the reduction of hazard exposure to the user. Sheaffer® blue ink has been employed for such an identification and quantification, having shown and increased degree of image clarity. However, sourcing Sheaffer® blue ink is becoming problematic, leading to the need to find alternative inks that are readily available. Parker® ink is a well-known brand, providing comparable colour option to Sheaffer®. Two Parker® inks, blue and washable blue, were employed alongside Sheaffer® blue for comparative AM fungal root staining. From quantified AM fungal vesicles and arbuscles, along with the degree of stained image clarity under microscopy, none of the inks utilised for this comparison produce a significantly (P=0.97) different AM fungal quantification or change in image clarity. Therefore, results of the present communication suggest that Parker® blue and washable blue inks are alternative ink stains for the viewing and quantification of AM fungi in host cortical root tissues.
Syntactic Constructions Drive Cortical Tracking in the Absence of Lexical Content: An Electrophysiological Investigation of Sentence Processing During Reading
Authors: Rafferty M. Blake , Saltuklaroglu Tim , Paek Eun Jin , Reilly Kevin , Jenson David , Thornton David , Casenhiser Devin M.
Published: July 2023

It has been suggested that the synchronization of neural oscillations to syntactic units, such as phrases or clauses, is dependent on lexically-derived projections of syntactic structure. This assertion is based on recent evidence that participants are unable to effectively track syntax when listening to jabberwocky sentences, in which content words are replaced with pseudowords thereby eliminating lexically-derived syntactic projections (Coopmans et al., 2022; Kaufeld et al., 2020). In the present study, we extend the findings from these two studies and present evidence that participants can in fact track syntactic units in jabberwocky sentences when the stimuli are presented visually – a methodological difference that allows participants to easily parse individual words in the sentence. We interpret this finding as indicating that tracking the phrase structure of a sentence can take place in the absence of content words and does not crucially depend on their lexical projections.
A gene-regulatory network model for density-dependent and sex-biased dispersal evolution during range expansions
Authors: Deshpande Jhelam N. , Fronhofer Emanuel A.
Published: July 2023

Dispersal is key to understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Dispersal may itself evolve and exhibit phenotypic plasticity. Specifically, organisms may modulate their dispersal rates in response to the density of their conspecifics (density-dependent dispersal) and their own sex (sex-biased dispersal). While optimal dispersal plastic responses have been derived from first principles, the genetic and molecular basis of dispersal plasticity has not been modelled. An understanding of the genetic architecture of disper-sal plasticity is especially relevant for understanding dispersal evolution during rapidly changing spatial ecological conditions such as range expansions. In this context, we develop an individual-based metapop-ulation model of the evolution of density-dependent and sex-biased dispersal during range expansions. We represent the dispersal trait as a gene-regulatory network (GRN), which can take population density and an individual’s sex as an input and analyse emergent context- and condition-dependent dispersal responses. We compare dispersal evolution and ecological dynamics in this GRN model to a standard reaction norm (RN) approach under equilibrium metapopulation conditions and during range expansions. We find that under equilibrium metapopulation conditions, the GRN model produces emergent density-dependent and sex-biased dispersal plastic response shapes that match the theoretical expectation of the RN model. However, during range expansion, when mutation effects are large enough, the GRN model leads to faster range expansion because GRNs can maintain higher adaptive potential. Our results imply that, in order to understand eco-evolutionary dynamics in contemporary time, the genetic architecture of traits must be taken into account.
Alterations promoted by acid straightening and/or bleaching in hair microstructures
Authors: Lima C. R. R. C. , Lima R. J. S. , Bandeira A. C. C. , Couto R. A. A. , Velasco M. V. R. , Bordallo H. N. , Oliveira C. L. P.
Published: July 2023

Human hair is a biopolymer constituted mainly of keratin intermediate filaments, lipids, pigments and water. Cosmetic treatments usually interact with the hair at the molecular level, inducing changes in its components and modifying the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the fibers. Here, the effect of acid straightening on the morphology and ultrastructure of Caucasian hair was investigated by a group of complementary experimental methods: wide-, small- and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering; high-resolution 3D X-ray microscopy; quasi-elastic neutron scattering and inelastic neutron scattering; thermogravimetry–mass spectrometry; and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). X-ray diffraction patterns showed that acid straightening associated with a flat iron (∼180°C) changed the cortex of the fiber, shown by denaturation of the intermediate filaments (measured by DSC). The increase in the spacing of the lipid layers and the observation of the dehydration behavior of the fiber provided indications that water may be confined between these layers, while neutron spectroscopy showed alterations in the vibration mode of the CH2 groups of the lipids and an increase of the proton (H+) mobility in the hair structure. The latter may be associated with the extremely low pH of the formulation (pH ≃ 1). Additionally, this investigation showed that bleached hair (one-time bleached) is more damaged by the action of acid straightening than virgin hair, which was shown by a threefold increase in the percentage of total porosity of the tresses. The obtained results demonstrate that the investigation approach proposed here can provide very important thermodynamic and structural information on induced changes of hair structure, and certainly can be applied for the evaluation of the action mode and efficiency of cosmetic treatments.
Small-angle scattering from flat bilayers containing correlated scattering length density inhomogeneities
Authors: Spinozzi Francesco , Barbosa Leandro R. S. , Corucci Giacomo , Mariani Paolo , Itri Rosangela
Published: July 2023

Model lipid bilayers have been widely employed as a minimal system to investigate the structural properties of biological membranes by small-angle X-ray (SAXS) and neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. These have nanometre resolution and can give information regarding membrane thickness and scattering length densities (SLDs) of polar and apolar regions. However, biological membranes are complex systems containing different lipids and protein species, in which lipid domains can be dynamically assembled and disassembled. Therefore, SLD variations can occur within the biomembrane. In this work, a novel method has been developed to simulate SAXS and SANS profiles obtained from large unilamellar vesicles containing SLD inhomogeneities that are spatially correlated over the membrane surface. Such inhomogeneities are represented by cylindrical entities with equivalent SLDs. Stacking of bilayers is also included in the model, with no correlation between horizontal and vertical order. The model is applied to a lipid bilayer containing SLD inhomogeneities representing pores, lipid domains, and transmembrane, partially immersed and anchored proteins. It is demonstrated that all the structural information from the host lipid bilayer and from the SLD inhomogeneity can be consistently retrieved by a combined analysis of experimental SAXS and SANS data through the methodology proposed here.
Application of fuzzy methods in green and sustainable supply chains: critical insights from a systematic review and bibliometric analysis
Authors: Nirmal Deepak Datta , Nageswara Reddy K. , Singh Sujeet Kumar
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review and critical insights of the application of fuzzy methods in modeling, assessing and understanding the various aspects of green and sustainable supply chains (SSCs).

Design/methodology/approach

The present study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis of 252 research articles. This study employs various tools such as VOSviewer version 1.6.10, Publish or Perish, Mendeley and Excel that aid in descriptive analysis, bibliometric analysis and network visualization. These tools have been used for performing citation analysis, top authors' analysis, co-occurrence of keywords, cluster and content analysis.

Findings

The authors have divided the literature into seven application areas and discussed detailed insights. This study has observed that research in the social sustainability area, including various issues like health and safety, labor rights, discrimination, etc. is scarce. Integration of the Industry 4.0 technologies like blockchain, big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) with the sustainable and green supply chain (GSC) is a promising field for future research.

Originality/value

The authors' contribution primarily lies in providing the integrated framework which shows the changing trends in the use of fuzzy methods in the sustainability area classifying and consolidating green and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) literature in seven major areas where fuzzy methods are predominantly applied. These areas have been obtained after the analysis of clusters and content analysis of the literature presenting key insights from the past and developing the conceptual framework for future research studies.
I wish I had a paid job or a business: a moderated effect of entrepreneurial potential on career choice regret
Authors: Ephrem Akilimali Ndatabaye , Murimbika McEdward
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Despite the merit of extant studies on career decision regrets, they are not well integrated, are developed at different speeds and differ in focus. Specifically, they do not address an important question about the levels and antecedents of regret arising from choosing entrepreneurship instead of paid employment and vice versa. The authors adopted the regret regulation theory as foundation to examining the moderated effect of entrepreneurial potential (EP) on career choice regret (CCR) among employees and entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed 721 employees and 724 entrepreneurs from a developing country and applied partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Employees regretted their career choice three times more when compared with entrepreneurs. However, the authors failed to conclude that the latter had three times better living conditions when compared with the former. EP negatively influenced the regret of being an entrepreneur in lieu of an employee while it positively influenced the regret of being an employee in lieu of an entrepreneur. The perceived opportunity cost of being a higher EP employee was three times greater when compared with that of being a lower EP entrepreneur. The effect of EP on CCR was mitigated or amplified by duration in the career, former career status, decision justifiability, and perceived environment's supportiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The design was cross-sectional, thus, the findings cannot be interpreted in the strict sense of causality.

Originality/value

The authors rely on an important yet often overlooked context of the choice between entrepreneurship and paid employment to test, clarify, and extend the regret regulation theory. The findings have novel human resource management and entrepreneurship policy implications.
Employee-owned firms in France
Authors: Fakhfakh Fathi , Magne Nathalie , Mirabel Thibault , Pérotin Virginie
Published: July 2023

Purpose

France is the third country in Europe after Italy and Spain for the number of employee-owned firms, with some 2,600 worker cooperatives (SCOPs). The authors propose a comprehensive review of SCOPs and any barriers to their expansion.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyse relevant legislation; review the rich empirical economic literature on SCOPs; and offer new descriptive empirical evidence comparing SCOPs and other French firms.

Findings

SCOPs benefit from a consistent legal framework and a well-structured and supportive cooperative movement. Cooperative laws allow attracting external capital, provide barriers against degeneration and encourage profit allocations that favour investment and labour. SCOPs are distributed across a wide range of industries; are larger than conventional firms, as capital intensive, more productive and survive better. Despite this good performance their number remains modest, perhaps because of information barriers.

Research limitations/implications

An examination of the Italian and Spanish experiences and the relationship between SCOPs and the French labour movement might contribute to explaining the modest number of SCOPs.

Originality/value

The first comprehensive review of French worker cooperatives in four decades and the first with extensive comparative data on SCOPs and conventional French firms. With some of the best data on worker cooperatives in the world, findings have international relevance.
The impact of feminism on bank performance: the case of Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Yen Thi , Dang Cuong Thanh , Trinh Hang Thi
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the impact of board characteristics on bank performance at the commercial bank in Vietnam.

Design/methodology/approach

By running the pool OLS, fixed-effect and random-effect models with a panel data set of 294 observations from 2008 to 2021, the authors have examined determinants of bank performance.

Findings

The research results show that bank size, governance efficiency, capital adequacy ratio and economic growth have a positive effect while credit risk has a negative relationship with the commercial bank’s performance.

Originality/value

In particular, the result shows the relationship between chief executive officers’ (CEOs) gender and bank performance. Commercial banks led by female CEOs have lower bank performance than that led by male CEOs. However, this impact magnitude is not significant. The research results are the basis to propose recommendations to improve the Vietnamese commercial bank’s performance.
Interactions between plant‐beneficial microorganisms in a consortium: Streptomyces microflavus and Trichoderma harzianum
Authors: Prigigallo Maria Isabella , Staropoli Alessia , Vinale Francesco , Bubici Giovanni
Published: July 2023

The construction of microbial consortia is challenging due to many variables to be controlled, including the cross‐compatibility of the selected strains and their additive or synergistic effects on plants. In this work, we investigated the interactions in vitro, in planta, and at the molecular level of two elite biological control agents (BCAs), that is Streptomyces microflavus strain AtB‐42 and Trichoderma harzianum strain M10, to understand their attitude to cooperate in a consortium. In vitro, we observed a strong cross‐antagonism between AtB‐42 and M10 in agar plates due to diffusible metabolites and volatile organic compounds. In liquid co‐cultures, M10 hindered the growth of AtB‐42 very likely because of secondary metabolites and strong competition for the nutrients. The interaction in the co‐culture induced extensive transcriptional reprogramming in both strains, especially in the pathways related to ribosomes, protein synthesis, and oxidoreductase activity, suggesting that each strain recognized the counterpart and activated its defence responses. The metabolome of both strains was also significantly affected. In contrast, in the soil, M10 growth was partially contrasted by AtB‐42. The roots of tomato seedlings inoculated with the consortium appeared smaller than the control and single‐strain‐inoculated plants, indicating that plants diverted some energy from the development to defence activation, as evidenced by the leaf transcriptome. The consortium induced a stronger transcriptional change compared to the single inoculants, as demonstrated by a higher number of differentially expressed genes. Although the cross‐antagonism observed in vitro, the two strains exerted a synergistic effect on tomato seedlings by inducing resistance responses stronger than the single inoculants. Our observations pose a question on the usefulness of the sole in vitro assays for selecting BCAs to construct a consortium. In vivo experiments should be preferred, and transcriptomics may greatly help to elucidate the activity of the BCAs beyond the phenotypic effects on the plant.
Source Enrichment Control on the Scale of Magmatic‐Hydrothermal W‐Sn Mineralization: Insights from Triassic and Jurassic Magma Reservoirs in the Continental Crust, Xitian, South China
Authors: GUO Chunli , WILDE Simon A. , SIEGEL Coralie , CHEN Zhenyu , WU Shichong
Published: July 2023

There are two factors, source composition and magmatic differentiation, potentially controlling W‐Sn mineralization. Which one is more important is widely debated and may need to be determined for each individual deposit. The Xitian granite batholith located in South China is a natural laboratory for investigating the above problem. It consists essentially of two separate components, formed in the Triassic at ca. 226 Ma and Jurassic at ca. 152 Ma, respectively. The Triassic and Jurassic rocks are both composed of porphyritic and fine‐grained phases. The latter resulted from highly‐differentiated porphyritic ones but they have similar textural characteristics and mineral assemblages, indicating that they reached a similar degree of crystal fractionation. Although both fine‐grained phases are highly differentiated with elevated rare metal contents, economic W–Sn mineralization is rare in the Triassic granitoids and this can be attributed to less fertile source materials than their Jurassic counterparts, with a slightly more enriched isotopic signature and whole‐rock εNd(226 Ma) of –10.4 to –9.2 (2σ = 0.2) compared with εNd(152 Ma) of –9.2 to ‐8.2 (2σ = 0.2) for the Jurassic rocks. The initial W‐Sn enrichment was derived from the metasedimentary rocks and strongly enhanced by reworking of the continental crust, culminating in the Jurassic.
Efficacy and safety of antidepressants for smoking cessation: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Deng Xinxin , Shang Xue , Guo Kangle , Zhou Liying , Wang Yongsheng , Wu Yanan , Liang Shanshan , E Fenfen , Liu Wendi , Wang Ziyi , Li Xiuxia , Yang Kehu
Published: July 2023

To evaluate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of antidepressants in helping smokers quit tobacco dependence, five databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTS) on different antidepressant interventions involving smoking cessation in populations (September 2022). The STATA 15.1 software was used to perform network meta‐analysis. The Cochrane bias risk tool was used to assess the risk of bias, and CINeMA was used to evaluate the evidence credibility for the effect of different interventions on smoking cessation. In all, 107 RCTs involving 42 744 patients were included. Seven studies were rated as having a low risk of bias. All trials reported 18 interventions and 153 pairwise comparisons were generated. The network meta‐analysis showed that compared with placebo, varenicline + bupropion (OR = 3.53, 95% CI [2.34, 5.34]), selegiline + nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (OR = 3.78, 95% CI [1.20, 11.92]), nortriptyline + NRT (OR = 2.33, 95% CI [1.21, 4.47), nortriptyline (OR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.11,2.26]), naltrexone + bupropion (OR = 3.84, 95% CI [1.39, 10.61]), bupropion + NRT (OR = 2.29, 95% CI [1.87, 2.81]) and bupropion (OR = 1.70, 95% CI [1.53, 1.89]) showed benefits with respect to smoking cessation. In addition, bupropion + NRT showed better effects than bupropion (OR = 1.35, 95% CI [1.12, 1.64]) and NRT (OR = 1.38, 95% CI [1.13, 1.69]) alone. The final cumulative ranking curve showed that varenicline + bupropion was the most likely to be the best intervention. There was moderate‐ to very‐low‐certainty evidence that most interventions showed benefits for smoking cessation compared with placebo, including monotherapy and combination therapies. Varenicline + bupropion had a higher probability of being the best intervention for smoking cessation.
Haemophilia B in Algeria: Realities and therapeutic perspectives
Authors: Nekkal Mohamed Salim , Mesli Naima , Grifi Fatiha , Cherif Nacira , Ouchenane Zohra , Bettayeb Mohamed Said
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Haemophilia B is a debilitating hereditary coagulation disorder characterized by prolonged or spontaneous episodes of bleeding caused by a deficiency of endogenous factor IX. In Algeria, even though many studies are being carried out to evaluate the prevalence and management of haemophilia B, there is a paucity of locally published literature that can be used to understand the most recent information on the disease's epidemiology, diagnostic techniques and treatment options.

Aims

The aim of this manuscript is to raise awareness among patients and family clinicians about current practices, recent developments and unmet needs related to haemophilia B in Algeria.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted through online scientific databases to review publications regarding haemophilia B in Algeria. Exclusions of the review include case studies, interregional comparisons, abstract‐only papers and studies outside the range of 2012–2022.

Results

The findings discussed relate to the epidemiology of haemophilia B in Algeria, the clinical diagnostic process, disease symptoms, the benefits of molecular and genetic testing, advancements in prophylactic care, as well as unmet needs hindering the progression of optimal haemophilia B management.

Conclusion

These findings are crucial to encourage the maintenance of national registries with updated epidemiological data, facilitate early and timely detection of disease symptoms, improve the provision of diagnostic facilities and enhance the overall treatment landscape for better patient outcomes.
Impact of autologous platelet concentrates on wound area reduction: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Tang Bangli , Huang Zhongkui , Zheng Xuhai
Published: July 2023

This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) on wound area reduction based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant literature. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of wound area reduction. Secondary outcome measures included wound healing time and the incidence of infection. A total of 14 studies were included in the meta‐analysis. The results showed that the percentage of wound area reduction was significantly greater in the APCs group compared to conventional treatments (standardized mean difference [SMD] 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27–2.68, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that the percentage of wound area reduction varied based on wound location, follow‐up duration, and type of APCs used. The healing time and incidence of infection presented no significant difference between the two groups. The findings suggest that APCs can effectively reduce wound areas when compared to conventional treatments, without increasing the risk of infection. In addition, the effectiveness of APCs in wound area reduction may vary depending on factors such as wound location, type of APCs used, and follow‐up duration.
Attachment as a predictor of dropout in mentalization‐based treatment
Authors: Remeeus Melissa G. A. , Smits Maaike L. , Bal‐Bax Anna M. , Feenstra Dine J. , Luyten Patrick
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Although treatments of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) were historically associated with relatively high dropout rates, dropout rates in contemporary evidence‐based treatments for BPD are typically substantially lower. However, only a few studies have investigated dropout rates in mentalization‐based treatment (MBT), and even fewer have investigated predictors of dropout in this type of treatment. In this study, we investigated dropout rates in two types of MBT (day hospital MBT [MBT‐DH] and intensive outpatient MBT [MBT‐IOP]) using data from a recent multicenter randomized clinical trial. Given the central importance of attachment considerations in MBT, we also investigated the relationship between dropout in these two treatments and attachment dimensions.

Design

Within a multicenter randomized clinical trial, 114 BPD patients were randomized to MBT‐DH (n = 70) or MBT‐IOP (n = 44).

Methods

Dropout in both types of MBT was investigated using descriptive analyses, and its association with attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, as measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire at baseline, was investigated using regression analyses.

Results

Dropout rates were relatively low (10.5% across both types of MBT) and did not significantly differ between groups (11.4% in MBT‐DH, 9.1% in MBT‐IOP). Attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety did not impact dropout, nor did their interaction or the interaction with the type of MBT.

Conclusions

Low dropout rates in both types of MBT indicate a high level of engagement of patients in both programmes. Attachment dimensions were not associated with dropout, consistent with the principle that MBT is tailored to each individual's needs. More research is needed, however, to investigate to what extent attachment is a dynamic context‐bound adaptive process rather than a static personality feature.
On blowups of vorticity for the homogeneous Euler equation
Authors: Konopelchenko B. G. , Ortenzi G.
Published: July 2023

Blowups of vorticity for the three‐ and two‐dimensional homogeneous Euler equations are studied. Two regimes of approaching a blow‐up point, respectively, with variable or fixed time are analyzed. It is shown that in the n‐dimensional () generic case the blowups of degrees at the variable time regime and of degrees at the fixed time regime may exist. Particular situations when the vorticity blows while the direction of the vorticity vector is concentrated in one or two directions are realizable.
A study on the approximate controllability results of fractional stochastic integro-differential inclusion systems via sectorial operators
Authors: Kalimuthu Kaliraj , Muthuvel Kothandapani
Published: July 2023

The study deals with the findings of the outcome of the approximate controllability results of inclusion type fractional stochastic system in Banach space with the order of the fractional system varrho in (1,2). At first, we implement Bohnenblust-Karlin's fixed point technique to deduce the required conditions on which the fractional system with inital conditions is approximately controllable, and there by, we postulate the sufficient conditions for extending the obtained results to the system with nonlocal conditions.
More than bad luck: Cancer and aging are linked to replication-driven changes to the epigenome
Authors: Minteer Christopher J. , Thrush Kyra , Gonzalez John , Niimi Peter , Rozenblit Mariya , Rozowsky Joel , Liu Jason , Frank Mor , McCabe Thomas , Sehgal Raghav , Higgins-Chen Albert T. , Hofstatter Erin , Pusztai Lajos , Beckman Kenneth , Gerstein Mark , Levine Morgan E.
Published: July 2023

Aging is a leading risk factor for cancer. While it is proposed that age-related accumulation of somatic mutations drives this relationship, it is likely not the full story. We show that aging and cancer share a common epigenetic replication signature, which we modeled using DNA methylation from extensively passaged immortalized human cells in vitro and tested on clinical tissues. This signature, termed CellDRIFT, increased with age across multiple tissues, distinguished tumor from normal tissue, was escalated in normal breast tissue from cancer patients, and was transiently reset upon reprogramming. In addition, within-person tissue differences were correlated with predicted lifetime tissue-specific stem cell divisions and tissue-specific cancer risk. Our findings suggest that age-related replication may drive epigenetic changes in cells and could push them toward a more tumorigenic state.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs sensitize epithelial cells to
Clostridioides difficile
toxin–mediated mitochondrial damage
Authors: Soto Ocaña Joshua , Bayard Nile U. , Hart Jessica L. , Thomas Audrey K. , Furth Emma E. , Lacy D. Borden , Aronoff David M. , Zackular Joseph P.
Published: July 2023

Clostridioides difficile
damages the colonic mucosa through the action of two potent exotoxins. Factors shaping
C. difficile
pathogenesis are incompletely understood but are likely due to the ecological factors in the gastrointestinal ecosystem, mucosal immune responses, and environmental factors. Little is known about the role of pharmaceutical drugs during
C. difficile
infection (CDI), but recent studies have demonstrated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) worsen CDI. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, we show that NSAIDs exacerbate CDI by disrupting colonic epithelial cells (CECs) and sensitizing cells to
C. difficile
toxin–mediated damage independent of their canonical role of inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. Notably, we find that NSAIDs and
C. difficile
toxins target the mitochondria of CECs and enhance
C. difficile
toxin–mediated damage. Our results demonstrate that NSAIDs exacerbate CDI by synergizing with
C. difficile
toxins to damage host cell mitochondria. Together, this work highlights a role for NSAIDs in exacerbating microbial infection in the colon.
Expanding the Diversity of
Accumulibacter
with a Novel Type and Deciphering the Transcriptional and Morphological Features among Co-Occurring Strains
Authors: Wang Zhongjie , Song Wei , Zhang Xue , Zheng Minjia , Li Hao , Yu Ke , Guo Feng
Published: July 2023

In the last 2 decades, “
Ca.
Accumulibacter” has garnered significant attention as the core functional but uncultured taxon for enhanced biological phosphorus removal due to its phylogenetic and functional diversity and intragenus niche differentiation. Since 2002, it has been widely known that this genus has two sublineages (type I and II).