bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relative corporate social performance and cost of equity capital: International evidence
Authors: Lynch Benjamin , O'Hagan‐Luff Martha 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis research examines the relationship between firms' corporate social performance (CSP) and the implied cost of equity capital using a sample of 25,938 firm‐year observation from 49 countries during the period from 2002 to 2021. Using estimates of the firms' ex ante cost of equity capital, we examine its relationship with industry‐relative measures of the firms' CSP, its environmental and social pillars and sub‐pillars. We find that increased overall CSP reduces a firm's cost of equity capital up until a point, beyond which the marginal benefits of further CSP investment decrease. We find that the social pillar is the main driver of the reductions in cost of capital, in particular, a firm's performance in relation to its workforce, and that higher performance is increasingly rewarded with a lower cost of capital. Finally, we find that this relationship differs depending on the institutional context, with greater reductions in the cost of capital evident in countries with stronger institutional environments.
Multi-Targeting DKK1 and LRP6 Prevents Bone Loss and Improves Fracture Resistance in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Simic Marija K. , Mohanty Sindhu T. , Xiao Ya , Cheng Tegan L. , Taylor Victoria E. , Charlat Olga , Croucher Peter I. , McDonald Michelle M. 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
An imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation underlies the devastating osteolytic lesions and subsequent fractures seen in more than 90% of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Currently, Wnt-targeted therapeutic agents that prevent soluble antagonists of the Wnt signaling pathway, sclerostin (SOST) and dickkopf-1 (DKK1), have been shown to prevent bone loss and improve bone strength in preclinical models of MM. In this study, we show increasing Wnt signaling via a novel anti–low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) antibody, which potentiates Wnt1-class ligand signaling through binding the Wnt receptor LRP6, prevented the development of myeloma-induced bone loss primarily through preventing bone resorption. When combined with an agent targeting the soluble Wnt antagonist DKK1, we showed more robust improvements in bone structure than anti-LRP6 treatment alone. Micro–computed tomography (μCT) analysis demonstrated substantial increases in trabecular bone volume in naïve mice given the anti-LRP6/DKK1 combination treatment strategy compared to control agents. Mice injected with 5TGM1eGFP murine myeloma cells had significant reductions in trabecular bone volume compared to naïve controls. The anti-LRP6/DKK1 combination strategy significantly improved bone volume in 5TGM1-bearing mice by 111%, which was also superior to anti-LRP6 single treatment; with similar bone structural changes observed within L4 lumbar vertebrae. Consequently, this combination strategy significantly improved resistance to fracture in lumbar vertebrae in 5TGM1-bearing mice compared to their controls, providing greater protection against fracture compared to anti-LRP6 antibody alone. Interestingly, these improvements in bone volume were primarily due to reduced bone resorption, with significant reductions in osteoclast numbers and osteoclast surface per bone surface demonstrated in 5TGM1-bearing mice treated with the anti-LRP6/DKK1 combination strategy. Importantly, Wnt stimulation with either single or combined Wnt-targeted agents did not exacerbate tumor activity. This work provides a novel approach of targeting both membrane-bound and soluble Wnt pathway components to provide superior skeletal outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma and other bone destructive cancers. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Quercetin handles cellular oxidant/antioxidant systems and mitigates immunosenescence hallmarks in human PBMCs: An in vitro study
Authors: Bouamama Samia , Bouamama Amina 
Published: March 2023

AbstractImmunosenescence, oxidative stress, and low vaccine efficacy are important symptoms of aging. The goal of our study was to test if quercetin had antiaging and stimulating effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) immune cells in vitro in the presence of concanavalin a, PBMCs were isolated from healthy elderly and young people and cultured in a complete Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 medium supplemented with quercetin. Cell proliferation was assessed using the 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay after a 48‐h incubation period. Spectrophotometric assays were used to assess oxidative biomarkers (proteins carbonyl [PC], malondialdehydes [MDA], and reduced glutathione [GSH]). The enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method was used to determine the amount of interleukin (IL)‐2 released. A Griess reagent was used to investigate inducible nitrite oxide synthase (iNOS) activity. When compared to young control cells, aged PBMCs had lower proliferation potency, lower IL‐2 and NO release, and higher MDA and PC levels. Importantly, quercetin‐treated aged PBMCs have a high proliferative response comparable to young cells, restored iNOS activity, and increased levels of GSH antioxidant defences. In comparison to untreated aged PBMCs, treated PBMCs have lower lipo‐oxidative damage but higher PC levels. Quercetin may be used as a promising dietary vaccinal adjuvant in the elderly, it has significant effects in reducing immunosenescence hallmarks, as well as mitigating the lipo‐oxidative stress in PBMCs cells.
Sulforaphene targets NLRP3 inflammasome to suppress M1 polarization of macrophages and inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Ye Qiao , Yan Tingting , Shen Jie , Shi Xianghui , Luo Fang , Ren Yanxia 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis work aimed to explore the therapeutic effect and target of sulforaphene (LF) in mice with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and IFN‐γ were added to induce the M1 polarization of SMG cells, and later cells were pretreated with 5 μM and 15 μM LF. M1 cell proportion was detected by flow cytometry (FCM), inflammatory factors were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and protein levels were analyzed by western blotting (WB) assay. Besides, small molecule‐protein docking and pull‐down assays were carried out to detect the binding of LF to NLRP3. After the knockdown of NLRP3 in SMG cells, the effect of LF was further detected. The RA mouse model was induced with collagen antibody and LPS, after LF intervention, H&E staining was performed to detect the pathological changes in mouse synovial membrane, whereas safranin O‐fast green staining was performed to detect cartilage injury, NLRP3 inflammasome and inflammatory factor levels in tissues. LF suppressed M1 polarization of macrophages, reduced M1 cell proportion and inflammatory factor levels, and suppressed the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. After NLRP3 knockdown, LF did not further suppress the M1 polarization of macrophages. Pull‐down assay suggested that LF bound to NLRP3. As revealed by mouse experimental results, LF inhibited bone injury in mice, decreased M1 cell infiltration and inflammatory response in tissues, and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome expression in tissues. LF targets NLRP3 to suppress the M1 polarization of macrophages and decrease tissue inflammation in RA.
Prospective of pretreatment and anaerobic digestion of dairy cow manure in Fiji
Authors: Nadan Malvin K , Baroutian Saeid 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe continuing increase in dairy cattle farming poses a significant threat to the environment due to the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) from uncontrolled manure generation. Waste valorisation of dairy cow manure (DCM) through anaerobic digestion (AD) provides an avenue for simultaneously managing DCM and mitigating climate change through renewable energy. This review provides an overview of DCM production and the potential use of the AD processes for waste management and renewable energy generation in Fiji. Fiji dairy farms are geographically unevenly distributed and have considerably small herd sizes. With pretreatment techniques, biogas production from DCM at these farms has the potential to be optimised, economically feasible, and viable. Biogas production from DCM can be enhanced by approximately 125% with pretreatment techniques. Hence, this study reviews various pretreatment methods, their economic and environmental benefits, and AD's general challenges and limitations. This research reveals a need for further investigation into the optimisation of biogas and bio‐methane potential of DCM, specifically with the economic viability and the environmental considerations of implementing these techniques at Fijian dairy farms. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Secondary data analysis of social care records to examine the provision of mental health support for young people in care
Authors: Phillips Alice R. , Halligan Sarah L. , Denne Megan , Hamilton‐Giachritsis Catherine , MacLeod John A. A. , Wilkins David , Hiller Rachel M. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundYoung people in care are much more likely to experience mental health difficulties than the general population, yet little is known about the provision of mental health support for this group in the United Kingdom.MethodsUsing routinely collected social care data, we explored the provision of mental health support for 112 young people in care in the UK. We identified young people experiencing elevated internalising or externalising difficulties in their first year in care (based on strengths and difficulties questionnaire scores) and extracted data on mental health referrals and provision. We generated descriptive statistics relating to provision of mental health support and used regressions to examine predictors of mental health provision, and associations between support and mental health outcomes one and 2 years later.ResultsEighty‐one percent of the children (n = 79) were referred to mental health services in their first year of being in care. Referrals were usually for emotional or conduct problems. Those with higher externalising symptoms were more likely to be referred than those with higher internalising symptoms (OR = 1.2, (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.38)). Females were more likely to access support than males (OR = 3.82 (95% CI: 1.2, 13.3)). Sixty‐eight percent of children (n = 66) accessed mental health services in their first year of being in care. Of those who accessed services, support ended prematurely for 29 (44%) of them, often due to placement instability or disengagement. Accessing support in the first year of care was not associated with changes in mental health 1 year (OR: 2.14 (95% CI: 0.62,7.29)), or 2 years after entering care (OR: 0.72–8.57, (95% CI: 0.72, 8.57)), although methodological limitations are noted.ConclusionsMental health difficulties for children in care are recognised quickly, but mental health support may be difficult to access, with issues evident in retention and engagement.
Alterations in Resting‐State MR Functional Connectivity of the Central Autonomic Network in Multiple System Atrophy and Relationship with Disease Severity
Authors: Lyu Haiying , Zhu Xue , He Naying , Li Qing , Yin Qianyi , Huang Yufei , Yan Fuhua , Liu Jun , Lu Yong 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThe central autonomic network (CAN) plays a critical role in the body's sympathetic and parasympathetic control. However, functional connectivity (FC) changes of the CAN in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) remain unknown.PurposeTo investigate FC alterations of CAN in MSA patients.Study TypeProspective.PopulationEighty‐two subjects (47 patients with MSA [44.7% female, 60.5 ± 6.9 years], 35 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls [HC] [57.1% female, 62.5 ± 6.6 years]).Field Strength/Sequence3‐T, resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) using gradient echo‐planar imaging (EPI), T1‐weighted three‐dimensional magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient echo (3D MPRAGE) structural MRI.AssessmentFC alterations were explored by using core modulatory regions of CAN as seeds, including midcingulate cortex, insula, amygdala, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Bartlett factor score (BFS) derived from a factor analysis of clinical assessments on disease severity was used as a grouping factor for moderate MSA (mMSA: BFS < 0) and severe MSA (sMSA: BFS > 0).Statistical TestsFor FC analysis, the one‐way ANCOVA with cluster‐level family‐wise error correction (statistical significance level of P < 0.025), and post hoc t‐testing with Bonferroni correction or Tamhane's T2 correction (statistical significance level of adjusted‐P < 0.05) were adopted. Correlation was assessed using Pearson correlation or Spearman correlation (statistical significance level of P < 0.05).ResultsCompared with HC, patients with MSA exhibited significant FC aberrances between the CAN and brain areas of sensorimotor control, limbic network, putamen, and cerebellum. For MSA patients, most FC alterations of CAN, especially concerning FC between the right anterior insula and right primary sensorimotor cortices, were found to be significantly correlated with disease severity. FC changes were found to be more significant in sMSA group than in mMSA group when compared with HCs.Data ConclusionMSA shows widespread FC changes of CAN, suggesting that abnormal functional integration of CAN may be involved in disease pathogenesis of MSA.Level of Evidence2Technical EfficacyStage 3
Identification of three medically important mosquito species using Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Omucheni Dickson L. , Kaduki Kenneth A. , Mukabana Wolfgang R. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAccurate identification of disease vectors is crucial when collecting epidemiological data. In mosquitoes, which transmit diseases like malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya, and dengue fever, identification mainly relies on the observation of external morphological features at different life cycle stages. This process is tedious and labor‐intensive. In this paper, the utility of Raman spectroscopy to discriminate and classify three mosquito species, namely,Aedes aegypti,Anopheles gambiae,andCulex quinquefasciatus,is presented. The three species were chosen to represent two subfamilies of medically important mosquitoes, that is, the Anophelinae and the Culicinae. The study is primarily a proof of concept on the potential of Raman spectroscopy in mosquito taxonomy. A dispersive Raman microscope was used to record spectra from the legs (femur and tibia) of fresh anesthetized laboratory‐bred mosquitoes. Broad peaks centered around 1400, 1590, and 2060 cm−1dominated the spectra. These peaks, attributed to cuticular melanin, were important in mosquito discrimination. Variance threshold (VT) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used for feature selection and feature extraction, respectively. The extracted features were then used to train and test linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) classifiers. VT/PCA/QDA achieved an overall accuracy of 94%, a sensitivity of 87%, and a specificity of 96%, whereas VT/PCA/LDA attained an accuracy of 85%, a sensitivity of 69%, and a specificity of 90%. The success of these relatively simple classification models on Raman spectroscopy data lays the ground for future development of machine learning models that may include discrimination of cryptic species.
Proanthocyanidins composition in new varieties descended from Monastrell
Authors: Moreno‐Olivares Juan Daniel , Paladines‐Quezada Diego Fernando , Giménez‐Bañón María José , Bleda‐Sánchez Juan Antonio , Cebrián‐Pérez Ana , Gómez‐Martínez José Cayetano , Gil‐Muñoz Rocío 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe wine sector is constantly evolving, in order to adapt to consumer tastes. The organoleptic characteristics in wines are the main factors to obtain quality wines. Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are responsible in an important way for positive aspects in quality wines, such as body and color stability in red wines, but they are also responsible for sensory characteristics that can be negative for their quality when found in excessive concentrations. One strategy to improve grapevines and wines is to obtain new varieties, so our research institute has been selecting some of them from direct crosses between Monastrell and other considered premium varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.RESULTSA quantitative analysis in grapes, seeds and wines was carried out during three consecutive seasons (2018, 2019 and 2020) in order to characterize PAs composition and concentration in the following new varieties: MC80 (Monastrell × Cabernet Sauvignon), MC98, MC4, MC18 and MS10 (Monastrell × Syrah). Other aspect to study was the extraction capacity of the different new varieties of PAs during maceration process into must/wine.CONCLUSIONIn general, the results showed higher concentrations in PAs in most crosses for the three seasons studied compared to Monastrell variety. It was remarkable that a higher concentration of epigallocatechin was found in most of the wines elaborated with the crosses, being a positive aspect from an organoleptic point of view, since this compound provides softness to the wines. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Identity‐based bullying and mental health among Black and Latino youth: The moderating role of emotional suppression
Authors: Alvis Lauren , Douglas Robyn D. , Oosterhoff Benjamin , Gaylord‐Harden Noni K. , Kaplow Julie B. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe current study examined the prevalence of identity‐based bullying, the unique links between identity‐based bullying and mental health (i.e., depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]), and emotional suppression as a potential moderator of these links. Participants were 899 clinic‐referred Black and Latino youth aged 7–18 years (M= 13.37 years,SD= 2.75, 60.8% female). Regression analyses indicated youth who experienced identity‐based bullying victimization reported worse depressive symptoms and PTSS, controlling for co‐occurring trauma exposure and demographic characteristics. We did not find evidence that emotional suppression moderated these associations. The findings highlight the potentially traumatic nature of identity‐based bullying victimization in treatment‐seeking Black and Latino youth and speak to the need for identity‐based bullying risk screening.
Kinetic modeling and isotherm approach for biosorptive removal of hexavalent chromium using heat inactivated fungal biomass
Authors: Das Sasmita , Behera Bikash Chandra , Mohapatra Ranjan Kumar , Pradhan Biswaranjan , Sudarshan Mathummal , Chakraborty Anindita , Thatoi Hrudayanath 
Published: March 2023

AbstractTwo highly Cr (VI) resistant fungal strains, CSF‐1 and CSF‐2, were isolated and identified as Cladosporium sp. and Penicillium sp., respectively, using 18S rRNA gene sequencing. At optimized growth conditions, the dead biomass of Cladosporium sp. and Penicillium sp. has removed more than 99% of the supplemented Cr(VI). The kinetic study outcomes evidenced that the present fungal Cr(VI) biosorption is best fitting with the pseudo‐first‐order model with higher R2 values (i.e., 0.70–0.95) than that of the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model (R2 = 0.02–0.73). After analyzing the R2 values, it was observed that the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models best fit the Cr(VI) biosorption employing fungal biomass.
Genome‐wide association study of tuberculosis in the western Chinese Han and Tibetan population
Authors: Bai Hao , Song Mengyuan , Lei Shikun , Jiao Lin , Hu Xuejiao , Wu Tao , Song Jiajia , Liu Tangyuheng , Peng Wu , Zhao Zhenzhen , Meng Zirui , Ying Binwu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractTuberculosis (TB) remains a serious global public health threat. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that human susceptibility to TB has a strong genetic basis. And different susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been reported in different studies. To gain greater insight into the host susceptibility to TB, we perform a two‐stage genome‐wide association study to identify the susceptible loci of TB. In the discovery stage, 3116 (1532 TB patients and 1584 healthy controls) and 439 (211 TB patients and 228 healthy controls) individuals were genome‐wide genotyped from a western Chinese Han and Tibetan population, respectively. Based on the additive genetic model, we discovered 14 and three independent loci that had potential associations with TB susceptibility in the Chinese Han and Tibetan populations, respectively (p < 1 × 10−5). Furthermore, we conducted an imputation‐based meta‐analysis on another two East Asia cohorts to replicate our findings. We identified one independent locus harbored by the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes that was genome‐wide significantly associated with TB (lead SNP rs111875628 with a p‐value of 2.20 × 10−9). Our findings suggest a novel mechanism of the interaction with the HLA class II genes and reinforce the importance of the HLA class II alleles in response to TB.
Germline mutations in homologous recombination repair genes among Chinese pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients detected using next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Jiang Huiqin , Huang Fei , Chen Xinning , Zhang Li , Shen Minna , Pan Baishen , Wang Beili , Guo Wei 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundGenetic testing for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients is in constant development. However, the status of homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes in unselected Chinese PDAC has not been fully explored. This study aims to characterize the profile of germline mutations in HRR genes in Chinese PDAC patients.MethodsA cohort of 256 PDAC patients were enrolled at Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University between 2019 and 2021. Germline DNA was analyzed by next‐generation sequencing using a multigene panel of the 21 HRR genes.ResultsThe germline pathogenic (P)/likely pathogenic (LP) variant rates were 7.0% (18/256) in unselected patients with pancreatic cancer. Among them, 1.6% (4/256) were identified as harboring BRCA2 variants, and 5.5% (14/256) patients carried non‐BRCA variants. Variants were detected in eight non‐BRCA genes, including ATM (4, 1.6%), PALB2 (4, 1.6%), ATR (1, 0.4%), BRIP1 (1, 0.4%), CHEK2 (1, 0.4%), MRE11 (1, 0.4%), PTEN (1, 0.4%), and STK11 (1, 0.4%). ATM, BRCA2, and PALB2 were the most prevalent variant genes. If only BRCA1/2 was tested, 5.5% of P/LP variants would have been lost. Further, we found that the landscape of P/LP HRR variants in various population cohorts was quite different. However, no significant difference was found in clinical characteristics between germline HRR P/LP carriers and non‐carriers. In our study, one case carrying a germline PALB2 variant showed a long‐time response to platinum‐based chemotherapy and PARP inhibitor.ConclusionThis study comprehensively depicts the prevalence and characteristics of germline HRR mutations in unselected Chinese PDAC patients. Our findings show the clinical utility of a multigene panel may increase the detection of P/LP HRR carriers.