bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do Climate Change Regulatory Pressures Increase Corporate Environmental Sustainability Performance? The Moderating Roles of Foreign Market Exposure and Industry Carbon Intensity
Authors: Shui Xiaolong , Zhang Minhao , Wang Yichuan , Smart Palie 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis study focuses on climate change regulatory pressures at the national/regional level, which can be considered emergent institutions – newly established and subject to change – in contrast to established institutions. We explore their impact on the environmental sustainability performance of multinational enterprises, advancing beyond the extant literature's focus on their binary compliance reactions. Utilizing a sample of Standard & Poor's 1200 firms, our findings indicate that variations in climate change regulatory pressures at the national/regional level can account for differences in environmental sustainability performance at the corporate level. Moreover, this relationship is moderated by two critical firm characteristics: foreign market exposure and industry carbon intensity. Foreign market exposure, particularly in the context of developing countries, can diminish the positive effects of a home country's climate change regulatory pressures, while industry carbon intensity can amplify these effects.
Using and Interpreting Fixed Effects Models
Authors: BREUER MATTHIAS , DEHAAN ED 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACTFixed effects (FE) have emerged as a ubiquitous and powerful tool for eliminating unwanted variation in observational accounting studies. Unwanted variation is plentiful in accounting research because we often use rich data to test precise hypotheses derived from abstract theories. By eliminating unwanted variation, FE reduce concerns that omitted variables bias our estimates or weaken test power. FE are not costless, though, so their use should be carefully justified by theoretical and institutional considerations. FE also transform samples and variables in ways that are not immediately apparent, and in doing so affect how we should interpret regression results. This primer explains the mechanics of FE and provides practical guidance for the informed use, transparent reporting, and careful interpretation of FE models.
18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose PET‐CT‐guided pelvic chemoradiation therapy using helical tomotherapy for locally advanced carcinoma cervix without para‐aortic nodal disease: Clinical and patient‐reported outcomes from a prospective phase 2 study
Authors: Achari Rimpa Basu , Chakraborty Santam , Ray Soumendranath , Mahata Anurupa , Mandal Samar , Das Jayanta , Sarkar Kanishka , Mallick Indranil , Bhaumik Jaydip , Chakraborti Basumita , Ghosh Anik , Sen Saugata , Chandra Aditi , Chatterjee Sanjoy , Arunsingh Moses , Bhattacharyya Tapesh 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIntroductionLocally advanced carcinoma cervix (LACC) is a heterogeneous disease with variable combinations of primary tumour extensions with or without nodal involvement. Metabolic information from 18 fluro‐deoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with contrast‐enhanced computerized tomography (FDG PET‐CT) may potentially augment treatment decision‐making for LACC. This study ascertained FDG‐PET CT influence on chemoradiation therapy (CTRT) decisions in LACC. We report oncologic and patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs).MethodsFDG PET‐CT scans were reviewed independently by two nuclear medicine specialists and two radiation oncologists. Pelvic CTRT plan digressions were documented and therapy was adapted accordingly. Pelvis radiation (50 Gy/25#/5 weeks) using tomotherapy with weekly cisplatin was used in node‐negative disease. Dose‐escalated simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) 60 Gy/25#/5 weeks was delivered to involved pelvic nodes. All received brachytherapy. Post‐treatment PET‐CT scans were at 6 months. Functional assessment of cancer therapy scores were calculated at baseline, treatment completion, 3 months, 1 year and 3 years.ResultsBetween November 2015 and January 2018, 85 patients were screened, and 77 consented. Extrapelvic disease was seen in 12 (16%) patients (9 para‐aortic nodes, 2 distant metastases and 1 synchronous carcinoma breast); 60 patients were included in the final analysis. Decision changes were seen in 10/77 (13%) screened, 8/60 (13%) included and 32 (53.3%) received SIB. Post‐treatment, 27 (45%) had grade 2 GI/GU/GYN toxicity, one (2%) had grade 3 GI and five (8.3%) had grade 3 neutropenia. At median follow‐up of 54.2 months (95% CI 52.8–58.3), 5‐year local failure, pelvic nodal and para‐aortic nodal‐free survival were 86.8% (95% CI 78.0–96.6), 85.2% (95% CI 76.1–95.3) and 85.2% (95% CI 76.2–95.4). Functional assessment of cancer therapy trial outcome index (FACT TOI) improved by 10.43 at 3 months with no further decline. Grade 3 toxicity was noted for abdominal pain in one (1.7%), cystitis in four (6.7%) and lymphoedema in one (1.7%) at 5 years.ConclusionPET‐CT resulted in major decision changes in 13%. PET‐adapted CTRT was associated with acceptable toxicity, encouraging long‐term survival and improvement in PROMS.
Too cool for school: Participatory shirking and U.S. House passage of proxy voting
Authors: Mixon Franklin G. , Torgler Benno 
Published: June 2024

AbstractA large portion of the American electorate holds contempt for elected representatives who skip floor votes. As a result, political challengers, and the national political media in the U.S., rarely miss a chance to inform the electorate of the shirking behavior of its representatives. New research suggests that, in 2020, the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives may have developed protection, albeit temporary, to legislators who engage in shirking behavior. That protection came via passage of House Resolution 965, which authorized “remote voting by proxy” in the U.S. House of Representatives due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study extends the literature on proxy voting by empirically examining the factors that influenced the tendency of members of the U.S. House of Representatives to either shirk (i.e., skip) the vote on proxy voting (i.e., HR 965) or to vote in favor of the resolution (i.e., HR 965) allowing for the proxy vote. Econometric results suggest that Representatives' gender, age, legislative tenure, and past penchant for participatory shirking worked to determine parliamentary participation, and the direction of one's vote, on HR 965.
Rate and predictors of postoperative opioid use and high opioid exposure after surgery in New Zealand: a retrospective study
Authors: Gao Jessica Xiao Yue , Chan Amy Hai Yan , Gong Jiayi 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundAlthough excessive opioid use is a significant global health issue, there is a lack of literature on the prescribing patterns for postoperative opioid use and exposure after discharge among surgical patients. This study aimed to examine the rate and predictors of opioid dispensing and high opioid exposure after hospital discharge from surgery in New Zealand (NZ) between January 2007 to December 2019.MethodsThis is a retrospective population‐based cohort study inclusive of all ages and surgical specialties. Data were obtained from the NZ Ministry of Health's national health databases.Results1 781 059 patients were included in the study and 20.9% (n = 371 882) of surgical patients received opioids within 7 days after hospital discharge. From those who were dispensed with opioids after hospital discharge, 36.6% (n = 134 646) had high opioid exposure. Orthopaedic surgery (AOR 6.97; 95% CI 6.82–7.13) and history of opioid use (AOR 3.18; 95% CI 2.86–3.53) increased the odds of postoperative opioid dispensing and high opioid exposure respectively. Severe multi‐morbidity burden (AOR 0.76; 95% CI 0.73–0.78) and alcohol misuse (AOR 0.84; 95% CI 0.77–0.93) lowered the odds of postoperative opioid dispensing and high opioid exposure respectively.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a concerning rate of high opioid exposure among surgical patients after discharge. The predictors for postoperative opioid dispensing and high opioid exposure identified in our study provide insight into opioid prescribing patterns in NZ and inform future postoperative pain management.
Seed functional traits as predictors of seedling establishment success in Brazilian tropical forest restoration
Authors: de Souza Diego Cerveira , Engel Vera Lex 
Published: June 2024

AbstractSeveral ecological filters in deforested and degraded areas reduce seedling emergence and establishment and hinder ecological restoration by direct seeding. Understanding whether functional traits are related to a species' capacity to overcome these filters and predict their field performance might improve the success of direct seeding techniques for ecological restoration. We assessed eight seed functional traits of tropical tree species, seeking those that best explained their establishment success in direct seeding restoration projects. We analyzed a dataset from 52 studies that tested direct seeding techniques with tree species in Brazil. From each study, we collected the mean establishment percentage for all tree species. Seed mass, cotyledon function, and germination speed were the only functional traits that significantly affected the species establishment percentage in direct seeding restoration projects. Species with larger seeds, storage cotyledons, and faster germination had higher establishment percentages. Choosing species with these functional traits for seed mixes will provide higher establishment percentages and, consequently, improve restoration success by direct seeding techniques.
Histochemical and ultrastructural evaluation of myopic corneal lenticules based on refractive error
Authors: Oruz Oğuzhan , Şaker Dilek , Şimşek Firas , Eroğlu Mustafa , Polat Sait 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to investigate cell degeneration, apoptosis, and ultrastructural differences in refractive lenticules (RL) obtained using small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) compared with spherical equivalence (SE) refraction values.MethodsThis study included 84 eyes from 42 patients. Patients were divided into two groups according to the SE values: those with values below 4 diopters (D) (Group 1) and above 4 diopters (D) (Group 2). Patients who did not belong to the same SE group were excluded from the study. One RL obtained from each patient was separated for light microscopy and immunohistochemical examinations, and another for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examinations. Caspase‐3 for apoptosis and alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) for cell degeneration were evaluated using immunohistochemical examinations.ResultsHistological analyses showed that the density of collagen fibres was greater in Group 1 than in Group 2. Glycoaminoglycan and glycoprotein staining intensities were also higher in Group 1. TEM observations showed that Group 1 had intact cell and nuclear membranes, peripheral heterochromatin, and large nuclei, while Group 2 showed heterochromatin condensation and fragmentation, increased intracellular vacuoles, and loss of cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that α‐SMA and caspase‐3 were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsCell degeneration and apoptosis were significantly more common in the RLs with high SE values after SMILE surgery. The tissue response induced by surgery was more severe in the RLs with high SE values. This should be considered when reusing RLs.
Arctigenin derivative A‐1 ameliorates motor dysfunction and pathological manifestations in SOD1G93A transgenic mice via the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC‐1α and AMPK/SIRT1/IL‐1β/NF‐κB pathways
Authors: Xiong Bocheng , Yang Chao , Yang Xiao , Luo Song , Li Shangming , Chen Chongyang , He Kaiwu , Nie Lulin , Li Peimao , Li Shupeng , Huang Haiyan , Liu Jianjun , Zhang Zaijun , Xie Yongmei , Zou Liangyu , Yang Xifei 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAimAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive death of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to generalized muscle atrophy, paralysis, and even death. Mitochondrial damage and neuroinflammation play key roles in the pathogenesis of ALS. In the present study, the efficacy of A‐1, a derivative of arctigenin with AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) activation for ALS, was investigated.MethodsA‐1 at 33.3 mg/kg was administrated in SOD1G93A transgenic mice orally from the 13th week for a 6‐week treatment period. Motor ability was assessed before terminal anesthesia. Muscle atrophy and fibrosis, motor neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the spinal cord were evaluated by H&E, Masson, Sirius Red, Nissl, and immunohistochemistry staining. Protein expression was detected with proteomics analysis, Western blotting, and ELISA. Mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured using an assay kit.ResultsA‐1 administration in SOD1G93A mice enhanced mobility, decreased skeletal muscle atrophy and fibrosis, mitigated loss of spinal motor neurons, and reduced glial activation. Additionally, A‐1 treatment improved mitochondrial function, evidenced by elevated ATP levels and increased expression of key mitochondrial‐related proteins. The A‐1 treatment group showed decreased levels of IL‐1β, pIκBα/IκBα, and pNF‐κB/NF‐κB.ConclusionsA‐1 treatment reduced motor neuron loss, improved gastrocnemius atrophy, and delayed ALS progression through the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC‐1α pathway, which promotes mitochondrial biogenesis. Furthermore, the AMPK/SIRT1/IL‐1β/NF‐κB pathway exerted neuroprotective effects by reducing neuroinflammation. These findings suggest A‐1 as a promising therapeutic approach for ALS.
Policy diffusion in global biodiversity conservation: Learning, competition, coercion, and emulation amid US–China great‐power politics
Authors: Cheung Hubert , Song Annie Young , Di Marco Moreno , Biggs Duan 
Published: June 2024

AbstractCoordinated policies and effective global environmental governance are needed to address the global biodiversity crisis. Human dimensions like geopolitics influence conservation decision‐making and outcomes. The importance of considering these complex social factors is heightened in an era of renewed great‐power politics, as the intensifying US–China rivalry has direct implications for environmental governance and biodiversity outcomes. Can the US–China rivalry and its confrontational dynamics be channeled into conservation policymaking to improve biodiversity outcomes? Drawing from international relations and policy studies, policy diffusion theory can provide conservationists with useful insights into the interdependency of policy decisions. Here, we examine the four mechanisms—competition, coercion, learning, and emulation—of the classic model of policy diffusion theory in the context of environmental policymaking. We explore a case study for each mechanism to illustrate how it can benefit biodiversity conservation, and point to examples of relevant policies and actions that could improve outcomes. To operationalize this concept for conservation, we present a decision tree that conservationists can use to determine the most relevant policy diffusion mechanism in different policy contexts. Upon determining the appropriate mechanism, conservationists can take further steps to intentionally trigger the mechanism and catalyze conservation policy diffusion across jurisdictions.
Identification and prioritization of stepping stones for biodiversity conservation in forest ecosystems
Authors: Lapin Katharina , Hoffmann Johanna A. , Braun Martin , Oettel Janine 
Published: June 2024

AbstractHabitat degradation and fragmentation are two of the main drivers for biodiversity loss. To mitigate the negative impact of fragmentation in forests, conservation targets are increasingly addressing connectivity to facilitate the independent movement of species between habitat fragments to ensure genetic diversity and adaptation to climate change. In this article, we present a novel approach to identifying and prioritizing stepping stones for preserving connectivity based on national and regional biodiversity data for Austrian forest ecosystems. Our study identified forest areas where conservation measures should be taken to ensure future habitat connectivity by combining four indicator values with different requirements of a stepping stone habitat into a prioritization value. The four compounded indicators are: (i) the Protect Value, which includes distances to patches of protected areas with restricted management for the undisturbed development of retention areas, (ii) the Connect Value, which combines datasets of designated habitat corridors and connectivity areas in Austria based on landscape models and expert validation, (iii) the Species Value identifying species‐rich areas, and (iv) the Habitat Value identifying biotopes of high ecological value, key biodiversity areas, and sites of favorable protection status. Nonparametric tests revealed significant differences in prioritization value among the ecoregions of Austria and therefore encourage the consideration of stepping stone prioritization at local and regional context. Building upon the insights from this case study on Austrian forest ecosystems, we developed a robust framework derived from our methodology. This framework is designed to facilitate future implementations in diverse study regions, accounting for factors beyond connectivity crucial for identifying high value stepping stone habitats. We encourage adaptation of this framework to local data availability, species requirements, and local conditions. The compiled framework provides decision support for managers and conservationists for prioritizing areas to conserve and improve connectivity of forest habitats. However, it does not substitute on‐the‐ground field assessments of habitat quality and measures of functional connectivity.
The Political Economy of ‘Failure’ in The World Bank‐funded Bisri Dam in Lebanon
Authors: Khneisser Mona 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACTThe World Bank‐funded Bisri Dam in Lebanon represents an emblematic case of a high‐modernist project that has foundered on a mix of hydrogeological recalcitrance, popular opposition and compounding crises. Examining the popular contestation surrounding the Bisri Dam, this article offers a socio‐ecological material lens on post‐colonial state building and the political economy of infrastructural failure. Avoiding the analytical impasse of crisis epistemes and heuristics of failure within the long tradition of development studies on the Global South in general, and Lebanon in particular, the article poses a number of questions. How are ‘crises’ and ‘failures’ constitutive of capitalist development, and for whom are they generative? How can the ubiquitous failures of the promises of infrastructure become an opportunity for the re‐animation, re‐appropriation and re‐politicization of hydrogeologies and political imaginaries? Rather than perceiving them as aberrations, the author argues that failures are constitutive of high‐modernist infrastructural development, its liberal prescriptive techno‐political models, and the speculative logics of endless ruination. Yet, failures can also become generative, instigating new political imaginaries and historical subjectivities. The article pays special attention to competing modalities of power, focusing on the collective power of oppositional groups, coupled with the material recalcitrant power of local hydrogeology, in resisting unviable, speculative infrastructure.
Individual differences in internalizing symptoms in late childhood: A variance decomposition into cortical thickness, genetic and environmental differences
Authors: Tandberg Anneli D. , Dahl Andreas , Norbom Linn B. , Westlye Lars T. , Ystrom Eivind , Tamnes Christian K. , Eilertsen Espen M. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe brain undergoes extensive development during late childhood and early adolescence. Cortical thinning is a prominent feature of this development, and some researchers have suggested that differences in cortical thickness may be related to internalizing symptoms, which typically increase during the same period. However, research has yielded inconclusive results. We utilized a new method that estimates the combined effect of individual differences in vertex‐wise cortical thickness on internalizing symptoms. This approach allows for many small effects to be distributed across the cortex and avoids the necessity of correcting for multiple tests. Using a sample of 8763 children aged 8.9 to 11.1 from the ABCD study, we decomposed the total variation in caregiver‐reported internalizing symptoms into differences in cortical thickness, additive genetics, and shared family environmental factors and unique environmental factors. Our results indicated that individual differences in cortical thickness accounted for less than 0.5% of the variation in internalizing symptoms. In contrast, the analysis revealed a substantial effect of additive genetics and family environmental factors on the different components of internalizing symptoms, ranging from 06% to 48% and from 0% to 34%, respectively. Overall, while this study found a minimal association between cortical thickness and internalizing symptoms, additive genetics, and familial environmental factors appear to be of importance for describing differences in internalizing symptoms in late childhood.Research Highlights
We utilized a new method for modelling the total contribution of vertex‐wise individual differences in cortical thickness to internalizing symptoms in late childhood.
The total contribution of individual differences in cortical thickness accounted for <0.5% of the variance in internalizing symptoms.
Additive genetics and shared family environmental variation accounted for 17% and 34% of the variance in internalizing symptoms, respectively.
Our results suggest that cortical thickness is not an important indicator for internalizing symptoms in childhood, whereas genetic and environmental differences have a substantial impact.
Emergency communication networks on Twitter during Hurricane Irma: information flow, influential actors, and top messages
Authors: Hu Qian , An Seongho , Kapucu Naim , Sellnow Timothy , Yuksel Murat , Freihaut Rebecca , Dey Prasun Kanti 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis study combined network analysis with message‐level content analysis to investigate patterns of information flow and to examine messages widely distributed on social media during Hurricane Irma of 2017. The results show that while organisational users and media professionals dominated the top 100 information sources, individual citizens played a critical role in information dissemination. Public agencies should increase their retweeting activities and share the information posted by other trustworthy sources; doing so will contribute to the timely exchange of vital information during a disaster. This study also identified the active involvement of nonprofit organisations as information brokers during the post‐event stage, indicating the potential for emergency management organisations to integrate their communication efforts into those of nonprofit entities. These findings will inform emergency management practices regarding implementation of communication plans and policies, facilitate the embracement of new partner organisations, and help with establishing and sustaining effective communication ties with a wide range of stakeholders.