bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Rab18 on liver injury and lipid accumulation by regulating perilipin 2 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Zhang Lei , Xu Lidong , Rong Aimei , Cui Yuanbo , Wang Lin , Li Lu , Han Xiaomeng , Xiao Xingguo , Wu Huili 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackground and AimNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide, characterized by the presence of lipid droplets. Rab18 is an important lipid droplet protein; however, its effects and mechanisms of action on NAFLD remain unclear.MethodsFree fatty acid‐stimulated AML‐12 cells and high‐fat diet (HFD)‐fed mice were used as NAFLD models. Lentiviruses overexpressing Rab18 (Rab18‐OE) or knockdown (Rab18‐KD) were used to generate stable cell lines for genetic analysis. Blood serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and leptin were measured using a biochemical autoanalyzer. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to detect pathological damage to the liver. Lipid accumulation in the cells was assessed by Oil Red O staining. Target expression was measured using qPCR, western blotting, and immunocytochemistry.ResultsRab18 mRNA and protein expression levels increased in free fatty acid‐stimulated AML‐12 cells and the livers of HFD‐fed mice. Rab18‐OE increased lipid accumulation in vitro, which was attenuated by Rab18‐KD. In vivo, Rab18‐OE augmented liver pathological damage, serum alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase activity, and triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein levels, whereas Rab18‐KD decreased these indicators. Rab18‐KD also downregulated blood glucose levels in HFD‐fed mice. Mechanistically, Rab18‐OE and Rab18‐KD regulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of perilipin 2 (PLIN2) and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Immunocytochemistry revealed that Rab18 colocalized with PLIN2 and PPARγ in AML‐12 cells.ConclusionRab18 expression was elevated in vitro and in vivo in the NAFLD mouse model. Rab18 regulates PLIN2 and PPARγ expression to exaggerate liver injury and lipid accumulation in patients with NAFLD. Thus, Rab18 may be a crucial protein in this disease and a potential therapeutic target.
Industry Exposure to Artificial Intelligence, Board Network Heterogeneity, and Firm Idiosyncratic Risk
Authors: Hudson Kerry , Morgan Robert E. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractDespite the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in business, there is little research examining its effects on firm idiosyncratic risk (IR). This is an important issue for boards: as key conduits of firm–environment information flows via board interlock networks, traditional risk oversight functions are being increasingly augmented with strategic decision‐making and communications. Accordingly, we explore how AI and board interlocks independently and interactively affect IR, focusing on the heterogeneity of the board's network ties. We hypothesize these effects within signalling theory, positing that a firm's AI exposure and board network will differentially affect market perceptions of risk contingent on their perceived cost and relative signal strength under different environmental conditions. We find that while AI and board network heterogeneity both favourably affect risk, operating in a high‐AI industry while occupying a network position that spans industry boundaries mitigates these effects, leading to an increase in IR for firms in the most technologically advanced industries. Additional analyses of diversification corroborate these theoretical mechanisms: as a costly signal of competence across multiple domains, diversification enables firms to simultaneously engage with AI and diverse knowledge networks without market penalties. Our findings offer practical insights for directors and avenues for theoretical development.
Dynamic equilibrium with insider information and general uninformed agent utility
Authors: Detemple Jerome , Robertson Scott 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWe study a continuous time economy where agents have asymmetric information. The informed agent (“”), at time zero, receives a private signal about the risky assets' terminal payoff , while the uninformed agent (“”) has no private signal. is an arbitrary payoff function, and follows a time‐homogeneous diffusion. Crucially, we allow to have von Neumann–Morgenstern preferences with a general utility function on satisfying the standard conditions. This extends previous constructions of equilibria with asymmetric information used when all agents have exponential utilities and enables us to study the impact of U's initial share endowment on equilibrium. To allow for to have general preferences, we introduce a new method to prove existence of a partial communication equilibrium (PCE), where at time 0, receives a less‐informative signal than . In the single asset case, this signal is recoverable by viewing the equilibrium price process over an arbitrarily short period of time, and hence the PCE is a dynamic noisy rational expectations equilibrium. Lastly, when has power (constant relative risk aversion) utility, we identify the equilibrium price in the small and large risk aversion limits.
Reinforcing the Resistance: Iran and the Levant in a Multipolar Middle East
Authors: Wastnidge Edward 
Published: July 2024

AbstractHamas's al‐Aqsa Flood operation, Israel's brutal response, and the regional escalation of the conflict, including Iran's and Israel's unprecedented strikes on each other's territory, mark a critical juncture for the Middle East. These events have brought a renewed focus on the Levant as a key area of Iranian geopolitical interest and rivalry with Israel. Syria and the broader subregion are viewed by Tehran as vital for its national security and that of its alliance network, the Axis of Resistance, and for the survival of the regime. This article explores Iran's policy toward the Levant, focusing on Syria as the crucible of Iran's engagement with the region over the last decade. The study highlights how Iran's approach is defined by its continued desire to maintain its projection of strategic depth, thus ensuring its own security and that of the Axis of Resistance. Israel looms large over this calculus as the Islamic Republic looks to strengthen its allies’ positions against its enduring rival.
Braden score predicts 30‐day mortality risk in patients with ischaemic stroke in the ICU: A retrospective analysis based on the MIMIC‐IV database
Authors: Tang Yonglan , Li Xinya , Cheng Hongtao , Tan Shanyuan , Ling Yitong , Ming Wai‐kit , Lyu Jun 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackgroundIschaemic stroke remains a significant global health challenge, associated with high mortality rates. While the Braden Scale is traditionally employed to assess pressure ulcer risk, its potential to predict mortality among the intensive care unit (ICU) patients with ischaemic stroke has not been thoroughly investigated.Aim/sThis study evaluates the predictive value of the Braden Scale for 30‐day mortality among patients with ischaemic stroke admitted to ICU.Study DesignWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 4710 adult patients with ischaemic stroke from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)‐IV database. The association between the Braden Scale scores and 30‐day mortality was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, Cox regression models and Kaplan–Meier survival estimates.ResultsPatients with Braden Scale scores ≤ 15.5 showed significantly higher 30‐day mortality rates (p‐value < 0.001; hazard ratio (HR): 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.71–2.53). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.71, demonstrating good predictive performance. Multivariate analysis confirmed the Braden Scale as an independent predictor of mortality, after adjusting for age, gender and comorbidities.ConclusionsThe Braden Scale effectively identifies high‐risk ischaemic stroke patients in ICU settings, endorsing its integration into routine assessments to facilitate early intervention strategies.Relevance to Clinical PracticeIntegrating the Braden Scale into routine ICU evaluations can enhance mortality risk stratification and improve patient care tailoring.
Future climate doubles the risk of hydraulic failure in a wet tropical forest
Authors: Robbins Zachary , Chambers Jeffrey , Chitra‐Tarak Rutuja , Christoffersen Bradley , Dickman L. Turin , Fisher Rosie , Jonko Alex , Knox Ryan , Koven Charles , Kueppers Lara , McDowell Nate , Xu Chonggang 
Published: July 2024

Summary
Future climate presents conflicting implications for forest biomass. We evaluate how plant hydraulic traits, elevated CO2 levels, warming, and changes in precipitation affect forest primary productivity, evapotranspiration, and the risk of hydraulic failure.
We used a dynamic vegetation model with plant hydrodynamics (FATES‐HYDRO) to simulate the stand‐level responses to future climate changes in a wet tropical forest in Barro Colorado Island, Panama. We calibrated the model by selecting plant trait assemblages that performed well against observations. These assemblages were run with temperature and precipitation changes for two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (2086–2100: SSP2‐45, SSP5‐85) and two CO2 levels (contemporary, anticipated).
The risk of hydraulic failure is projected to increase from a contemporary rate of 5.7% to 10.1–11.3% under future climate scenarios, and, crucially, elevated CO2 provided only slight amelioration. By contrast, elevated CO2 mitigated GPP reductions. We attribute a greater variation in hydraulic failure risk to trait assemblages than to either CO2 or climate.
Our results project forests with both faster growth (through productivity increases) and higher mortality rates (through increasing rates of hydraulic failure) in the neo‐tropics accompanied by certain trait plant assemblages becoming nonviable.
Modified Tracheal Traction Exercise Reduces the Incidence of Dysphagia in Patients with Multilevel Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
Authors: Wei Jiasen , Li Fudong , Sun Jingchuan , Zhu Zhenjun , Shi Rui , Shi Jiangang , Sun Kaiqiang 
Published: July 2024

ObjectivesDysphagia, an impairment in swallowing, is a frequent and debilitating complication for patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), a common surgical treatment for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of modified tracheal traction exercise (MTTE) in alleviating postoperative dysphagia and improving clinical outcomes for these patients.MethodsA cohort of 143 patients underwent multilevel fusions, equally distributed between MTTE (n = 75) and traditional tracheal traction exercise (TTTE) (n = 68) groups. Demographic parity was observed in gender distribution, age averages (MTTE: 51.43 ± 11.25 years; TTTE: 52.35 ± 10.43 years), body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, fusion segments, and preoperative hospitalization days. Surgical duration differences were assessed. Clinical outcomes, dysphagia incidence, blood loss, postoperative complications, Cervical Japanese Orthopedic Association (c‐JOA) scores, and functional outcome swallowing scale evaluations were conducted. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore factors influencing dysphagia.ResultsModified tracheal traction exercise demonstrated advantages with a significantly lower dysphagia incidence (25.33% vs. 44.12%, p = 0.018), reduced blood loss (102.03 ± 17.04 vs. 113.46 ± 14.92, p < 0.001), shorter surgical durations (159.04 ± 9.82 vs. 164.41 ± 12.22 min, p = 0.004), and fewer postoperative complications (choking cough, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and hoarseness). Postoperative c‐JOA scores at 2 and 6 weeks favored MTTE, but no significant differences were observed at 12 and 24 weeks. Functional outcome swallowing scale evaluations favored MTTE with significantly higher percentages of “normal” and lower incidences of “mild” and “moderate dysphagia” at various postoperative intervals compared to TTTE. Factors significantly associated with dysphagia included MTTE, age, and BMI according to logistic regression analyses.ConclusionModified tracheal traction exercise demonstrates superior short‐term outcomes in multilevel ACDF, showcasing reduced dysphagia incidence, blood loss, and specific postoperative complications. Notably, factors contributing to dysphagia, including operation technique and patient‐related variables, emphasize the significance of MTTE and patient characteristics in optimizing postoperative outcomes in multilevel ACDF procedures.
Cross‐sectoral collaboration in times of crisis: Comparing the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland
Authors: Plaček Michal , Valentinov Vladislav , Daniel Gabriela , Ochrana František , Mikołajczak Paweł , Waligóra Anna 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, with their shared political histories, have confronted the compounded challenges of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. These difficulties spurred the emergence of public–nonprofit collaboration in all three countries, each taking distinct paths. Our study aims to unravel these divergent trajectories of public–nonprofit collaboration through the lens of historical institutionalism. Using this lens, we attribute this divergence to the influence of the broader institutional environment, whose evolution has followed distinct trajectories in the examined countries. To achieve our objectives, we employed single‐country case study methods, leveraging desk research and structured interviews with management informants from nonprofit organizations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland (37 respondents in total). Our study demonstrates that the perceptions of the institutional environment by nonprofit actors directly shape the effectiveness of collaborations between the public sector and nonprofit organizations. Contrary to Western expectations, our findings challenge the seemingly prevailing optimism regarding the outcomes of public–nonprofit collaboration and emphasize the influence of factors such as path dependency, mutual distrust, and prior negative experiences.
Coping With COVID‐19: Perspectives of Caregivers of Children and Young People With Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Piotrowski Caroline C. , Strong Julie , Giesbrecht Ashley , Goldberg Aviva , Kudar Kira , Pappas Katerina , Rempel Gina 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundCaregivers of children and young people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face challenging circumstances on a daily basis; however, the difficulties they experienced during the COVID‐19 pandemic, as well as potentially positive experiences, are not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to explore the pandemic‐related experiences of these caregivers.MethodsTwelve caregivers were recruited from a hospital‐based pediatric renal program; eight families were posttransplant. Caregivers participated in virtual semistructured interviews conducted between March 2021 and November 2022. They provided responses to open‐ended questions concerning how the pandemic affected their child with CKD, their family, and themselves. Interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis.ResultsFour main themes were identified: (1) Family Life, which included disruptions in routine, reduced social supports, and changes in the quality of family relationships; (2) Mental Health and Coping, which included increased anxiety and positive coping strategies; (3) Work and School Life, which included changes to work and school; and (4) Health and Health Care Systems, which included virtual health care and public health restrictions.ConclusionsDespite facing profound challenges, caregivers identified both positive and negative aspects of their pandemic experiences. Their coping strategies highlighted individual and family resilience characteristics. Implications for health care providers, including future pandemic planning, support for the transition from in‐person to virtual care, and strategies to better address barriers to resources for families of children with chronic kidney disease were discussed.
De Novo and Progressive Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Following Pediatric Heart Transplantation: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Butto Arene , O'Halloran Conor , Kuo James , Joong Anna , Hauck Amanda L. , Nugent Alan , Mahle William , Tannous Paul 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundPulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare condition in which neointimal proliferation leads to venous and arterial hypertension. Little is known about PVS after heart transplant (HTx) in children. We sought to describe the characteristics and outcomes of children who develop PVS after HTx.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of patients ≤18 years old who underwent HTx at two HTx centers between April 2012 and October 2023. Patients with PVS were identified via database queries. Cardiac diagnosis, PVS location and extent, and outcomes were recorded.ResultsOver 11.5 years, 422 patients underwent HTx across both centers. Nineteen patients with PVS (10 male) were identified, 15 with de novo PVS. Sixteen had underlying congenital heart disease (CHD), two with anomalous pulmonary venous return. PVS was diagnosed at a median of 2 months (range 2 weeks to 14 years) after HTx. At time of initial diagnosis, 13 patients had one‐vessel PVS. At final follow‐up, 7/19 (37%) had increases in the number of vessels involved. Six patients underwent surgery, and nine patients had stent or balloon angioplasty. Two patients were treated for pulmonary hypertension following PVS diagnosis. Three patients died from right heart failure secondary to PVS.ConclusionsThis is the largest study to describe the characteristics of post‐HTx PVS in children. PVS occurs in 4.5% of HTx, and underlying CHD is a strong risk factor. Multiple vessels can be involved and may require catheter‐based or surgical intervention. Clinicians must be vigilant in monitoring the development of PVS in this population.
Chance, ability, and control
Authors: Mandelkern Matthew 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis paper concerns a controversy between two compelling and popular claims in the theory of ability. One is the claim that ability requires control. The other is the claim that success entails ability, that is, that φ‐ing entails that you are able to φ. Since actually φ‐ing obviously does not entail that φ is in your control, these two claims cannot both be true. I introduce a new form of evidence to help adjudicate this controversy: judgments about the possibility and probability of ability ascriptions. I argue that these judgments provide evidence in favor of the thesis that success entails ability, and against the thesis that ability requires control. Moreover, I argue that these judgments support an analysis of ability in terms of conditionals.
CAX control: multiple roles of vacuolar cation/H+ exchangers in metal tolerance, mineral nutrition and environmental signalling
Authors: Pittman J. K. , Hirschi K. D. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPlant vacuolar transporters, particularly CAX (Cation/H+ Exchangers) responsible for Ca2+/H+ exchange on the vacuole tonoplast, play a central role in governing cellular pH, ion balance, nutrient storage, metal accumulation, and stress responses. Furthermore, CAX variants have been employed to enhance the calcium content of crops, contributing to biofortification efforts. Recent research has uncovered the broader significance of these transporters in plant signal transduction and element partitioning. The use of genetically encoded Ca2+ sensors has begun to highlight the crucial role of CAX isoforms in generating cytosolic Ca2+ signals, underscoring their function as pivotal hubs in diverse environmental and developmental signalling networks. Interestingly, it has been observed that the loss of CAX function can be advantageous in specific stress conditions, both for biotic and abiotic stressors. Determining the optimal timing and approach for modulating the expression of CAX is a critical concern. In the future, strategically manipulating the temporal loss of CAX function in agriculturally important crops holds promise to bolster plant immunity, enhance cold tolerance, and fortify resilience against one of agriculture's most significant challenges, namely flooding.
Multi‐model GWAS reveals key loci for horticultural traits in reconstructed garden strawberry
Authors: Rehman Attiq ur , Iso‐Touru Terhi , Junkers Jakob , Rantanen Marja , Karhu Saila , Fischer Daniel , Alsheikh Muath , Hjeltnes Stein Harald , Mezzetti Bruno , Davik Jahn , Schulman Alan H. , Hytönen Timo , Haikonen Tuuli 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe cultivated garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) has a rich history, originating from the hybridization of two wild octoploid strawberry species in the 18th century. Two‐step reconstruction of Fragaria × ananassa through controlled crossings between pre‐improved selections of its parental species is a promising approach for enriching the breeding germplasm of strawberry for wider adaptability. We created a population of reconstructed strawberry by hybridizing elite selections of F. virginiana and F. chiloensis. A replicated field experiment was conducted to evaluate the population's performance for eleven horticulturally important traits, over multiple years. Population structure analyses based on Fana‐50 k SNP array data confirmed pedigree‐based grouping of the progenies into four distinct groups. As complex traits are often influenced by environmental variables, and population structure can lead to spurious associations, we tested multiple genome‐wide association study (GWAS) models. GWAS uncovered 39 quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions for eight traits distributed across twenty chromosomes, including 11 consistent and 28 putative QTLs. Candidate genes for traits including winter survival, flowering time, runnering vigor, and hermaphrodism were identified within the QTL regions. To our knowledge, this study marks the first comprehensive investigation of adaptive and horticultural traits in a large, multi‐familial reconstructed strawberry population using SNP markers.
A classical hypothesis test for assessing the homogeneity of disease transmission in stochastic epidemic models
Authors: Aristotelous Georgios , Kypraios Theodore , O'Neill Philip D. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis paper addresses the problem of assessing the homogeneity of the disease transmission process in stochastic epidemic models in populations that are partitioned into social groups. We develop a classical hypothesis test for completed epidemics which assesses whether or not there is significant within‐group transmission during an outbreak. The test is based on time‐ordered group labels of individuals. The null hypothesis is that of homogeneity of disease transmission among individuals, a hypothesis under which the discrete random vector of groups labels has a known sampling distribution that is independent of any model parameters. The test exhibits excellent performance when applied to various scenarios of simulated data and is also illustrated using two real‐life epidemic data sets. We develop some asymptotic theory including a central limit theorem. The test is practically very appealing, being computationally cheap and straightforward to implement, as well as being applicable to a wide range of real‐life outbreak settings and to related problems in other fields.