bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Real‐time weakness of the global economy
Authors: Leiva‐León Danilo , Perez Quiros Gabriel , Rots Eyno 
Published: April 2024

SummaryWe propose an empirical framework to measure the real‐time weakness of the global economy. This framework relies on nonlinear factor models to identify recessionary and expansionary episodes, fitted to several macroeconomic variables, for the largest advanced and emerging economies. The country‐specific inferences are then combined to construct both a Global Weakness Index and a Global Intensity Index. As new economic data become available from different regions, this information is continually updated to provide high‐frequency, real‐time insights into (i) the strength of the global economy, (ii) the economic regions supporting this strength, (iii) country‐specific and global risk assessments, and (iv) the intensity of recessionary and expansionary episodes.
Nexus among disclosure quality, discretionary accruals and real earnings management practices: An empirical analysis of Malaysian public firms
Authors: Nuhu Muhammad Shaheer , Ahmad Zauwiyah , Zhee Lim Ying 
Published: April 2024

AbstractFollowing the financial crisis, business practice and regulatory have become much more interested in corporate disclosure on risk and risk management. The crises necessitate enhancing corporate governance (CG) processes, risk disclosure, reporting, and accounting. This paper aims to empirically analyze specific components of disclosure quality that could be associated with the likelihood of mitigating earnings management (EM) practices. The Bursa Malaysia website, Bloomberg, and the annual reports of the listed firms were utilized as the sources for the data. Descriptive statistics and GLS methods of panel regression were the analytical techniques used in the current investigation. Corporate data of the listed firms on Bursa Malaysia covering financial periods of 2011–2022 were used to examine the research hypotheses. The findings from the panel regression suggested that internal control system disclosure (ICSD) and intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) both have negative and significant associations to the likelihood of EM practices. However, the findings also established negative but insignificant relationships between corporate risk disclosure (CRD), corporate voluntary disclosure (CVD), and the likelihood of EM practices across the sample. This study has implications to companies striving to satisfy shareholders and attract potential investors. The authors add to the growing body of literature on quality disclosure to the larger body of CG literature. Additionally, the study is original as it is the first to consider four qualities (internal control system disclosure, corporate risk disclosure and corporate voluntary disclosure, and voluntary ICD in the Malaysian context of EM practices.
Profiles of psychological flexibility and caregiving experience in dementia family caregivers: A latent profile analysis
Authors: Morimoto Hiroshi 
Published: April 2024

AbstractObjectivesTo explore the profiles of psychological flexibility among dementia family caregivers and examine their associations with psychological well‐being and caregiving factors.MethodsParticipants were 521 dementia family caregivers in Japan. Latent profile analysis was conducted to explore the profiles of psychological flexibility. The analyses examined differences in depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, and work‐family conflict/enrichment between the profiles, and whether sociodemographic variables and caregiving stressors predict the profile.ResultsFour distinct profiles were identified: high psychological flexibility (14.2%), moderate psychological flexibility with high commitment (24.7%), moderate psychological flexibility with low commitment (48.0%), and low psychological flexibility (13.1%). The low psychological flexibility profile exhibited the highest scores of depression, anxiety and work–family conflict, followed by the moderate psychological flexibility with low/high commitment profiles, and the high psychological flexibility profile. The high psychological flexibility and moderate psychological flexibility with high commitment profiles exhibited higher life satisfaction than the moderate psychological flexibility with low commitment profile. Caregiving stressors, marital status, and caregiver status predicted the profile.ConclusionEnhancing defusion and acceptance, rather than increasing commitment to personal values, may be beneficial in supporting distressed caregivers. Having more caregiving stressors, being single/divorced/bereaved, and being a primary caregiver may be useful indicators of decreased psychological flexibility among dementia family caregivers.
Association of Vancomycin AUC/MIC and Trough Concentration With Early Clinical Response in Enterococcus or Coagulase‐Negative Staphylococcus Infection: A Prospective Study
Authors: Pitayakittiwong Chuleephorn , Sermsappasuk Pakawadee , Meesing Atibordee , Jaisue Siriluk 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis study was condcuted to examine the association of area under the curve (AUC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and trough concentration (Ctrough) of vancomycin with treatment outcome and nephrotoxicity in infections caused by Enterococcus spp. and coagulase‐negative Staphylococci (CoNS). Peak and trough concentrations were used to calculate AUC in 89 patients receiving vancomycin for infections with Enterococcus spp. (n = 65) or CoNS (n = 24). Correlations between Ctrough, AUC/MIC, early clinical response (ECR), and nephrotoxicity were assessed and cutoff values were determined. Sixty‐three (70.8%) patients showed improvement in ECR and 10 (11.2%) experienced nephrotoxicity. Enterococcus spp. infections displayed correlations between AUC/MIC and ECR for AUC0‐24 h/MIC (r2 = 0.27, P ≤ .05) and AUC24‐48 h/MIC (r2 = 0.28, P ≤ .05), but not for Ctrough (r2 = 0.21, P > .05). There were no correlations between Ctrough (r2 = 0.26, P > .05), AUC0‐24 h/MIC (r2 = −0.12, P > .05), AUC24‐48 h/MIC (r2 = 0.01, P > .05) and ECR for CoNS. In the CoNS group, a moderate correlation was found between ECR and Ctrough at a cutoff value of 6.9 μg/mL. In addition, nephrotoxicity is also moderately associated with AUC0‐24 h and AUC24‐48 h at 505.7 and 667.1 μg•h/mL, respectively. A strong correlation between nephrotoxicity and Ctrough was observed when the cutoff value was 18.9 μg/mL. AUC/MIC during the first 48 h was a determinant of vancomycin efficacy in Enterococcus infections but not for CoNS. Ctrough was not correlated with clinical outcome. Nephrotoxicity could be predicted using Ctrough and AUC for infections with both pathogens.
Humic acid enhances phosphorus transport in soil and uptake by maize
Authors: Rosolem Ciro A. , Nascimento Carlos A. C. , Bertolino Karina M. , Picoli Lais B. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundMost of the phosphorus (P) applied to low fertility, acidic tropical soils with high iron and aluminum oxide contents end up adsorbed to soil colloids and not available to crops. Diffusion of P from fertilizers was found to be facilitated by coating with humic substances and by soil moisture.AimHowever, there is still controversy on the effect of humic substances on soil P forms and diffusion, and there is a gap in the knowledge of how coating the fertilizer interacts with soil water.MethodsWe studied P diffusion and availability from a conventional single superphosphate and a humic acid‐coated superphosphate in Petry dishes as affected by soil moisture and the effect of the distance of the fertilizer to the roots using a root‐matt methodology.ResultsCoating single superphosphate with humic substances from leonardite (0.5%) and increasing water moisture resulted in improved P diffusion in the soil and plant P uptake. Maize dry matter increased by humic acid‐coated phosphate from 3% to 26%, depending on the distance from the fertilizer to the roots. Therefore, there is evidence of a lower P adsorption to soil colloids. The coated fertilizer increased labile P by 76% around the fertilizer granule, while higher levels of less labile P were observed with the use of conventional single superphosphate.ConclusionAll this resulted in facilitated P transport from the soil to the roots, which is important mainly in double‐cropped systems where the second crop is usually exposed to temporary drought.
Digital health–based exposure therapies for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Yoshikawa Mayu , Narita Zui , Kim Yoshiharu 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAlthough exposure therapies have established effects in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these therapies might be hindered by issues of cost, distance, time, and human resources, which are potentially alleviated by digital health. Despite the potential of digital health, there is currently no systematic review specifically evaluating digital health–based exposure therapies. We aimed to conduct a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the impact of digital health–based exposure therapies in treating patients with PTSD. A literature search was conducted from December 31, 2023, to February 22, 2024, using the PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases. A total of 12 RCTs with 1,361 participants were included in the systematic review. These RCTs were conducted mainly in the United States and primarily enrolled military samples. Overall, the utility of digital health–based exposure therapies appeared plausible and comparable to that of in‐person therapies. The dropout rate was counterintuitively high, potentially due to technological issues and the absence of personal connections. The findings suggest that digital health–based exposure therapies may potentially resolve the issues of cost, distance, time, and human resources in the treatment of patients with PTSD. Future RCTs should employ larger sample sizes. Addressing technological challenges and the absence of personal connection may be important in resolving the high dropout rate.
Recent Advances in Preparation and Structure of Polyurethane Porous Materials for Sound Absorbing Application
Authors: Dong Shan , Duan Yinying , Chen Xinyan , You Feng , Jiang Xueliang , Wang Dongrui , Hu Dongdong , Zhao Pei 
Published: April 2024

AbstractVarious acoustic materials are developed to resolve noise pollution problem in many industries. Especially, materials with porous structure are broadly used to absorb sound energy in civil construction and transportation area. Polyurethane (PU) porous materials possess excellent damping properties, good toughness, and well‐developed pore structures, which have a broad application prospect in sound absorption field. This work aims to summarize the recent progress of fabrication and structure for PU porous materials in sound absorption application. The sound absorption mechanisms of porous materials are introduced. Different kinds of structure for typical PU porous materials in sound absorption application are covered and highlighted, which include PU foam, modified PU porous materials, aerogel, templated PU, and special PU porous materials. Finally, the development direction and existing problems of PU material in sound absorption application are briefly prospected. It can be expected that porous PU with high sound absorption coefficient can be obtained by using some facile methods. The design and accurate regulation of porous structures or construction of multilayer sound absorption structure is favorably recommended to fulfill the high demand of industrial and commercial applications in the future work.
Inventory control for reusable express packaging with under sharing policy
Authors: Sun Hong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractOnline shopping and e‐commerce have contributed significantly to the environmental pollution caused by the generation of packaging waste. In response to this issue, reusable express packaging has emerged as a promising solution. However, the widespread adoption of reusable express packaging faces significant challenges, namely, the initial investment burden and the complexities associated with recycling. To address these challenges and enhance resource utilization efficiency while minimizing supply–demand discrepancies, inventory sharing has emerged as an effective measure. We first establish an inventory model for reusable express packaging, which takes into account stochastic loss rates and customer service level. We further extend our research to scenarios involving both inventory sharing and competition. We substantiate the value of inventory sharing and the impact of competition through comprehensive numerical analyses. Our findings demonstrate that inventory sharing contributes to enhancing the profits of express delivery companies, especially with a more pronounced effect in companies where competition exists.
20 potentially new compounds and 11 new bioactive constituents found in Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma utilizing HPLC‐DAD‐ESI‐IT‐TOF‐MSn
Authors: Gegentana  , Xu Feng , Huang Yan‐Fei , Li Hong‐Fu , Yang Ping , Shang Ming‐Ying , Liu Guang‐Xue , Li Yao‐Li , Wang Xuan , Cai Shao‐Qing 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIntroductionSmilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SGR) is rich in chemical constituents with a variety of pharmacological activities. However, in‐depth research has yet to be conducted on the chemical and pharmacodynamic constituents of SGR.Materials and methodsIn this study, the chemical constituents of SGR were analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and the pharmacodynamic compounds responsible for the medicinal effects of SGR were elucidated through a literature review.ResultsIn total, 20 potentially new compounds, including 16 flavonoids (C19, C20, and C27–C40) and four phenylpropanoids (C107, C112, C113, and C118), together with 161 known ones were identified in the ethanol extract of SGR using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and 25 of them were unequivocally identified by comparison with reference compounds. Moreover, 17 known constituents of them were identified in the plants of genus Smilax for the first time, and 16 were identified in the plant Smilax glabra Roxb. for the first time. Of 161 known compounds, 84 constituents (including isomers) have been reported to have 17 types of pharmacological activities, covering all known pharmacological activities of SGR; among these 84 bioactive constituents, six were found in the plants of genus Smilax for the first time and five were found in S. glabra for the first time, which are new bioactive constituents found in the plants of genus Smilax and the plant S. glabra, respectively.ConclusionThe results provide further information on the chemical composition of SGR, laying the foundation for the elucidation of the pharmacodynamic substances of SGR.
Analysis of quality evaluation and optimal harvest period of Aurantii Fructus from different sources using UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS
Authors: Liu Zi Xuan , Wang Ling , Fu Xue Sen , Long Yu Qing , Zeng Juan , Chen Guang Yu , Zhou Ri Bao , Liu Xiang Dan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIntroductionThe active constituents in Aurantii Fructus sourced from different regions within Hunan Province exhibit variations, with certain samples demonstrating substandard quality.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the chemical composition and quality of Aurantii Fructus from various sources, establish a robust methodology for quality evaluation, and determine the optimal harvesting period.Materials and methodsThe components of Aurantii Fructus were qualitatively analyzed using a non‐targeted metabolomics approach. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted to identify potential markers, enabling qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the quality and optimal harvest period of Aurantii Fructus.ResultsOverall, 155 compounds were identified in Aurantii Fructus, with Huangpi exhibiting the highest number of components. Eleven potential markers were selected to assess the quality of Aurantii Fructus. The average content of Huangpi was the highest, indicating a high level of similarity. The samples’ overall scores were ordered as follows: Huangpi > Xiangcheng > Choucheng > Daidai. Anren and Changde's Huangpi exhibited high contents, being rich in chemical components, resulting in favorable scores. Similarly, Changde's Xiangcheng displayed significant medicinal value. As the harvest time was delayed, there was an increase in fruit size, accompanied by thinner peels and a continuous decrease in the contents of potential markers. The best harvest period of Aurantii Fructus was within 1 week before and after the Lesser Heat.ConclusionThe present study establishes a precise and efficient method for evaluating the quality of Aurantii Fructus, thereby providing more comprehensive insights into its composition. This research lays the foundation for subsequent development and utilization of Aurantii Fructus.
Optimal Quantum Circuits for General Multi‐Qutrit Quantum Computation
Authors: Jiang Gui‐Long , Liu Wen‐Qiang , Wei Hai‐Rui 
Published: April 2024

AbstractQuantum circuits of a general quantum gate acting on multiple ‐level quantum systems play a prominent role in multi‐valued quantum computation. A recursive Cartan decomposition of semi‐simple unitary Lie group (arbitrary ‐qutrit gate) is first proposed with a rigorous proof, which completely decomposes an ‐qutrit gate into local and non‐local operations. On this basis, an explicit quantum circuit is designed for implementing arbitrary two‐qutrit gates, and the cost of the construction is 21 generalized controlled (GCX) and controlled increment (CINC) gates less than the earlier best result of 26 GGXs. Furthermore, the program is extended to the ‐qutrit system, and the quantum circuit of generic ‐qutrit gates contained GGXs and CINCs is presented. Such asymptotically optimal structure is the best known result so far and its strength becomes more remarkable as increases, for example, when , the program saves 7146 GCXs compared to the previous best result. In addition, concrete recursive decomposition expressions is given for each non‐local operation instead of only quantum circuit diagrams.
A genome wide association study to identify germline copy number variants associated with cancer cachexia: a preliminary analysis
Authors: Narasimhan Ashok , Kumaran Mahalakshmi , Gioulbasanis Ioannis , Skipworth Richard J.E. , Bathe Oliver F. , Kaasa Stein , Strasser Florian , Gagnon Bruno , Baracos Vickie , Damaraju Sambasivarao 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundCancer cachexia is characterized by severe loss of muscle and fat involving a complex interplay of host–tumour interactions. While much emphasis has been placed on understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with cachexia, understanding the heritable component of cachexia remains less explored. The current study aims to identify copy number variants (CNV) as genetic susceptibility determinants for weight loss in patients with cancer cachexia using genome wide association study (GWAS) approach.MethodsA total of 174 age‐matched patients with oesophagogastric or lung cancer were classified as weight losing (>10% weight loss) or weight stable participants (<2% weight loss). DNA was genotyped using Affymetrix SNP 6.0 arrays to profile CNVs. We tested CNVs with >5% frequency in the population for association with weight loss. Pathway analysis was performed using the genes embedded within CNVs. To understand if the CNVs in the present study are also expressed in skeletal muscle of patients with cachexia, we utilized two publicly available human gene expression datasets to infer the relevance of identified genes in the context of cachexia.ResultsAmong the associated CNVs, 5414 CNVs had embedded protein coding genes. Of these, 1583 CNVs were present at >5% frequency. We combined multiple contiguous CNVs within the same genomic region and called them Copy Number Variable Region (CNVR). This led to identifying 896 non‐redundant CNV/CNVRs, which encompassed 803 protein coding genes. Genes embedded within CNVs were enriched for several pathways implicated in cachexia and muscle wasting including JAK–STAT signalling, Oncostatin M signalling, Wnt signalling and PI3K‐Akt signalling. This is the first proof of principle GWAS study to identify CNVs as genetic determinants for cancer cachexia. Further, we show that a subset of CNV/CNVR embedded genes identified in the current study are common with the previously published skeletal muscle gene expression datasets, indicating that expression of CNV/CNVR genes in muscle may have functional consequences in patients with cachexia. These genes include CPT1B, SPON1, LOXL1, NFAT5, RBFOX1, and PCSK6 to name a few.ConclusionsThis is the first proof of principle GWAS study to identify CNVs as genetic determinants for cancer cachexia. The data generated will aid in future replication studies in larger cohorts to account for genetic susceptibility to weight loss in patients with cancer cachexia.
Finite‐time mixed ℋ∞$$ {\mathscr{H}}_{\infty } $$ and passive filtering for nonlinear singular systems under fading channels
Authors: Cai Li‐Juan , Chang Xiao‐Heng 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis article focuses on the finite‐time mixed and passive filtering problem for discrete‐time singular systems with randomly occurring nonlinear perturbations. The main purpose is to design a filter, which ensures the singular error system is stochastically finite‐time bounded and satisfies mixed and passive performance. By constructing an augmented matrix, the properties of matrix determinant and rank are used to prove that the singular system is regular and causal, Finsler's lemma and Projection lemma are used in the design process to acquire additional slack variable matrices, thereby enhancing the solution space with extra degrees of freedom. Then, the unknown parameters of the filter are obtained by solving the less conservative linear matrix inequalities. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method is verified through a common numerical example and by controlling a DC motor for an inverted pendulum.
PAW: Prediction of wildlife animals using a robot under adverse weather conditions
Authors: Kaur Parminder , Kansal Sachin , Singh V. P. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractImage dehazing and object detection are two different research areas that play a vital role in machine learning. When merged together and implemented in real‐time, it is a boon in the field of artificial intelligence, specifically robotics. Object detection and tracking are two of the major implementations in almost the entire robot's training and learning. The learning of the robot depends on the images; these images can be camera‐captured images or a pretrained data set. Real‐time outdoor images clicked in bad weather conditions, such as mist, haze, smog, and fog, often suffer from poor visibility, and the consequences are incorrect results and hence an unexpected robot's behavior. To overcome these consequences, we have presented a novel approach to object detection and identification during adverse weather conditions. This method is proposed to be implemented in a real‐time environment to monitor animal behavior near railway tracks during fog, haze, and smog. This is not limited to specific application areas but can be used to identify endangered species and take active steps to save them from mishap. The deployment is done in a real‐time indoor environment using Tortoisebot mobile robot with a robot operating system framework.