bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Value of Being Greener: Untangling the Relationship between Environmental Investment and Firms’ Access to Trade Credit
Authors: Li Wanning , Hua Xiuping , Boateng Agyenim , Wang Yong , Du Min 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between corporate environmental performance, as captured by environmental investment, and firms’ access to trade credit. Using data from Chinese listed firms in heavy pollution industries, we find that corporate environmental performance significantly increases firms’ access to trade credit. The positive effect of environmental investment appears more pronounced for firms with stronger internal incentives to conduct eco‐friendly practices, lower external regulatory pressure and located in regions with higher economic growth rates. Two factors – namely, increased information transparency and reduced exposure to environmental risk – are found to be channels through which environmental investment affects trade credit. This paper provides a nuanced understanding of how a supplier as a stakeholder plays a significant role in financing environmental sustainability. The results are robust to alternative proxies, model specifications, sample compositions and endogeneity concerns.
Eco‐social divides in public policy preferences in Great Britain
Authors: Gugushvili Dimitri , Meuleman Bart 
Published: November 2024

AbstractEnvironmental and social policy measures can both complement and contradict each other. Recent environmental sociology literature suggests that this dual relationship can give rise to eco‐social divides in European societies, as some people either endorse or reject both types of measures, while some support one set of policies but not the other. In the current paper, we use data from the British Social Attitudes survey to investigate eco‐social divides in Great Britain. The results confirm the presence of four sizeable attitudinal groups with distinct combinations of welfare and environmental preferences. The sizes of the groups have nevertheless changed considerably over time, with people who are simultaneously in favour of welfare and environmental measures becoming more numerous, and the opponents of both measures becoming fewer. Cultural conservatism/progressiveness, age and political party allegiance are key predictors of eco‐social attitudinal group membership.
Semen cryopreservation and storage in liquid nitrogen: Impact on chromatin compaction
Authors: Tamburrino Lara , Traini Giulia , Ragosta Maria Emanuela , Dabizzi Sara , Vezzani Sara , Scarpa Flavia , Vignozzi Linda , Baldi Elisabetta , Marchiani Sara 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBackgroundSperm cryopreservation is a consolidate option for long‐term male fertility preservation. The freezing/thawing procedure causes detrimental effects to spermatozoa, including damage to viability, motility, membrane composition, and DNA, whereas the effect on sperm chromatin compaction is less studied.ObjectivesThe primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of cryopreservation on sperm chromatin compaction. Furthermore, the effect of cryopreservation on sperm parameters (motility, viability, chromatin compaction, and DNA fragmentation) was also assessed in relation to the storage time in liquid nitrogen.Materials and MethodsSemen samples, collected from 126 (92 normozoospermic and 34 oligozoospermic) patients undergoing routine semen analysis in the Andrology Laboratory of Careggi University Hospital of Florence, were frozen by conventional fast vapor freezing method. Sperm motility, viability, kinematic parameters (by computer‐aided sperm analysis [CASA]), chromatin compaction (by staining with both aniline blue [AB] and Chromomycin A3 [CMA3]), and sperm DNA fragmentation (sDF, by TUNEL/Propidium Iodide [PI]) were evaluated before freezing and after thawing at different timepoints.ResultsAfter 7 days of storage, a significant decline in sperm motility, viability, and kinematics parameters, as well as a significant increase in the percentage of sperm positivity to CMA3, AB, and sDF, were observed. It is noteworthy that while motility and viability decreased in almost all subjects, the increase in CMA3 and AB positivity was observed in 68.0% and 79.2% of samples, respectively. A progressive deterioration of sperm motility and viability, less evident for chromatin structure, was observed at longer times of storage (28 and 180 days).DiscussionOur results indicate that freezing/thawing procedures can alter chromatin structure. A reduction in protamine content and/or a modification in chromatin assembly can be hypothesized. Furthermore, the length of storage in liquid nitrogen appears to progressively affect sperm parameters, although it should be confirmed in larger cohort of subjects.ConclusionCurrent sperm cryopreservation protocols need to be improved with new strategies and personalized procedures aimed to minimize the damage.
Prostate cancer and genetic contributions
Authors: Chou Wesley H. , Chalker Cameron , Sokolova Alexandra O. , Isharwal Sudhir 
Published: November 2024

AbstractProstate cancer remains a lethal disease for many men. Knowledge of genetic contributions to this condition has increasingly been used in its management. In this narrative review, we summarize various genetic alterations and syndromes associated with prostate cancer, including hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, Lynch syndrome, and hereditary prostate cancer, among others. Indications for germline testing are reviewed, as well as incorporation of genetic data at different phases of management for prostate cancer, such as screening and monitoring, and treatment of localized and metastatic disease.
Chin up: A novel functional explanation for the evolution of the chin
Authors: Meyer‐Rochow Victor Benno 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe human chin, also frequently referred to as the mental prominence, is a part of the human anatomy whose evolutionary origin and function have divided scientific opinion to this day. There were suggestions it could have been used in defence, assisted in the mastication process, aided in the formation of words (i.e. speaking), or that it played a role in mate choice. None of these explanations were satisfactory. This paper, backed up by observations on people from different parts of the world and cultures, using their chin to hold or clamp down objects resting on a person's arms in front of the body or to free the person's hands for other tasks, offers an explanation that has support from results on the evolution of bipedalism from apes to bipedal australopithecines, including Homo sapiens, and the importance of the hands in hominids as well as the heritability of the trait.
Association of bi‐parametric MRI measures with continence after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Nolsøe Alexander B. , Løgager Vibeke , Boesen Lars , Østergren Peter Busch , Jakobsen Henrik , Jensen Christian Fuglesang S. , Bruun Niels Henrik , Sønksen Jens , Fode Mikkel 
Published: November 2024

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between pre‐ and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of the membranous urethra and the prostate volume and continence following robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).Patients and MethodsFrom December 2018 to June 2022, 100 continent patients undergoing unilateral nerve‐sparing or non‐nerve‐sparing RARP were included in this cohort study. Bi‐parametric MRI scans were performed before and 12 months after RARP and measurements included the membranous urethral length (MUL) measured in cm (mMUL) and in the number of image slices (sMUL; 3 mm/slice), the membranous urethral diameter (MUD), and the prostate volume. Urinary function was evaluated by the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire‐Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ‐UI SF) and continence, defined as the use of zero pads and the answer ‘never’ to the ICIQ‐UI SF question regarding incontinence frequency or <8 g urine‐loss per 24 h. Regression with robust variance estimates was used to analyse the association between measurements and outcomes.ResultsAt 12 months, continence and MRI data were available for 82 patients. The continence rate was 63% and the median (interquartile range) ICIQ‐UI SF score was 4 (0–9). Both preoperative MUL measurements were associated with continence at 12 months. Every extra 5 mm of MUL increased the likelihood of being continent by 13 percentage points (P = 0.03) and every additional slice of sMUL increased it by 6 percentage points (P = 0.05). Both postoperative MUL measurements were associated with better continence and lower ICIQ‐UI SF scores (P < 0.01). A larger prostate volume was associated with urinary incontinence at 12 months, with a small effect size. The MUD was not associated with continence.ConclusionPreoperative mMUL and sMUL are associated with continence at 12 months after RARP. The sMUL may be a useful measurement when only the axial plane is available, and the slice gap is known. Postoperative MUL measurements are strongly associated with continence, while MUD and prostate volume hold minimal prognostic value.
Does death drive the scaling of life?
Authors: Glazier Douglas S. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThe magnitude of many kinds of biological structures and processes scale with organismal size, often in regular ways that can be described by power functions. Traditionally, many of these “biological scaling” relationships have been explained based on internal geometric, physical, and energetic constraints according to universal natural laws, such as the “surface law” and “3/4‐power law”. However, during the last three decades it has become increasingly apparent that biological scaling relationships vary greatly in response to various external (environmental) factors. In this review, I propose and provide several lines of evidence supporting a new ecological perspective that I call the “mortality theory of ecology” (MorTE). According to this viewpoint, mortality imposes time limits on the growth, development, and reproduction of organisms. Accordingly, small, vulnerable organisms subject to high mortality due to predation and other environmental hazards have evolved faster, shorter lives than larger, more protected organisms. A MorTE also includes various corollary, size‐related internal and external causative factors (e.g. intraspecific resource competition, geometric surface area to volume effects on resource supply/transport and the protection of internal tissues from environmental hazards, internal homeostatic regulatory systems, incidence of pathogens and parasites, etc.) that impact the scaling of life. A mortality‐centred approach successfully predicts the ranges of body‐mass scaling slopes observed for many kinds of biological and ecological traits. Furthermore, I argue that mortality rate should be considered the ultimate (evolutionary) driver of the scaling of life, that is expressed in the context of other proximate (functional) drivers such as information‐based biological regulation and spatial (geometric) and energetic (metabolic) constraints.
Effectiveness of Chatbots in Improving Language Learning: A Meta‐Analysis of Comparative Studies
Authors: Lyu Boning , Lai Chun , Guo Jianing 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe development of artificial intelligence has presented new opportunities and challenges for language education. Using artificial intelligence techniques such as automatic speech recognition and generative artificial intelligence, conversational chatbots have been integrated into language learning and teaching. However, findings of the impact of chatbots on second and/or foreign language learning (L2) are mixed. Therefore, this research conducted a meta‐analysis to synthesize the existing research. Thirty‐one studies with 41 effect sizes were included in this meta‐analysis. It was found that chatbots have a medium effect on L2 learning (g = 0.608, Z = 6.77, p < 0.001). Moderating analysis further showed that the effects were moderated by the mobility of access to chatbot, modality of the chatbot, whether or not generative AI technology was involved, and the nature of comparison groups in the research design. The findings suggest that chatbots in general have positive effects on L2 learning. The results suggest that to enhance the advantages of chatbots, their accessibility, modality and adaptability need to be considered. Furthermore, a more refined perspective is needed when discussing the benefits of the use of chatbots in language learning process.
Designing a robust sustainable service network for agricultural machinery maintenance under demand uncertainty
Authors: Zhang Yaxi , Wang Yanjiao , Bai Xuejie , Liu Yankui 
Published: November 2024

AbstractA well‐designed agricultural machinery maintenance service network can facilitate manufacturers to provide prompt and sustainable responses to mechanical failures. This paper addresses a sustainable agricultural machinery maintenance service network design (MMSND) problem, and focuses on selecting the optimal locations for the maintenance centers and districting the area into distinct districts. The aims of this paper are to minimize the total service mileage, balance the service workload, and guarantee the compactness of districts. We adopt goal programming method to model these three conflicting objectives. In addition, we also address the uncertainty of demand to seek the sustainability of the service network. As a result, we first develop a novel globalized robust goal programming model with semi‐infinite constraints. Then the semi‐infinite constraints are reformulated to their computationally tractable robust counterparts via Fenchel duality theory. To effectively solve the obtained mixed‐integer linear goal programming, we design a tailored Benders decomposition algorithm based on the structural characteristics of our model reformulation. Finally, we verify the credibility of the proposed method via a real case about the agricultural MMSND problem from Hunan province in China and a set of randomly generated larger scale instances. The computational results reveal that it is necessary and effective to consider the uncertain demand and our globalized robust optimization method can alleviate the conservatism of robust optimal solutions resulted from uncertain demand.
A case against enforcement of patent rights in transit: Resolving the unresolved controversy
Authors: Pengoriya Siddhant 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThis paper delves into the complex legal landscape surrounding the enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights on goods in transit, using the contentious EU–India–Brazil dispute as a case study. The dispute centers on the seizure of generic pharmaceutical shipments transiting through the Netherlands, leading to patent infringement complaints by Dutch patent holders. The heart of the matter lies in the interpretation of Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS) Agreement provisions, specifically Articles 51, 52, and Footnote 13, in conjunction with General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT) Article V and XX(d), which addresses the freedom of transit. Since the dispute was never conclusively decided by World Trade Organisation Dispute Settlement Body, the concerns are still alive and merit discussion.The author contends that enforcing patent rights on goods in transit contradicts the principles of territoriality and commerciality inherent in patent laws and infringes upon the freedom of transit articulated in the GATT. Drawing from the perspectives of scholars and legal experts, this paper presents a nuanced argument that seeks to reconcile the seemingly contradictory provisions. It proposes Footnote 13, of TRIPS be read down to allow enforcement only when there is a risk of diversion into the transit country's commercial channels.Moreover, the paper argues normatively, emphasizing the adverse impact of transit enforcement on international trade, especially for developing and least developed countries. In conclusion, it underscores the urgency of addressing this issue to protect global trade interests while safeguarding the rights of developing nations and promoting equitable access to essential goods.
Mosaic embryos: Navigating technical uncertainties in assessing embryo potential
Authors: Freitas Janaína , Rohden Fabiola 
Published: November 2024

AbstractSince the 1990s, preimplantation tests within in vitro fertilization have promised to enhance the selection of embryos for uterine implantation. However, alongside ethical controversies, these diagnostic techniques often identify a high rate of mosaic embryos—those containing a mix of cells deemed normal and abnormal—creating one of the largest technical challenges related to the testing. These cases raise dilemmas for professionals in assisted reproduction and, more intensely, create challenges for individuals whose embryos are identified as mosaic. This article examines the experiences of a woman who decides to implant a mosaic embryo, focusing on her strategies for managing technical uncertainties and evaluating the embryo's potential. It highlights the essential role that online forums play in this process and examines how users utilize these platforms to gain insights and navigate the complex decisions involved with new biomedical technologies.
The narrative governance of life: Morality, melodrama, and the limits of biopower in western Indian efforts against sex selection
Authors: Sandesara Utpal N. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractSelective abortion of female fetuses is a widespread, illegal, and profoundly consequential form of family planning in contemporary India. In Gujarat state, public health campaigns against the practice rely on narratives exhibiting the hallmarks of melodrama: good–evil binaries, stock characters, emotional provocations, simplistic diagnoses, and inevitable triumphs. As biopolitical truths, such narratives resonate ethically and emotionally for people. By individualizing blame, obscuring structure, circumscribing discourse, and legitimizing authority, such narratives also exert many classic biopolitical effects. But they do not necessarily transform subjectivity or behavior, as biopower is often assumed to. Anti‐sex selection messaging illustrates how moralistic, sentimentalized interventions against potentially harmful practices can provoke strong responses without changing actions. In highlighting resonance as a relevant biopolitical limit, the not‐quite‐paradoxes of Gujarati public health narratives—encapsulation without accuracy, regulation without discipline, authority without efficacy, participation without transformation—suggest one approach for analyzing the governance of life without falling into determinism.
Goodness and necessity
Authors: Strammer Philip 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThis paper examines how we are to understand the goodness of neighbourly love, using the example of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Engaging with the philosophical discussion concerning the parable's moral significance that ensued in the wake of Peter Winch's 1987 paper ‘Who is my Neighbour?’, the paper argues that framing the goodness of the Samaritan in terms of a perceived necessity—as Winch and others do—runs the risk of simplifying and thus distorting it. The proposed alternative claims that goodness is better understood when framed in terms of what Kierkegaard describes as purity of heart. Developing this claim, it is shown that while the one who is pure of heart does good deeds without perceiving them as necessary, the notion of necessity may nonetheless be of moral significance for the one who witnesses such purity.
Rapid osmocontractile response of motor cells of Mimosa pudica pulvini induced by short light signals
Authors: Roblin Gabriel , Moyen Christelle , Fleurat‐Lessard Pierrette , Dédaldéchamp Fabienne 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe Mimosa pudica leaf has motor organs allowing movements driven by cell osmotic changes in the parenchyma cells in response to various stimuli. Short white light pulses induce rapid and large seismonastic‐like movements (denoted “photostimulation”) of the primary pulvini in various leaves within 120 s after the onset of light. An early event recorded is a wavelength‐related modification of the plasma membrane difference: potential depolarization under white, blue, green, and red wavelengths, and hyperpolarization under far red wavelengths (and also in darkness). The photoreactivity of the pulvini is controlled by a circadian rhythm and modulated by the applied diurnal photoperiod cycle (photophase ranging from 6 to 18 h). The reactivity varied among plants and even between leaves on the same plant. The level of reactivity is related to the photon fluence rate in the range from 10 to 140 μmol m−2 s−1 under white light and to the experimental temperature in the range 15°C–35°C. An “accommodation” to light supply is evidenced by a modulation of the reactivity in relation to the schedule of light application under low fluence rates and the introduction of short darkness intervals during the first 30‐s light pulse. The blue light‐induced photostimulation is under phytochrome control.
The algebraic and analytic compactifications of the Hitchin moduli space
Authors: He Siqi , Mazzeo Rafe , Na Xuesen , Wentworth Richard 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Following the work of Mazzeo–Swoboda–Weiß–Witt [Duke Math. J. 165 (2016), 2227–2271] and Mochizuki [J. Topol. 9 (2016), 1021–1073], there is a map

$\overline{\Xi }$

between the algebraic compactification of the Dolbeault moduli space of

${\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$

Higgs bundles on a smooth projective curve coming from the

$\mathbb{C}^\ast$

action and the analytic compactification of Hitchin’s moduli space of solutions to the

$\mathsf{SU}(2)$

self-duality equations on a Riemann surface obtained by adding solutions to the decoupled equations, known as ‘limiting configurations’. This map extends the classical Kobayashi–Hitchin correspondence. The main result that this article will show is that

$\overline{\Xi }$

fails to be continuous at the boundary over a certain subset of the discriminant locus of the Hitchin fibration.