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Nanomagnetism and spintronics are currently active areas of research, with one of the main goals being the creation of low-energy-consuming magnetic memories based on nanomagnet switching. These types of devices could also be implemented in neuromorphic computing by crafting artificial neurons (ANs) that emulate the characteristics of biological neurons through the implementation of neuron models such as the widely used leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) with a refractory period. In this study, we have carried out numerical simulations of a 120 nm diameter, 250 nm length ferromagnetic nanowire (NW) with the aim of exploring the design of an artificial neuron based on the creation and destruction of a Bloch-point domain wall. To replicate signal integration, we applied pulsed trains of spin currents to the opposite faces of the ferromagnetic NW. These pulsed currents (previously studied only in the continuous form) are responsible for inducing transitions between the stable single vortex (SV) state and the metastable Bloch point domain wall (BP-DW) state. To ensure the system exhibits leak and refractory properties, the NW was placed in a homogeneous magnetic field of the order of mT in the axial direction. The suggested configuration fulfills the requirements and characteristics of a biological neuron, potentially leading to the future creation of artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on reversible changes in the topology of magnetic NWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop a topsoil with ecological functionality to meet mine rehabilitation and reestablishment of the desired final ecosystem considering different technosols bioremediation configurations. The substrates were amended with compost and malt residue to provide the organic fraction of the soil. In terms of nutrient requirements for fertile soils to sustain plant cover, the best configurations were attained, and this implies that the different amendments were necessary in influencing soil properties. The presence of Eragrostic tef ensured absence of metal mobilisation and an improved soil structure. The results showed that amendments and pH have direct linear correlations to plant growth. It was identified that dolomite (3%), calcite (5%) and gypsum (4%) are indicative of both higher biomass accumulation and degree of germination. Technosols have an improved soil-plant-water relations compared to that of stockpiled soil, therefore displaying potential for land rehabilitation and repurposing of coal waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) is the latest and most intriguing technology for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, due to its capability to generate irreversible and cardiomyocytes-selective electroporation of cell membranes by delivering microsecond-lasting high-voltage electrical fields, leading to high expectations. The first trials to assess the clinical success of PFA, reported an arrhythmia-free survival at 1-year of 78.5%, while other trials showed less enthusiastic results: 66.2% in paroxysmal and 55.1% in persistent AF. Nevertheless, real world data are encouraging. The isolation of pulmonary veins with PFA is easily achieved with 100% acute success. Systematic invasive remapping showed a high prevalence of durable pulmonary vein isolation at 75 and 90 days (range 84–96%), which were significatively lower in redo procedures (64.3%). The advent of PFA is prompting a reconsideration of the role of the autonomic nervous system in AF ablation, as PFA-related sparing of the ganglionated plexi could lead to the still undetermined effect on late arrhythmias' recurrences. Moreover, a new concept of a blanking period could be formulated with PFA, according to its different mechanism of myocardial injury, with less inflammation and less chronic fibrosis. Finally, in this review, we also compare PFA with thermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Markers that allow for the selection of tailored treatments for individual patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are yet to be identified. Our aim was to describe trends in real-life treatment usage. For this purpose, patients from the ENEIDA registry who received their first targeted IBD treatment (biologics or tofacitinib) between 2015 and 2021 were included. A subsequent analysis with Machine Learning models was performed. The study included 10,009 patients [71% with Crohn's disease (CD) and 29% with ulcerative colitis (UC)]. In CD, anti-TNF (predominantly adalimumab) were the main agents in the 1st line of treatment (LoT), although their use declined over time. In UC, anti-TNF (mainly infliximab) use was predominant in 1st LoT, remaining stable over time. Ustekinumab and vedolizumab were the most prescribed drugs in 2nd and 3rd LoT in CD and UC, respectively. Overall, the use of biosimilars increased over time. Machine Learning failed to identify a model capable of predicting treatment patterns. In conclusion, drug positioning is different in CD and UC. Anti-TNF were the most used drugs in IBD 1st LoT, being adalimumab predominant in CD and infliximab in UC. Ustekinumab and vedolizumab have gained importance in CD and UC, respectively. The approval of biosimilars had a significant impact on treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a condition with a multifactorial aetiology that affects the skin. It most often begins at preschool age and involves the skin. The disease's main symptom is intense itching, which occurs especially at night and affects the child's sleep, negatively impacting the quality of life of affected children and, consequently, their families. The difficulty in resting during the night leads to many problems during the day, particularly behavioural disorders and difficulties in paying attention at school, which results in learning impairment. The unexpected symptoms of AD are caused by pathophysiological processes that include many molecular pathways and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-31, IL-1, IL-2, TNF-a, and IL-6. Drawing on a comprehensive review of the literature in PubMed/MedLine, our review offers an in-depth exploration of both the psychosocial impacts of AD and the molecular processes that contribute to this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted from 2018 to 2023 to assess the presence of Salmonella in 280 hunted wild boar (carcasses after evisceration and skinning, N = 226; liver, N = 258; and fecal samples, N = 174). The overall prevalence was 2.86% (confidence interval 95%, 1.45–5.45%) with five positive samples detected in carcasses, three in the liver, and one in a fecal sample. This prevalence was in line with those found in nearby areas denoting a low number of positive samples. Positive animals were over 24 months of age and weighed, before skinning, 59.00 ± 9.11 Kg and no difference was detected in microbial loads between samples positive and negative for Salmonella (aerobic colony count of 4.59 and 4.66 log CFU/400 cm2, and Enterobacteriaceae count of 2.89 and 2.73 log CFU/400 cm2 (mean values) in positive and negative subjects, respectively). Salmonella Stanleyville was the most frequently isolated serotype. A semiquantitative risk assessment was conducted for the first time in game meat considering two products, meat cuts intended for cooking and fermented dry sausages. Only proper cooking can reduce the risk of ingestion of Salmonella to the minimum for consumers, whereas ready-to-eat dry sausages constitute risk products in terms of foodborne Salmonellosis (risk score of 64 out of 100). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The dynamic assessment of disease activity during the follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) remains a significant challenge. In this study, we aimed to identify the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) in the evaluation of activity of CD. Methods: In the retrospective study, patients diagnosed with CD in our hospital were included. All the diagnoses were confirmed by clinical symptoms and ileocolonoscopical results. All patients underwent intestinal ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations within 1 week of the ileocolonoscopy examinations. Acuson Sequoia (Siemens Healthineers, Mountain View, CA, USA) and Resona R9 Elite (Mindray Medical Systems, China) with curved array and Line array transducers were used. The CEUS examination was performed with SonoVue (Bracco SpA, Milan, Italy). DCE-US analysis was performed by UltraOffice (version: 0.3-2010, Mindray Medical Systems, China) software. Two regions of interest (ROIs) were set in the anterior section of the infected bowel wall and its surrounding normal bowel wall 2 cm distant from the inflamed area. Time–intensity curves (TICs) were generated and quantitative perfusion parameters were obtained after curve fittings. The Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) was regarded as the reference standard to evaluate the activity of CD. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were used to determine the diagnostic efficiency of DCE-US quantitative parameters. Results: From March 2023 to November 2023, 52 CD patients were included. According to SES-CD score, all patients were divided into active group with the SES-CD score > 5 (n = 39) and inactive group SES-CD score < 5 (n = 13). Most of the active CD patients showed bowel wall thickness (BWT) > 4.2 mm (97.4%, 38/39) or mesenteric fat hypertrophy (MFH) on intestinal ultrasound (US) scan (69.2%, 27/39). Color Doppler signal of the bowel wall mostly showed spotty or short striped blood flow signal in active CD patients (56.4%, 22/39). According to CEUS enhancement patterns, most active CD patients showed a complete hyperenhancement of the entire intestinal wall (61.5%, 24/39). The TICs of active CD showed an earlier enhancement, higher peak intensity, and faster decline. Among all CEUS quantitative parameters, amplitude-derived parameters peak enhancement (PE), wash-in area under the curve (WiAUC), wash-in rate (WiR), wash-in perfusion index (WiPI), and wash-out rate (WoR) were significantly higher in active CD than in inactive CD (p < 0.05). The combined AUROC of intestinal ultrasound features and DCE-US quantitative perfusion parameters in the diagnosis of active CD was 0.987, with 97.4% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 98.1% accuracy. Conclusions: DCE-US with quantitative perfusion parameters is a potential useful noninvasive imaging method to evaluate the activity of Crohn's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Zusammenfassung: Die atopische Dermatitis (AD) ist die häufigste entzündliche Haut-erkrankung und gilt als komplexe und heterogene Erkrankung. Kürzlich wurden verschiedene AD-Phänotypen beschrieben, die nach dem Alter des Patienten zu Beginn, dem ethnischen Hintergrund, der Krankheitsdauer und anderen Krankheitsmerkmalen definiert wurden und der Notwendigkeit eines personalisierten Behandlungsansatzes zugrunde liegen. Jüngste Fortschritte beim Verständnis der AD-Pathogenese führten zu einer echten translationalen Revolution und zu einer exponentiellen Erweiterung der therapeutischen Pipeline. Die Untersuchung von Biomarkern in klinischen Studien zu neuen Behandlungen trägt dazu bei, die Rolle jedes Zytokins und Immunwegs bei der AD zu klären und wird es ermöglichen, den einzigartigen immunologischen Fingerabdruck jeder AD-Untergruppe zu adressieren. Die personalisierte Medizin wird das ultimative Ziel dieser gezielten translationalen Forschung sein. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit diskutieren wir die Veränderungen in den Konzepten sowohl der Pathogenese als auch des Behandlungsansatzes für AD, heben die wissenschaftliche Begründung für jede zielgerichtete Behandlung hervor und berichten über die neuesten klinischen Daten zur Wirksamkeit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, 30% of the global population is overweight or obese, with projections from the World Obesity Federation suggesting that this figure will surpass 50% by 2035. Adipose tissue dysfunction, a primary characteristic of obesity, is closely associated with an increased risk of metabolic abnormalities, such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia, collectively termed metabolic syndrome. In particular, visceral fat accretion is considered as a hallmark of aging and is strongly linked to higher mortality rates in humans. Adipokines, bioactive peptides secreted by adipose tissue, play crucial roles in regulating appetite, satiety, adiposity, and metabolic balance, thereby rendering them key players in alleviating metabolic diseases and potentially extending health span. In this review, we elucidated the role of adipokines in the development of obesity and related metabolic disorders while also exploring the potential of certain adipokines as candidates for longevity interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR) and firm efficiency. Our research employed a two-stage analysis of 33,413 firm-year observations from between 2008 and 2020. First, we measured the level of firm efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Second, we used panel regression to investigate the impact of investments made by firms into ICSR on their efficiency. Our results showed that such investments into ICSR (e.g. on employee development) increased firm efficiency during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a set A of non-negative integers and a set B of positive integers, we are interested in computing all sets C (of positive integers) that are minimal in the family of sets K (of positive integers) such that (i) K contains no elements generated by non-negative integer linear combinations of elements in A and (ii) for any partition of an element in B there is at least one summand that belongs to K. To solve this question, we translate it into a numerical semigroups problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current decline in freshwater resources presents a significant global challenge to crop production, a situation expected to intensify with ongoing climate change. This underscores the need for extensive research to enhance crop yields under drought conditions, a priority for scientists given its vital role in global food security. Our study explores the effects of using humic and chitosan treatments to alleviate drought stress during critical growth phases and their impact on crop yield and water efficiency. We employed four different irrigation strategies: full irrigation, 70% irrigation at the early vine development stage, 70% irrigation during the storage root bulking stage, and 85% irrigation across both stages, complemented by full irrigation in other periods. The plants received either humic treatments through foliar spray or soil application, or chitosan foliar applications, with tap water serving as a control. Our findings highlight that the early vine development stage is particularly vulnerable to drought, with a 42.0% decrease in yield observed under such conditions. In normal growth scenarios, foliar application of humic substances significantly improved growth parameters, resulting in a substantial increase in yield and water efficiency by 66.9% and 68.4%, respectively, compared to the control treatment under full irrigation. For sweet potatoes irrigated with 70% water at the storage root bulking stage, ground application of humic substances outperformed both foliar applications of chitosan and humic in terms of yield results. The highest tuber yield and water efficiency were attained by combining chitosan and humic ground applications, regardless of whether 70% irrigation was used at the storage root bulking stage or 85% irrigation during both the early vine development and storage root bulking stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the global economic crisis due to COVID-19, consumer interest in CSR reports of global corporations has surged. CEO messages within these reports are crucial during such crises. This study aims to understand CEOs' perceptions of key CSR issues and corporate strategies during global crises. Utilizing topic modeling, CEO messages from Fortune Global's top 100 companies are analyzed before and after COVID-19. Compared to previous periods, social and environmental issues like climate change are more prominent. Key strategies include sustainable management development, risk management, and competitive advantage. This study offers insights into the importance of CSR reporting as a communication tool for managing stakeholders during crises. With COVID-19's global impact, understanding changes in global companies and comparing pre-crisis conditions contributes significantly to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that is frequently associated with cognitive disorders. These can arise directly from the primary disease, or be triggered by external factors in susceptible individuals due to PD or other predisposing factors. The cognitive disorders encompass PD-associated cognitive impairment (PD-CI), delirium, PD treatment-associated cognitive side effects, cognitive non-motor fluctuations, and PD-associated psychosis. Accurate diagnosis of delirium is crucial because it often stems from an underlying disease that may be severe and require specific treatment. However, overlapping molecular mechanisms are thought to be involved in both delirium and PD, leading to similar clinical symptoms. Additionally, there is a bidirectional interaction between delirium and PD-CI, resulting in frequent concurrent processes that further complicate diagnosis. No reliable biomarker is currently available for delirium, and the diagnosis is primarily based on clinical criteria. However, the screening tools validated for diagnosing delirium in the general population have not been specifically validated for PD. Our review addresses the current challenges in the diagnosis of these cognitive disorders and highlights existing gaps within this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desalinated seawater (DSW) has emerged as a promising solution for irrigation in regions facing water scarcity. However, adopting DSW may impact the existing cultivation model, given the presence of potentially harmful elements, among other factors. A three-year experiment was carried out to assess the short-term effects of four irrigation waters—freshwater (FW), DSW, a mix 1:1 of FW and DSW (MW), and DSW with low boron (B) concentration (DSW–B)—on a 'Rio Red' grapefruit orchard. These irrigation waters exhibited varying levels of phytotoxic elements, some potentially harmful to citrus trees. Sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) concentrations exceeded citrus thresholds in all treatments, except in DSW−B, whilst B exceeded toxicity levels in DSW and MW treatments. Leaf concentrations of Cl− and Na+ remained low in all treatments, whereas B approached toxic levels only in DSW and MW–irrigated trees. The rapid growth of the trees, preventing excessive accumulation through a dilution effect, protected the plants from significant impacts on nutrition and physiology, such as gas exchange and chlorophyll levels, due to phytotoxic elements accumulation. Minor reductions in photosynthesis in DSW–irrigated trees were attributed to high B in leaves, since Cl− and Na+ remained below toxic levels. The accelerated tree growth effectively prevented the substantial accumulation of phytotoxic elements, thereby limiting adverse effects on tree development and yield. When the maturation of trees reaches maximal growth, the potential accumulation of phytotoxic elements is expected to increase, potentially influencing tree behavior differently. Further study until the trees reach maturity is imperative for comprehensive understanding of the long-term effects of desalinated seawater irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates corruption-related disclosure in the banking industry, aiming to shed light on the reasons why financial institutions disclose corruption-related information in their annual financial reports. Using a total sample of 88 banks from the GIPSI countries during the period 2011-2019, our results reveal that, on average, banks involved in corruption issues disclose less on corruption-related matters than banks not involved in any corruption scandal. Moreover, banks not involved in corruption cases disclose even more information after other banks' corruption events become public. These basic relationships, however, are shaped by the characteristics of each particular country in terms of control of corruption and the specific regulation on non-traditional banking activities. Our results are robust to different specifications of econometric models, to alternative empirical methods accounting for potential reverse causality and sample selection concerns and to the inclusion of internal corporate governance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change and rising sea levels, the adverse impacts of storm surges on the environment, economy, and society of affected areas are becoming increasingly significant. However, due to differences in geography, climate, and other conditions among the affected areas, a single method for assessing the risk of storm surge disasters cannot be fully applicable to all regions. To address this issue, an increasing number of new methods and models are being applied in the field of storm surge disaster risk assessment. This paper introduces representative traditional statistical methods, numerical simulation methods, and artificial intelligence-based techniques in this field. It compares these assessment methods in terms of accuracy, interpretability, and implementation difficulty. The paper emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate assessment methods based on specific conditions and scientifically combining various methods in practice to improve the accuracy and reliability of storm surge disaster risk assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cities worldwide are at the frontline of environmental challenges during their future planning. Navi Mumbai presents many opportunities to move a city toward sustainability. The land is scarce for development purposes in Mumbai, which has resulted in the creation of the suburban area of Navi Mumbai. As the latter has numerous water bodies and drainage channels, which lie in the ecosensitive zone, to stop organic development, the environmental suitability index along with the accessibility index needs to be assessed to promote future organized growth. The present study investigated the planning of the new areas and assessed environmental suitability and accessibility for various zones seeking future development. The analytical derivation of the environmental suitability index was based on the parameters, subindex, and attributes of environmental issues in that area. The parameters included (1) soil permeability, (2) water-holding capacity, (3) porosity, (4) properties of groundwater and marine water, (5) properties of air, and (6) noise. The entire area was divided into five zones for the current work. The analytical framework was a developed methodology of indices calculated from five monitoring stations obtained from the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited, India (CIDCO). The accessibility parameters of the transportation network were measured using alpha indices (α). Finally, a nondominated sorting algorithm was used to obtain final suitability based on the Pareto optimality condition. The development suitability of an area was obtained by computing the environmental suitability index and accessibility index. This computation decides which of the five stations is best for which type of planning. The study developed a dimension-wise suitability index for Navi Mumbai, aiming to streamline the planning process and integrate policies essential for planning to attain sustainable development for Navi Mumbai. During future planning, policymakers and planners have often ignored environmental aspects in ecofragile areas. Hence, planning for new development in ecofragile areas has often been haphazard, piecemeal, and organic. The framework adopted in this paper, combining the environmental suitability index and the accessibility index, intended to assess the area's health and prescribe future actions to reduce the negative environmental impacts of development and regulate the same. The paper showed how data on soil, water, groundwater, air, and noise can be used in a simple mathematical model to compute the environmental suitability index of an area. Similarly, graph-theoretic measures of the whole transportation network can measure the accessibility index of the area. Finally, the development suitability of the area can be calculated by combining the environmental suitability index and the accessibility index. The level of domination result signifies the most suitable station/node for different types of development. Based on the results, policymakers and planners can determine an ecofragile area's future land use development as required. This model can further be adopted by local governing authorities to plan for zoning, zoning regulations, and approval of a proposed development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most significant challenges in arid and semi-arid regions is the presence of abiotic environmental stresses, particularly drought stress, which affects the growth and development of plants. Elaeagnus angustifolia, as a species resistant to drought stress, is utilized for revegetation of barren areas, soil conservation, and creation of green spaces. An experiment was conducted in Semnan city to assess the impact of varying levels of drought stress on one-year-old elm seedlings using a completely randomized design. The experiment included four stress levels: control (100% available water), mild stress (75% available water), moderate stress (50% available water), and severe stress (25% available water). The results indicated that there was no significant difference between drought stress levels regarding the height and diameter of seedlings, while significant differences were observed in leaf number, vitality, root dry weight, and stem dry weight. The control group and mild stress conditions exhibited the highest number of leaves (25), freshness (>95%), root dry weight (>5 grams), and stem dry weight (>8 grams). As drought stress levels increased, there was a noticeable decrease in the number of leaves, survival rate, freshness, root dry weight, and stem dry weight. Regarding the vitality of seedlings, it was found that vitality remained at 100% in all drought stress levels except for severe stress, where vitality gradually decreased to zero after 7 months. Generally, the results demonstrated that the best outcome, which included acceptable growth and optimal water consumption, was attainable under mild stress conditions (75% available water). Indeed, this species demonstrated the ability to endure moderate drought stress conditions (50% available water) with a 100% survival rate. Additionally, there was no significant difference in terms of the stem dry weight (7.5 grams) compared to the control sample. This indicates that the elm species is resilient to water stress and can be effectively utilized for planting in green spaces within dry climate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we will introduce the concept of ratio-covariety, as a family R of numerical semigroups that has a minimum, denoted by min (R) , is closed under intersection, and if S ∈ R and S ≠ min (R) , then S \ { r (S) } ∈ R , where r (S) denotes the ratio of S. The notion of ratio-covariety will allow us to: (1) describe an algorithmic procedure to compute R ; (2) prove the existence of the smallest element of R that contains a set of positive integers; and (3) talk about the smallest ratio-covariety that contains a finite set of numerical semigroups. In addition, in this paper we will apply the previous results to the study of the ratio-covariety R (F , m) = { S ∣ S   is   a   numerical   semigroup   with   Frobenius   number   F   and   multiplicity m }. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel tool that allows the detection of retinal vascular changes. We investigated the association of macular vessel density (VD) in the superficial plexus assessed by OCT-A with measures of cerebrovascular pathology and atrophy quantified by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in non-demented individuals. Methods: Clinical, demographical, OCT-A, and brain MRI data from non-demented research participants were included. We analyzed the association of regional macular VD with brain vascular burden using the Fazekas scale assessed in a logistic regression analysis, and the volume of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) assessed in a multiple linear regression analysis. We also explored the associations of macular VD with hippocampal volume, ventricle volume and Alzheimer disease cortical signature (ADCS) thickness assessed in multiple linear regression analyses. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, syndromic diagnosis and cardiovascular variables. Results: The study cohort comprised 188 participants: 89 with subjective cognitive decline and 99 with mild cognitive impairment. No significant association of regional macular VD with the Fazekas categories (all, p > 0.111) and WMH volume (all, p > 0.051) were detected. VD in the nasal quadrant was associated to hippocampal volume (p = 0.007), but no other associations of macular VD with brain atrophy measures were detected (all, p > 0.05). Discussion: Retinal vascular measures were not a proxy of cerebrovascular damage in non-demented individuals, while VD in the nasal quadrant was associated with hippocampal atrophy independently of the amyloid status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three‐dimensional rarity typology proposed by Rabinowitz in 1981, based on geographic range, habitat specificity, and local abundance, is among the most widely used frameworks for describing rarity in ecological and conservation research. While this framework is descriptive and is not meant to explain the causes of rarity, recent advances in ecology may be leveraged to add explanatory power. Here we present a macroecological exploration of rarity and its underlying causes. We propose a modification of Rabinowitz's typology to better distinguish between the dimensions of rarity and the ecological processes that drive them, and explore the conservation implications of our modified framework. We propose to add occupancy (the proportion of occupied sites within a species' range) as a rarity axis, and recast habitat specificity as a cause of rarity, thus yielding a modified classification based on range size, occupancy, and local abundance. Under our framework, habitat specialists are no longer considered rare if they are widespread and abundant; we argue that this modification more accurately identifies truly rare species, as habitat specialists may be common if their habitat is abundant. Finally, we draw on the macroecological and theoretical literature to identify the key processes and associated traits that drive each rarity axis. In this respect, we identify four processes (environmental filtering, movement, demography and interactions), and hypothesise that range size and occupancy are primarily driven by environmental filtering and movement, whereas local abundance is more strongly influenced by demography and interactions. We further use ecological theory to hypothesise the conservation concerns associated with each rarity axis, and propose conservation measures that may be suitable for conserving different types of rare species. Our work may provide a basis for developing hypotheses about the causes of rarity of particular focal taxa or groups, and inform the development of targeted conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automated design of dispatching rules (DRs) with genetic programming (GP) has become an important research direction in recent years. One of the most important decisions in applying GP to generate DRs is determining the features of the scheduling problem to be used during the evolution process. Unfortunately, there are no clear rules or guidelines for the design or selection of such features, and often the features are simply defined without investigating their influence on the performance of the algorithm. However, the performance of GP can depend significantly on the features provided to it, and a poor or inadequate selection of features for a given problem can result in the algorithm performing poorly. In this study, we examine in detail the features that GP should use when developing DRs for unrelated machine scheduling problems. Different types of features are investigated, and the best combination of these features is determined using two selection methods. The obtained results show that the design and selection of appropriate features are crucial for GP, as they improve the results by about 7% when only the simplest terminal nodes are used without selection. In addition, the results show that it is not possible to outperform more sophisticated manually designed DRs when only the simplest problem features are used as terminal nodes. This shows how important it is to design appropriate composite terminal nodes to produce high-quality DRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Stathmin 1 (Stmn1) is a neuronal growth-associated protein which was found to be involved in fear processing both in animals and humans. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the Stmn1 gene (rs182455 and rs213641) significantly impacted individual fear and anxiety responses in German. However, there have been no reports on the correlation between Stmn1 SNPs and anxiety in Chinese. The present study thus aimed to explore such correlation. Methods: A sample of 567 healthy Han Chinese adults were genotyped for the Stmn1 SNP, namely rs182455, using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Anxiety was assessed by the Chinese version of 40-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which measures 2 anxiety dimensions, state and trait anxiety. Results: The numbers of CC, CT, and TT genotypes of rs182455 polymorphism were 227 (40.0%), 263 (46.4%), and 77 (13.6%), respectively. The genotype distribution did not deviate from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (χ2 = 0.004, P = .953). There were no significant differences in either state or trait anxiety among the 3 rs182455 genotype groups (F=0.457, 0.415, P=.634, .660), between the 2 dominant model groups (t=0.865, −0.195, P = .388, .845), or between the 2 recessive model groups (t = 0.106, 0.906, P = .916, .365). Moreover, no significant gender-specific differences in any STAI scores were found among the rs182455 genotype groups (all P > .05). Conclusion: No evidence was demonstrated for the association of the Stmn1 gene polymorphism rs182455 with either trait or state anxiety in Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been a proliferation of research analyzing the role of women in public management. This study contributes to this line of research by examining the influence women have on municipal public debt. To this aim, we use a sample of 141 Spanish municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants for the period 2008–2020. The empirical results suggest that municipalities that are leaded by a female mayor tend to show lower levels of public debt. In addition, empirical results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between the proportion of female councilors and the level of public debt. This means that the higher the proportion of female councilors, the lower the level of indebtedness, but this positive effect appears only if the number of female councilors is relatively high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigate, from a consumer perspective, the importance of different types of marketing actions frequently used by online apparel retailers to serve different beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of a Maximum Difference Scaling experiment among German consumers recruited from an online panel (n = 503) reveal that marketing actions with other-benefit components, such as corporate social responsibility initiatives, have the potential to outperform traditional sales promotion methods, such as price discounts. By deploying latent class analysis, two consumer segments can be distinguished according to their preferences: those valuing marketing actions with other-benefits and those preferring marketing campaigns with mere self-benefits. Finally, combinations of marketing actions with maximum reach are identified, from which recommendations for action by retailers are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, there has been a spectacular increase in the number of entities providing public services in Spain. Functional decentralisation and externalisation processes became relevant and they made it possible to modernise the Spanish public sector, which was out of touch with new ideas in the rest of the Europe. In this study, we expose the evolution of these processes from 1999 to 2010, through a qualitative analysis using the biplot technique. The results show a trend toward functional decentralisation that is more important in the largest cities, especially through the creation of public companies and autonomous organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an international setting consisting of 5410 corporations domiciled in 24 countries, we test the insurance-like effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance in the era of the pandemic and confirm that CSR performance increases socially responsible companies' resilience against the adverse effects of the crisis. Comparing stakeholders' responses to CSR activities during the pandemic and normal periods, we observe that the link between CSR performance and firm value is stronger during the crisis period. We also realize that the social aspect of CSR performance is the main driver for the mentioned effects. Finally, comparing the resilience of highly committed socially responsible companies with those with moderate and very low CSR ratings, we observe that best-in-class companies enjoy the greatest buffering effects, implying that the insurance-like effect of CSR performance is non-linear against systematic crises. Findings are robust to ceremonial CSR activities, extreme values of market-based instruments, endogeneity concern, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-pot synthesis of a novel mesoporous hydroxyl oxidize iron functional Na-zirconium phosphate (FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O) composites was firstly characterized and investigated its Co(II) adsorption from aqueous solution. Compared to NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O (65.7 mg⋅g−1), the maximum Co(II) adsorption capacity of FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O was improved to be 95.1 mg⋅g−1. BET verified the mesoporous structures of FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O with a larger pore volume than NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O. High pH values, initial Co(II) concentration, and temperature benefited the Co(II) adsorption. Kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics indicated an endothermic, spontaneous chemisorption process. FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O has a better Co(II) adsorption selectivity than that of NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O. In particular, FeOOH-NaZrH(PO4)2·H2O exhibited an outstanding reusability after ten cycles of tests. The main possible mechanism for adsorbents uptake Co(II) involved in ion exchange, electrostatic interaction, and -OH, Zr-O bond coordination based on FTIR and XPS analysis. This work presents a feasible strategy to prepare novel modified zirconium phosphate composites for extracting Co(II) from solutions and providing a new insight into the understanding of Co(II) adsorption in the real nuclear Co(II)-containing wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Perianal disease occurs in up to 34% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. An estimated 25% of women will become pregnant after the initial diagnosis, thus introducing the dilemma of whether mode of delivery affects perianal disease. The aim of our study was to analyze whether a cesarean section (C-section) or vaginal delivery influence perianal involvement. We hypothesized the delivery route would not alter post-partum perianal manifestations in the setting of previously healed perianal disease. Methods: All consecutive eligible IBD female patients between 1997 and 2022 who delivered were included. Prior perianal involvement, perianal flare after delivery and delivery method were noted. Results: We identified 190 patients with IBD who had a total of 322 deliveries; 169 (52%) were vaginal and 153 (48%) were by C-section. Nineteen women (10%) experienced 21/322 (6%) post-partum perianal flares. Independent predictors were previous abdominal surgery for IBD (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1–7.2; p = 0.042), ileocolonic involvement (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.1–9.4; p = 0.030), previous perianal disease (OR, 22; 95% CI, 7–69; p < 0.001), active perianal disease (OR, 96; 95% CI, 21–446; p < 0.001) and biologic (OR, 4.4; 95% CI,1.4–13.6; p < 0.011) or antibiotic (OR, 19.6; 95% CI, 7–54; p < 0.001) treatment. Negative association was found for vaginal delivery (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.06–0.61; p < 0.005). Number of post-partum flares was higher in the C-section group [17 (11%) vs. 4 (2%), p = 0.002]. Conclusions: Delivery by C-section section was not protective of ongoing perianal disease activity post-delivery, but should be recommended for women with active perianal involvement. Key messages: What is already known? Standard recommendations are vaginal delivery in patients with mild or quiescent perianal inflammatory bowel disease and C-section only in women with active perianal disease. However, in many other clinical situations, such as prior or inactive perianal disease, no guidelines are currently available. What is new here? Comparative study on perianal involvement and the delivery method in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated in a world reference center with extensive experience. What is new here? Providing knowledge for the standardization of the delivery method in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and perianal involvement. Brief summary: Comparative study on perianal involvement and delivery method in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated at a world-reference center, concluding cesarean section doesn't protect from ongoing disease activity post-delivery, but it should be recommended for women with active involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects individuals of all age groups, manifesting as a spectrum of symptoms varying from mild to severe. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) involves the administration of allergen extracts and has emerged as a potential treatment strategy for modifying immune responses. Its pathogenesis involves epidermal barrier dysfunction, microbiome imbalance, immune dysregulation, and environmental factors. Existing treatment strategies encompass topical steroids to systemic agents, while AIT is under investigation as a potential immune-modifying alternative. Several studies have shown reductions in the severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) scores, daily rescue medication use, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores following AIT. Biomarker changes include increased IgG4 levels and decreased eosinophil counts. This review provides valuable insights for future research and clinical practice, exploring AIT as a viable option for the management of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis fall within the category of cutaneous immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). The prevalence of IMIDs is increasing in industrialized societies, influenced by both environmental changes and a genetic predisposition. However, the exact immune factors driving these chronic, progressive diseases are not fully understood. By using multi-omics techniques in cutaneous IMIDs, it is expected to advance the understanding of skin biology, uncover the underlying mechanisms of skin conditions, and potentially devise precise and personalized approaches to diagnosis and treatment. We provide a narrative review of the current knowledge in genomics, epigenomics, and proteomics of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. A literature search was performed for articles published until 30 November 2023. Although there is still much to uncover, recent evidence has already provided valuable insights, such as proteomic profiles that permit differentiating psoriasis from mycosis fungoides and β-defensin 2 correlation to PASI and its drop due to secukinumab first injection, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]