bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analisis Minat UMK di Pasar Kuliner Alun-Alun Dadaha Tasikmalaya Terhadap Program Sertifikasi Halal Gratis Self Declare
Authors: Maulidia Revina , Wildan Asep , Guntari Gita
Published: January 2024

Berdasarkan Pasal 4 Undang-Undang Nomor 33 Tahun 2014 tentang Kewajiban Sertifikasi Halal Bagi UMKM, UMKM menjadi salah satu sasaran sertifikasi Halal oleh pemerintah. Hal ini merupakan upaya pemerintah untuk mencapai tujuan Indonesia menjadi pusat industri halal dunia dan fashion dunia pada tahun 2024. Meskipun terdapat banyak usaha kecil dan menengah di Tasikmalaya, namun tampaknya belum ada percepatan sertifikasi halal bagi usaha kecil dan menengah. Hal ini dibuktikan dengan masih banyaknya usaha kecil dan menengah yang belum memiliki sertifikasi halal, padahal telah diterapkan program sertifikasi halal gratis bagi pelaku usaha itu sendiri. Hal ini mungkin disebabkan oleh kurangnya informasi dan pemahaman tentang sertifikasi halal di kalangan pelaku ekonomi, khususnya di Tasikmalaya.Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana minat pelaku usaha mikro di pasar kuliner Alun Alun Dadaha Kota Tasikmalaya terhadap Program Sertifikasi Halal Gratis (SEHATI). Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah berfokus pada sertifikasi Halal dengan pengumpulan data melalui teknik observasi, wawancara, dan pencatatan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat banyak minat aktif terhadap program sertifikasi halal gratis yang dilakukan oleh pelaku usaha kecil dan menengah di pasar kuliner Alun Alun Dadah Tasikmalaya. Ketertarikan terhadap program SEHATI dipengaruhi oleh faktor internal seperti 1) pemahaman peraturan, 2) pengetahuan terhadap program SEHATI, dan 3) pola pikir pemangku kepentingan dunia usaha. Faktor eksternal yaitu 1) peraturan pemerintah, 2) Pemenuhan terhadap hak hak konsumen dan terakhir 3) Pengembangan usaha.
Kontribusi JPZISNU Terhadap Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Masyarakat 16C Metro Barat
Authors: Bila Dinda Salsa , Sari Wulan Indriana , Renfiana Lilis
Published: January 2024

Zakat merupakan memberikan kepada seseorang apa yang menjadi haknya disebut dengan, dan merupakan salah satu alat yang digunakan masyarakat untuk mencapai pemberdayaan ekonomi. Lebih jauh lagi, tuntutannya adalah pada keseimbangan ekonomi, bukan pada konsentrasi kekayaan di antara kelompok tertentu. Sebagai Jaringan Pengelola Zakat Infaq dan sodaqoh, JPZIANU harus memberdayakan masyarakat untuk memastikan upaya pengentasan kemiskinan berhasil sehingga dapat terwujud di masyarakat. Penelitian ini menggunakan metodologi kualitatif yang melibatkan analisis data yang dikumpulkan dari wawancara di JPZISNU. Selain wawancara, menggunakan metode observasi dan dokumentasi. Setelah dikumpulkan, data diolah dan dilakukan analisis deskriptif kualitatif. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa inisiatif pengentasan kemiskinan yang dilakukan JPZISNU di Kecamatan Metro Barat dinilai telah memberikan dampak yang signifikan karena dalam rangka melakukan pemberdayaan masyarakat, organisasi tersebut bekerja sama dengan pamong setempat dan lembaga NU yang memiliki pengalaman dan jangkauan yang luas
Analisis Potensi Mahasiswa untuk Mengembangkan Peran Sebagai Amil Zakat
Authors: Habaib Nur Muhammad , Fadhilah Rosyida Nur , Renfiana Lilis
Published: January 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kapasitas mahasiswa Esy IAIN Metro angkatan 2021 dalam meningkatkan perannya sebagai amil zakat. Latar belakang penelitian ini didasarkan pada kebutuhan untuk mengetahui tingkat pemahaman dan kesiapan mahasiswa dalam memenuhi tanggung jawab sebagai amil zakat. Penelitian ini menggunakan metodologi kualitatif, khususnya dengan menggunakan metode studi kasus. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan melakukan wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipatif, dan menganalisis informasi yang terkumpul.   Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa memiliki pemahaman yang baik tentang pengertian amil zakat, meskipun mereka masih membutuhkan peningkatan dalam pengetahuan dan pelaksanaan praktiknya. Diperlukan strategi untuk menumbuhkan keterampilan praktis dan kesadaran di lingkungan pendidikan tinggi dengan menggunakan pendekatan yang komprehensif. Harapannya Penelitian ini berguna untuk membangun dasar bagi terciptanya program-program yang membantu mahasiswa Esy IAIN Metro dalam memenuhi tanggung jawab mereka sebagai amil zakat
Educational quality and inequality
Authors:   , Stienstra Linnsey Kimberly
Published: January 2024

In many countries, the quality and equality of education are under pressure. Investigating the relationship between three key elements that shape pupils’ performance – schools, families, and genes – is essential to understand and reduce educational inequality. This dissertation studies these three elements simultaneously because they may be mistaken for each other otherwise and may interact in ways that increase or decrease educational inequality. Theory and methods from sociology and behavioral genetics are used to analyze educational performance data of twins enriched with information on the school environment. Differences in educational performance related to family socioeconomic status and genes are smaller in more advantageous school environments. This shows that schools have the potential to compensate for educational inequality. While the importance of school quality has been highly debated, the classroom environment and socioeconomic composition are more relevant for reducing educational inequality.
Cambios en la estructura colonial después de la Gran Guerra. Los casos de Togolandia y Camerún
Authors: Arconada Ledesma Pablo , García Andrés César
Published: January 2024

El final de la Gran Guerra generó profundos cambios en el sistema internacional y en las fronteras existentes. Este hecho, que se ha centrado normalmente en el continente europeo, también tuvo sus repercusiones en África. La pérdida de las colonias alemanas en favor de Gran Bretaña y Francia necesita una profunda revisión. En este caso, se estudian los casos de Togolandia y Camerún por tener características comunes: los dos territorios fueron divididos en áreas de control británica y francesa. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar los cambios en la estructura colonial de los dos protectorados y la reacción de la población local ante el cambio en el período 1914-1932.
La construcción imperial de la Etiopía contemporánea bajo Menelik II
Authors: Lozano Alonso Mario
Published: January 2024

La moderna Etiopía configuró sus fronteras durante el reinado de Menelik II (1889-1913). Soberano originalmente de Shewa, la conquista de territorios oromo y de otros grupos étnicos del sur le permitió financiar la compra de armamento que le sirvió para hacerse con el trono imperial etíope a partir de 1889. Bajo su mando, Etiopía logró evitar ser colonizada al derrotar a los italianos en la batalla de Adua (1896). Sin embargo, la expansión etíope conllevó la implantación de un verdadero sistema colonial en el sur cuyos efectos aún pueden percibirse en la región.
Development of the impact of tinnitus in children questionnaire (iTICQ)
Authors: Smith Harriet , Fackrell Kathryn , Kennedy Veronica , Barry Johanna G. , Benton Claire , Partridge Lucy , Hoare Derek J.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Tinnitus is a common disorder of the auditory system. Questionnaires are essential tools for clinical assessment and research. Whilst many questionnaires are available to measure different aspects of tinnitus complaint in adults, there is currently no self-report questionnaire measure of tinnitus that has been developed for or is suitable for use with children. This study describes the development of the first self-report measure of tinnitus impact for children aged 8–16 years old.

Methods

Two phases of questionnaire development were conducted. In Phase 1 children's tinnitus-related problems were elicited from interviews with children with tinnitus (n = 11; aged 9–16 years old), parents (n = 5), and clinicians (n = 8). Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings were combined with problems identified by the clinical co-authors, researchers, and clinicians in a conference workshop, and those previously reported in service evaluation of UK National Health Service pediatric tinnitus services and in a scoping review. From this, a conceptual framework of tinnitus impact on health-related quality of life in children was developed. Based on the conceptual framework, a 38-item pilot questionnaire was drafted. In Phase 2, content validity of the pilot questionnaire was assessed in cognitive interviews with six children who had tinnitus (aged 8–15 years old) and an online survey with clinicians working in pediatric tinnitus services (n = 8 services and 28 clinicians). Finally, readability assessments were conducted. Feedback led to iterative revisions to the questionnaire. The final questionnaire was named the Impact of Tinnitus in Children Questionnaire (iTICQ).

Results

The iTICQ contains three scene setting (non-scoring) items, and 33 scoring items covering six domains of tinnitus impact: Sleep and Feeling Tired, Learning, Emotional Health, Hearing and Listening, Taking Part, and Relationships.

Conclusions

The iTICQ is a new self-report measure of tinnitus impact that can be self-completed by children aged 8–16 years old. It shows good content validity and can be used to measure problem severity across the domains of core relevance to children with tinnitus. Further validation studies and translations of the iTICQ are indicated to determine its psychometric properties in different child populations and to make it widely accessible.
Current scientific evidence for why periodontitis should be included in diabetes management
Authors: Borgnakke Wenche Sylling
Published: January 2024

This Perspective provides a brief summary of the scientific evidence for the two-way links between periodontal diseases and hyperglycemia (diabetes mellitus [DM] and pre-DM). It delivers in a nutshell current scientific evidence for manifestations of hyperglycemia on periodontal health status and effects of periodontal diseases on blood glucose levels and in turn incidence, progression, and complications of diabetes. Of outmost importance is presentation of scientific evidence for the potential of routine periodontal treatment to lower blood glucose levels, providing a novel, economical tool in DM management. Non-surgical periodontal treatment (“deep cleaning”) can be provided by dental hygienists or dentists in general dental offices, although severe cases should be referred to specialists. Such therapy can decrease the costs of DM care and other health care costs for people with DM. The great importance of a healthy oral cavity free of infection and subsequent inflammation – especially periodontitis that if untreated will cause loosening and eventually loss of affected teeth – has largely gone unnoticed by the medical community as the health care curricula are largely void of content regarding the bi-directional links between oral health and systemic health, despite elevation of blood glucose levels being an integral part of the general systemic inflammation response. The importance of keeping disease-free, natural teeth for proper biting and chewing, smiling, self-esteem, and pain avoidance cannot be overestimated. Medical and dental professionals are strongly encouraged to collaborate in patient-centered care for their mutual patients with – or at risk for – hyperglycemia.
Modulation of a rapid neurotransmitter receptor-ion channel by membrane lipids
Authors: Barrantes Francisco J.
Published: January 2024

Membrane lipids modulate the proteins embedded in the bilayer matrix by two non-exclusive mechanisms: direct or indirect. The latter comprise those effects mediated by the physicochemical state of the membrane bilayer, whereas direct modulation entails the more specific regulatory effects transduced via recognition sites on the target membrane protein. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), the paradigm member of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel (pLGIC) superfamily of rapid neurotransmitter receptors, is modulated by both mechanisms. Reciprocally, the nAChR protein exerts influence on its surrounding interstitial lipids. Folding, conformational equilibria, ligand binding, ion permeation, topography, and diffusion of the nAChR are modulated by membrane lipids. The knowledge gained from biophysical studies of this prototypic membrane protein can be applied to other neurotransmitter receptors and most other integral membrane proteins.
A novel enemy of cancer: recent investigations into protozoan anti-tumor properties
Authors: Zheng Zhi , Lu Xiao , Zhou Dong , Deng Xu-feng , Liu Quan-xing , Liu Xiao-bing , Zhang Jiao , Li Yan-qi , Zheng Hong , Dai Ji-gang
Published: January 2024

Cancer remains a significant global health issue, despite advances in screening and treatment. While existing tumor treatment protocols such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy have proven effective in enhancing the prognosis for some patients, these treatments do not benefit all patients. Consequently, certain types of cancer continue to exhibit a relatively low 5-year survival rate. Therefore, the pursuit of novel tumor intervention strategies may help improve the current effectiveness of tumor treatment. Over the past few decades, numerous species of protozoa and their components have exhibited anti-tumor potential via immune and non-immune mechanisms. This discovery introduces a new research direction for the development of new and effective cancer treatments. Through in vitro experiments and studies involving tumor-bearing mice, the anti-tumor ability of Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma cruzi, and other protozoa have unveiled diverse mechanisms by which protozoa combat cancer, demonstrating encouraging prospects for their application. In this review, we summarize the anti-tumor ability and anti-tumor mechanisms of various protozoa and explore the potential for their clinical development and application.
Manifold-driven decomposition for adversarial robustness
Authors: Zhang Wenjia , Zhang Yikai , Hu Xiaoling , Yao Yi , Goswami Mayank , Chen Chao , Metaxas Dimitris
Published: January 2024

The adversarial risk of a machine learning model has been widely studied. Most previous studies assume that the data lie in the whole ambient space. We propose to take a new angle and take the manifold assumption into consideration. Assuming data lie in a manifold, we investigate two new types of adversarial risk, the normal adversarial risk due to perturbation along normal direction and the in-manifold adversarial risk due to perturbation within the manifold. We prove that the classic adversarial risk can be bounded from both sides using the normal and in-manifold adversarial risks. We also show a surprisingly pessimistic case that the standard adversarial risk can be non-zero even when both normal and in-manifold adversarial risks are zero. We finalize the study with empirical studies supporting our theoretical results. Our results suggest the possibility of improving the robustness of a classifier without sacrificing model accuracy, by only focusing on the normal adversarial risk.
Self-assessment of affect-related events for physiological data collection in the wild based on appraisal theories
Authors: Niewiadomski Radoslaw , Larradet Fanny , Barresi Giacinto , Mattos Leonardo S.
Published: January 2024

This paper addresses the need for collecting and labeling affect-related data in ecological settings. Collecting the annotations in the wild is a very challenging task, which, however, is crucial for the creation of datasets and emotion recognition models. We propose a novel solution to collect and annotate such data: a questionnaire based on the appraisal theory, that is accessible through an open-source mobile application. Our approach exploits a commercially available wearable physiological sensor connected to a smartphone. The app detects potentially relevant events from the physiological data, and prompts the users to report their emotions using a novel questionnaire based on the Ortony, Clore, and Collins (OCC) Model. The questionnaire is designed to gather information about the appraisal process concerning the significant event. The app guides a user through the reporting process by posing a series of questions related to the event. As a result, the annotated data can be used, e.g., to develop emotion recognition models. In the paper, we analyze users' reports. To validate the questionnaire, we asked 22 individuals to use the app and the sensor for a week. The analysis of the collected annotations shed new light on self-assessment in terms of appraisals. We compared a proposed method with two commonly used methods for reporting affect-related events: (1) a two-dimensional model of valence and arousal, and (2) a forced-choice list of 22 labels. According to the results, appraisal-based reports largely corresponded to the self-reported values of arousal and valence, but they differed substantially from the labels provided with a forced-choice list. In the latter case, when using the forced-choice list, individuals primarily selected labels of basic emotions such as anger or joy. However, they reported a greater variety of emotional states when using appraisal theory for self-assessment of the same events. Thus, proposed approach aids participants to focus on potential causes of their states, facilitating more precise reporting. We also found that regardless of the reporting mode (mandatory vs. voluntary reporting), the ratio between positive and negative reports remained stable. The paper concludes with a list of guidelines to consider in future data collections using self-assessment.
Harnessing the power of RNA therapeutics in treating ischemic heart failure: the TRAIN-HEART story
Authors: Albert Alba M. , Balamurali Deepak , Beslika Evangelia , Fernandez Ileana D. , Genedy Hussein H. , Babaei Khorzoughi Reyhaneh , Lauta Francesca Cecilia , Peppas Panagiotis , Ragone Isabella , Rizzari Giorgia , Sansonetti Marida , Silva Joana , Spanò Giulia , Wrona Kinga M.
Published: January 2024

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the world's foremost killers, accounting for 16% of all deaths worldwide. IHD is the main cause of heart failure (HF), as it leads to pathological changes in the heart, improper pumping function and eventual death. Therapeutic interventions usually follow a systemic general strategy for all heart failure subtypes due to the lack of a deep understanding of the disease mechanisms. Hence, HF and IHD therapeutics need groundbreaking concepts to guide the development of a new therapeutics class that tackles the disease at a molecular level. The TRAIN-HEART consortium, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network (MSCA-ITN) funded by the European Commission, was established with the goal of filling that gap and developing RNA-based cardiovascular therapeutics. Created in the context of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, TRAIN-HEART comprises three key work packages (WPs) focusing on the pathogenesis of heart disease (WP1), the therapeutic potential of RNA therapeutics (WP2), and the development of new efficient delivery systems (WP3). Fifteen international early stage researchers (ESRs) from multiple complementary scientific disciplines were recruited to collaborate with a network of PIs from nine academic and eight non-academic partners in various disciplines to fully harness their collective potential for the betterment of HF treatment. This article provides an overview of the benefits of being part of an MSCA-ITN, with its different training and networking opportunities, maximizing ESRs' potential and broadening collaborative research possibilities. Finally, it describes what was like to do a PhD during the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the uncertainty and concern attached to it. Luckily, TRAIN-HEART stood out as a proactive network, finding new initiatives and alternatives to promote scientific and personal development. By bringing together leading academic teams, (biotech) companies, and highly motivated researchers, TRAIN-HEART is expanding scientific horizons and accelerating future development of effective RNA-based therapies to treat IHD.
Predictive value of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Pengfei , Zhang Jie , Du Jianpeng , Shi Dazhuo , Zhang He
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Atrial fibrosis is the main pathological basis for the pathogenesis and progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is involved in fibrosis. Recent studies have explored its predictive value in AF outcomes. We performed this study to assess whether sST2 is an independent biomarker of AF outcomes and explore the potential mechanism.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched systematically from inception through July 1, 2023, to identify relevant studies. Outcomes of interest included occurrence, recurrence, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) of AF. This meta-analysis was reported following the criteria outlined in PRISMA 2020, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (number: CRD42023459789). All statistical analyses were performed using the STATA version 16.

Result

Twenty four studies with 14,755 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analyses found that sST2 was significantly associated with the risk of occurrence [HR:1.04, 95% CI: 1.02–1.07, P < 0.01; I2 = 67.8%], recurrence [HR:1.09, 95% CI: 1.02–1.16, P < 0.01; I2 = 89.5%], and MACEs (HR:1.60, 95% CI: 1.13–2.27, P < 0.01; I2 = 82.0%) of AF. Furthermore, patients with AF showed higher sST2 than controls without AF (SMD: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27–0.54, P < 0.01; I2 = 0%), and AF patients with recurrence after catheter ablation (CA) showed significantly higher sST2 than those without recurrence (SMD: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.33–1.28, P < 0.01; I2 = 83.9%). Sensitivity analyses showed that the outcomes were stable.

Conclusions

Higher sST2 was association with an increased risk of occurrence, recurrence, and MACEs of AF. Assessing sST2 can be used as a potential screening method to predict AF outcomes.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO (CRD42023459789).
Dynamic subsurface changes on El Hierro and La Palma during volcanic unrest revealed by temporal variations in seismic anisotropy patterns
Authors: Schlaphorst David , Silveira Graça , Ramalho Ricardo S. , González Pablo J. , Antón Resurrección
Published: January 2024

Active hotspot volcanism is the surface expression of ongoing dynamic subsurface changes, such as the generation, transport, and stalling of magmas within the upper mantle and crust. Magmatic influx and migration affects local stress patterns in the crust and lithospheric mantle, which influences seismic anisotropy. A better understanding of those patterns helps improve robustness of models forecasting the likelihood of an eruption and prolonged seismicity, with detailed studies being required to observe the significant variations that can occur on small spatial and temporal scales. Here, we investigate seismic anisotropy before, during and after volcanic eruptions. We use local seismicity around El Hierro and La Palma, the two westernmost islands in the Canaries and sites of the most recent volcanic eruptions in the archipelago. We obtained 215 results in El Hierro during and after the 2011/2012 eruption with five three-component broadband seismic stations and 908 results around the 2021 eruption in La Palma with two three-component broadband stations. On La Palma, the majority of seismicity and splitting results are recorded during the eruption and simultaneous deflation of the island. Seismicity locations do not change significantly and fast shear wave polarisation direction is mostly constant, but some variation can be attributed to changes in the magmatic plumbing system. On El Hierro, the general radial pattern reflects stresses induced by the overall uplift of the island during multiple magma intrusion events. Temporal subsets reveal significant variations in location and depth of the events, as well as significant variations in fast polarisation direction caused by ongoing dynamic changes of under- and overpressurisation. An increase of results starting in 2018 hints towards renewed subsurface activity within deeper parts of the plumbing system, affecting the rate of overall seismicity but not any vertical movement of the island.
Osteogenesis imperfecta: a cross-sectional study of skeletal and extraskeletal features in a large cohort of Italian patients
Authors: Mordenti Marina , Boarini Manila , Banchelli Federico , Antonioli Diego , Corsini Serena , Gnoli Maria , Locatelli Manuela , Pedrini Elena , Staals Eric , Trisolino Giovanni , Lanza Marcella , Sangiorgi Luca
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The present study aims to describe a large cohort of Italian patients affected by osteogenesis imperfecta, providing a picture of the clinical bony and non-bony features and the molecular background to improve knowledge of the disease to inform appropriate management in clinical practice.

Methods

A total of 568 subjects (from 446 unrelated Italian families) affected by osteogenesis imperfecta who received outpatient care at Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli from 2006 to 2021 were considered in the present study.

Results

Skeletal and extraskeletal features were analyzed showing a lower height (mean z-scores equal to -1.54 for male patients and -1.47 for female patients) compared with the general Italian population. Half of the patient population showed one or more deformities, and most of the patients had suffered a relatively low number of fractures (<10). An alteration in the sclera color was identified in 447 patients. Similarly, several extraskeletal features, like deafness, dental abnormalities, and cardiac problems, were investigated. Additionally, inheritance and genetic background were evaluated, showing that most of the patients have a positive family history and the majority of pathogenic variants detected were on collagen genes, as per literature.

Conclusion

This study supports the definition of a clear picture of the heterogeneous clinical manifestations leading to variable severity in terms of skeletal and extra-skeletal traits and of the genetic background of an Italian population of osteogenesis imperfecta patients. In this perspective, this clearly highlights the crucial role of standardized and structured collection of high-quality data in disease registries particularly in rare disease scenarios, helping clinicians in disease monitoring and follow-up to improve clinical practice.
The impact of high-quality development of rural logistics on consumption: energy and healthcare consumption as an example
Authors: Tang Liqiang , Wang Weijing , Bi Wentai
Published: January 2024

Introduction: The creation of infrastructure in rural areas is an essential guarantee for the economic development and in improving farmers’ living standards. As a critical link between urban and rural production and consumption, rural logistics is essential to maximize the efficiency of rural infrastructure investment.

Methods: Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011–2020, the study analyzes the impact of high-quality development of rural logistics on the enhancement of residents’ consumption in terms of scale and quality, using a fixed-effects model.

Results: It suggest that this development promotes the growth of rural residents’ consumption and quality, with a noticeable regional heterogeneity. The most significant effect is observed in the eastern region. Further analysis shows that inland and less developed provinces of rural e-commerce stimulate residents’ consumption upgrade with the help of high-quality development of rural logistics at a level weaker than coastal provinces and developed provinces of rural e-commerce.

Discussion: Consequently, it is recommended to boost the building of logistics infrastructure in rural areas and actively cultivate diversified rural logistics operators in the western and northeastern regions. The contribution of this study is to examine the impact of rural logistics on rural residents’ consumption from the perspective of infrastructure, further validating the role of infrastructure development in promoting economic growth.
The crowding-out effect of the environmental regulation on corporate sustainability
Authors: Yuan Ke , Wu Bangzheng
Published: January 2024

The analysis of the impact of China’s Environmental Protection Tax (EPT) Law on company environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) performance is crucial for a more comprehensive understanding of the EPT Law and to improve corporate practices. Using a difference-in-differences (DID) model with a research sample of 7,055 listed firms in China from 2012 to 2020, we found that the EPT Law significantly improved firms’ overall ESG performance. However, this improvement was mainly driven by significant increases in the environmental (E) score. In contrast, the social (S) score declined significantly after the implementation of the EPT Law, indicating a trade-off between environmental regulation and social responsibility. Further analysis also reveals that the increase in production costs, which led to a decrease in employment and wages, is responsible for the crowding-out of social responsibility. This study not only enhances our understanding of the impacts of environmental regulations on companies but also offers guidelines for policymakers to consider the negative externality of policies, which could serve as a “double-edged sword.”
The complexity of environmental policy implementation in China: a set-theoretic approach to environmental monitoring policy dynamics
Authors: Jiang Tianfeng , Gao Hao , Chen Gang , Dai Xiaofei , Xu Wenjie , Wang Zerui
Published: January 2024

The implementation of environmental monitoring policies is of great significance in reducing pollution and improving the ecological environment. This study looks at three dimensions of Sabatier’s policy environment framework: the tractability of the problem, the ability of the statute to structure implementation, and non-statutory variables, explores in detail the complex configuration of technology availability, change required, financial resources, implementing officials, public support, and socio economic conditions. The results based on data from 30 provinces in China identify four different combinations of conditions that match “Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Environmental Monitoring and Improving the Quality of Environmental Monitoring Data” environmental monitoring policy implementation: “priority governance” means that the change required is the most important variable in high-pollution provinces, “money talks” suggests that financial resources are a more important condition in north-western provinces, “coordinated implementation” is associated with non-statutory variables such as public support and socio-economic conditions being neither sufficient nor necessary conditions; and when both the ability of the statute and nonstatutory variables were identified as necessary conditions, as in the capital city, this is termed the “comprehensive strategy”.
Climate factors drive plant distributions at higher taxonomic scales and larger spatial scales
Authors: Huang Erhan , Chen Yuxin , Yu Shixiao
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Understanding the environmental effects shaping plant distributions is crucial for predicting future ecosystems under climate change. The effects of different environmental factors may vary in their importance in determining plant distributions at different spatial and taxonomic scales, which affects our understanding of plant–environment relationships. However, this has not yet been systematically explored.

Methods

Here we combined global distribution data of 205 widely distributed plant families and environmental data from multiple global databases. We then used the random forest algorithm to quantify the relative importance of environmental factors (including climate, soil, and topography) on the distribution of plants at three taxonomic levels (family, genus, and species) and multiple spatial scales (10 spatial extents from 1° × 1° to 10° × 10° randomly located across the globe). Mixed-effect models were used to assess the significance of spatial and taxonomic scales on relative environmental effects across the globe.

Results

We found that climate factors had increasing importance on plant distributions at higher taxonomic scales and larger spatial scales (yet stochastic effects at spatial extents finer than 4° × 4°). Edaphic factors congruously decreased their importance on plant distributions as spatial and taxonomic scales increased. Topographic factors had a relatively larger influence at higher taxonomic levels (i.e., family>genus>species), but with a relatively slow rise with the increase in spatial scale.

Discussions

Our findings are generally aligned with current knowledge but have also indicated the potential complexity underlying the scale-dependence of relative environmental effects on plant distributions. Overall, we highlight a multi-scale insight into ecological patterns and underlying mechanistic processes.
The impacts of within-stream physical structure and riparian buffer strips on semi-aquatic bugs in Southeast Asian oil palm
Authors: Harianja Martina F. , Luke Sarah H. , Barclay Holly , Chey Vun K. , Aldridge David C. , Foster William A. , Turner Edgar C.
Published: January 2024

Despite the diverse ecosystem services that forested stream margins (“riparian buffer strips”) can provide in agricultural landscapes, understanding of their biodiversity impacts in the tropics is lacking. Stream invertebrates support many ecosystem functions and several groups are valuable bioindicators of environmental conditions. Semi-aquatic bugs (insects in Hemiptera that inhabit the water surface) are important within the aquatic food chain, acting as predators of other invertebrates and prey for larger animals. Since they inhabit the water surface, semi-aquatic bugs are potentially valuable indicators of within-stream health. Focusing on the impacts of conditions at the small-scale, we investigated how within-stream physical structure and the presence of riparian buffer strips affected the abundance, total biomass, richness, and community composition of semi-aquatic bugs in oil palm plantations in Sabah, Malaysia. We also assessed the effects on the proportion of juveniles and females ofPtilomerasp. (a common genus). Our focus on the small-scale make findings applicable for management both within smallholder and large-scale plantations. At the small-scale (10-m transect), oil palms streams with riparian buffers contained twice as many semi-aquatic bugs as those without (average richness in streams with buffers 3.55 (SE ± 0.42) compared to 1.40 (SE ± 0.22) in streams without). We found a total of 14 morphospecies in streams with buffers, compared to just seven in those without. There was no difference in total biomass or the proportion of femalePtilomerasp. in streams with or without buffers. There was a significantly higher abundance of semi-aquatic bugs in streams with wider wetted width, more isolated pools, shallower slopes, and lower percentage of deadwood. The proportion of juveniles was higher in streams with higher canopy openness, higher percentage of deadwood, lower percentage of pebbles, and narrower wetted widths. This study demonstrates that small-scale differences in stream conditions within oil palm can influence semi-aquatic bugs, opening up the possibility that oil palm management could be tailored to improve environmental conditions for stream communities. As our findings are based on only a few streams and at measurements collected at a single time-point, more studies are needed to validate what we have found.
Comparative analysis of soil quality indexing techniques for various tree based land use systems in semi-arid India
Authors: Uthappa A. R. , Devakumar A. S. , Das Bappa , Mahajan G. R. , Chavan S. B. , Jinger Dinesh , Jha Prakash Kumar , Kumar Parveen , Kokila A. , Krishnamurthy R. , Mounesh N. V. , Dhanush C. , Ali Iftikhar , Eldin Sayed M. , Al-Ashkar Ibrahim , Elshikh Mohamed S. , Fahad Shah
Published: January 2024

Inappropriate management of land use systems is one of the main factors that leads to soil quality degradation and its quantification is crucial to their sustainable utilization planning. The objective of the research is to evaluate how various land-use systems, viz., natural forest, tree plantations of Tectona grandis, Terminalia bellirica, Swietenia macrophylla, Artocarpus hirsutus, Melia dubia based agroforestry system, horticulture (Mangifera indica) and agriculture systems impact the soil physicochemical and biological characteristics in semi-arid climatic conditions of India. Principal component analysis followed by linear and non-linear scoring methods was employed to compute the soil quality index (SQI). The soil attributes viz., dehydrogenase activity, acid phosphatase activity, soil available nitrogen, potassium, calcium, porosity, and soil available iron emerged as significant indicators for assessing the soil quality. Among different SQIs, non-linear weighted SQI can efficiently assess soil quality. Based on the non-linear weighted SQI, the order of the systems studied was natural forest (0.973) > Swietenia macrophylla (0.756) > agroforestry (0.737) > agriculture (0.556) > Tectona grandis (0.416) > Terminalia bellirica (0.373) > Artocarpus hirsutus (0.343) > Mangifera indica (0.208). The study concludes that converting natural forests into different land-use systems deteriorated the soil quality. Identifying soil indicators will help rapidly diagnose soil degradation, assess soil-based ecosystem services, and design appropriate land management practices in the future.
Drone microrelief analysis to predict the presence of naturally regenerated seedlings
Authors: Hüttnerová Tereza , Muscarella Robert , Surový Peter
Published: January 2024

Three-dimensional (3D) mapping and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are essential components of the future development of forestry technology. Regeneration of forest stands must be ensured according to the law in the required quality and species composition. Forest management focuses on the optimization of economic costs and quality-assured seedlings. Predicting the suitability of the plots’ environment for natural forest regeneration can contribute to better strategic planning and save time and money by reducing manual work. Although the savings may be considered negligible on small forested plots, they are significant for large cleared areas, such as those harvested after large beetle infestations or strong windstorms, which are increasingly common in European forests. We present a methodology based on spatial analysis and 3D mapping to study the microrelief and surrounding of recently cleared areas. We collected data on four plots in the spring and autumn of a single year after the harvest of four Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] stands near Radlice, Czechia using a multirotor Phantom 4 Pro UAV with a red, green, blue (RGB) camera. We used RGB imagery to compute microrelief data at a very high spatial resolution and the surrounding forest stands after harvesting. We used the microrelief data to estimate the amount of water accumulation and incoming solar radiation across the sites. Based on presence data of newly-established seedlings, we used linear mixed effects models to create a suitability map for each site. Model variables included topographic wetness index, solar area radiation, fencing, type of soil preparation, and distance to the nearest mature forest edge. The topographic wetness index and fencing had strong positive influence on seedling establishment, while solar radiation had a negative influence. Our proposed methodology could be used to predict spontaneous regeneration on cleared harvest areas, or it can estimate how much area is suitable for regeneration, which can lead to important investment decisions.
Embodied sociotechnical imaginaries: how donor-conceived people imagine identity, family and reprodigital futures beyond regulation
Authors: Newton Giselle , Drysdale Kerryn , Newman Christy E.
Published: January 2024

Sociological scholarship has begun to explore imaginaries of family and reproduction, yet less work has focused on the emerging social form of the donor family. In this article, we consider the embodied sociotechnical imaginaries of donor-conceived people, exploring their reflections, judgements, hopes, and predictions regarding donor conception. Combining reflexive thematic analysis of free-text survey responses from sperm donor-conceived (n = 90) and egg donor-conceived (n = 1) and data from semi-structured interviews with sperm donor-conceived people (n = 28), conceived in both clinical and non-clinical contexts in Australia, we analyse donor-conceived people's imaginings of family, identity, and the practice of donor conception in the digital age. Our analysis centres the donor-conceived body that imagines, and in doing so, highlights the entanglements of reproductive and digital technologies, and the humans and institutions that drive their uptake. We argue that leveraging the imaginative and political capacities of donor-conceived people is a productive approach that illuminates possible (re)directions of the assisted reproduction industry as well as illustrating potential policy futures.
Developments in kidney xenotransplantation
Authors: Xu Haiyan , He Xiaozhou
Published: January 2024

The search for kidney xenografts that are appropriate for patients with end-stage renal disease has been ongoing since the beginning of the last century. The major cause of xenograft loss is hyperacute and acute rejection, and this has almost been overcome via scientific progress. The success of two pre-clinical trials of α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout porcine kidneys in brain-dead patients in 2021 triggered research enthusiasm for kidney xenotransplantation. This minireview summarizes key issues from an immunological perspective: the discovery of key xenoantigens, investigations into key co-stimulatory signal inhibition, gene-editing technology, and immune tolerance induction. Further developments in immunology, particularly immunometabolism, might help promote the long-term outcomes of kidney xenografts.
Impaired macrophage and memory T-cell responses to Bacillus Calmette-Guerin nonpolar lipid extract
Authors: Sarno Alice , Leite Avelina , Augusto Carlos , Muller Igor , de Ângelis Luanna , Pimentel Lilian , Queiroz Adriano , Arruda Sergio
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The attenuation of BCG has led to the loss of not only immunogenic proteins but also lipid antigens.

Methods

Thus, we compared the macrophage and T-cell responses to nonpolar lipid extracts harvested from BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to better understand the role of BCG lipids in the already known diminished responses of the vaccine strain.

Results

Relative to Mtb, nonpolar lipid extract from BCG presented a reduced capacity to trigger the expression of the genes encoding TNF, IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-10 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Immunophenotyping of PBMCs isolated from healthy individuals revealed that lipids from both BCG and Mtb were able to induce an increased frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, but only the lipid extract from Mtb enhanced the frequency of CD4-CD8-double-negative, γσ+, CD4+HLA-DR+, and γσ+HLA-DR+ T cells relative to the nonstimulated control. Interestingly, only the Mtb lipid extract was able to increase the frequency of CD4+ memory (CD45RO+) T cells, whereas the BCG lipid extract induced a diminished frequency of CD4+ central memory (CD45RO+CCR7-) T cells after 48 h of culture compared to Mtb.

Discussion

These findings show that the nonpolar lipids of the BCG bacilli presented diminished ability to trigger both proinflammatory and memory responses and suggest a potential use of Mtb lipids as adjuvants to increase the BCG vaccine efficacy.
Virus-specific T-cells from third party or transplant donors for treatment of EBV lymphoproliferative diseases arising post hematopoietic cell or solid organ transplantation
Authors: O’Reilly Richard J. , Prockop Susan , Oved Joseph H.
Published: January 2024

EBV+ lymphomas constitute a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell (HCT) and solid organ transplants (SOT). Phase I and II trials have shown that in HCT recipients, adoptive transfer of EBV-specific T-cells from the HCT donor can safely induce durable remissions of EBV+ lymphomas including 70->90% of patients who have failed to respond to treatment with Rituximab. More recently, EBV-specific T-cells generated from allogeneic 3rd party donors have also been shown to induce durable remission of EBV+ lymphomas in Rituximab refractory HCT and SOT recipients. In this review, we compare results of phase I and II trials of 3rd party and donor derived EBV-specific T-cells. We focus on the attributes and limitations of each product in terms of access, safety, responses achieved and durability. The limited data available regarding donor and host factors contributing to T cell persistence is also described. We examine factors contributing to treatment failures and approaches to prevent or salvage relapse. Lastly, we summarize strategies to further improve results for virus-specific immunotherapies for post-transplant EBV lymphomas.
Comprehensive analysis of an endoplasmic reticulum stress-related gene prediction model and immune infiltration in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Zhu Honglan , Zhou Aiming , Zhang Menglin , Pan Lin , Wu Xiao , Fu Chenkun , Gong Ling , Yang Wenting , Liu Daishun , Cheng Yiju
Published: January 2024

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in IPF and explore its correlation with immune infiltration.

Methods

ERS-related differentially expressed genes (ERSRDEGs) were identified by intersecting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from three Gene Expression Omnibus datasets with ERS-related gene sets. Gene Set Variation Analysis and Gene Ontology were used to explore the potential biological mechanisms underlying ERS. A nomogram was developed using the risk signature derived from the ERSRDEGs to perform risk assessment. The diagnostic value of the risk signature was evaluated using receiver operating characteristics, calibration, and decision curve analyses. The ERS score of patients with IPF was measured using a single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm. Subsequently, a prognostic model based on the ERS scores was established. The proportion of immune cell infiltration was assessed using the ssGSEA and CIBERSORT algorithms. Finally, the expression of ERSRDEGs was validated in vivo and in vitro via RT-qPCR.

Results

This study developed an 8-ERSRDEGs signature. Based on the expression of these genes, we constructed a diagnostic nomogram model in which agouti-related neuropeptide had a significantly greater impact on the model. The area under the curve values for the predictive value of the ERSRDEGs signature were 0.975 and 1.000 for GSE70866 and GSE110147, respectively. We developed a prognostic model based on the ERS scores of patients with IPF. Furthermore, we classified patients with IPF into two subtypes based on their signatures. The RT-qPCR validation results supported the reliability of most of our conclusions.

Conclusion

We developed and verified a risk model using eight ERSRDEGs. These eight genes can potentially affect the progression of IPF by regulating ERS and immune responses.