Search Results (6,829)

This paper examines the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and bank performance, the organizational channels through which these relationships operate, and the role of firm-wide adoption in shaping outcomes. Using patent-based measures of AI innovation for 31 large U.S. commercial banks from 2015 to 2024 based on the Federal Reserve’s Large Bank classification and employing panel regressions with bank and year fixed effects, we find that AI innovation is associated with improved asset quality but higher operating costs and lower profitability in the short run. Our two-step mediation analysis implies that AI innovation induces organizational changes through diminishing employee scale and branch networks, which mitigates management efficiency and profitability. Importantly, firm-wide AI adoption mitigates the adverse association between AI innovation and both management and profitability prior to adoption, suggesting that the realization of AI’s benefits requires organizational adaptation and coordinated deployment. Dynamic tests further support the productivity “J-curve” of AI innovation. Our findings suggest that bank managers should align AI investment with organizational restructuring and coordinated deployment, while regulators should account for short-term adjustment costs when evaluating the performance implications of AI adoption. Full article

Recurrent spontaneous miscarriages represent a significant reproductive challenge, often associated with inherited thrombophilia. Among the genetic factors involved, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms have been increasingly studied. The two main variants, MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C, have been suggested to contribute to thrombotic events and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the higher prevalence and potential role of MTHFR gene polymorphisms (C677T and A1298C) in the etiology of recurrent spontaneous miscarriages in pregnant women with inherited thrombophilia, in comparison with the classical thrombophilia-associated SNPs—F5 Leiden and the F2 G20210A gene mutation. In this single-center retrospective observational study, 64 women with recurrent pregnancy loss and confirmed inherited thrombophilia were evaluated. Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples was analyzed for thrombophilia-associated polymorphisms, including F5 Leiden (G1691A), F2 G20210A, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, SERPINE1 4G/5G, and F13A1 V34L, using a real-time PCR-based Bosphore^® Thrombophilia Panel. The presence of MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms was investigated and compared to the incidence of F5 Leiden and F2 G20210A gene SNPs. Associations between genotypes and clinical characteristics, including the number of pregnancy losses, were assessed using chi-square tests, Kruskal–Wallis analysis, and logistic regression models. The most frequently detected polymorphisms were heterozygous variants of the MTHFR gene, with prevalences of 57.8% for C677T and 53.1% for A1298C. Homozygous MTHFR C677T was significantly associated with a higher number of pregnancy losses (Kruskal–Wallis test, p = 0.001). Similarly, the homozygous MTHFR A1298C genotype showed a significant association with increased miscarriage frequency (p = 0.012). Classical thrombophilic mutations were less frequent, with F2 G20210A identified in only two patients, although its presence was associated with a higher number of pregnancy losses (p = 0.030). These findings suggest that combined thrombophilic polymorphisms may contribute to recurrent pregnancy loss, although larger studies are required to confirm these observations. Full article

Background: To evaluate the potential of cefiderocol as a topical ophthalmic antibiotic by determining the susceptibility of keratitis isolates from an extensive panel of Gram-negative bacterial species to this siderophore-cephalosporin class antibiotic. Methods: Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of cefiderocol were determined by the broth dilution method using iron-depleted, cation-adjusted Mueller–Hinton broth. The following Gram-negative bacteria were included: Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 13), Achromobacter xylosoxidans (n = 14), Escherichia coli (n = 15), Klebsiella aerogenes (n = 14), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 13), Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 14), Moraxella spp. (n = 15), Proteus mirabilis (n = 13), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 17), Serratia marcescens (n = 14) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (n = 12). MIC₉₀ values were calculated for each of the species. Results: MIC₉₀ values (µg/mL): A. baumannii (0.5), A. xylosoxidans (0.25), E. coli (0.5), K. aerogenes (1.0), K. oxytoca (0.5), K. pneumoniae (0.5), Moraxella spp. (0.5), P. mirabilis (0.25), P. aeruginosa (0.5), S. marcescens (0.5), and S. maltophilia (0.25). In total, 100% of the isolates were determined to be susceptible to cefiderocol in vitro except for A. xylosoxidans and Moraxella spp., for which there are no established breakpoints for cefiderocol. Conclusions: Cefiderocol demonstrated in vitro activity against the tested panel of Gram-negative keratitis isolates. The results of this study suggest cefiderocol may be useful for the treatment of keratitis caused by numerous Gram-negative pathogens. Further development of cefiderocol for the topical treatment of Gram-negative keratitis is indicated. Full article

This paper examines how openness of international trade is dynamically related to environmental sustainability in sixteen member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) between 2000 and 2024, taking into consideration institutional quality factors, economic development, and structural factors. The study uses the Panel Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Pedroni panel cointegration tests, and quantile regression to examine the determination of per capita CO₂ emissions by using trade openness, GDP per capita, government effectiveness, energy use, natural resource rents, and urbanisation. The findings of cointegration prove a long-run equilibrium stability. FMOLS estimates show that trade openness positively but insignificantly increases the typically pooled long-run specifications through urbanisation and natural resource rents and negatively through GDP per capita, which is in line with the phase upper-Environmental Kuznets Curve. The outcome of quantile regression reveals a large distributional heterogeneity with the trade openness decreasing emissions only among high-emitting economies at the seventy-fifth and at the ninetieth percentile which is the imperative effect of the quantile technique demonstrating the need for country-differentiated trade and environmental policy across the SADC. Full article

Background and Objectives: Despite critically low levels of chronic kidney disease (CKD) awareness worldwide, there is no psychometrically validated instrument to comprehensively assess CKD awareness across socioecological levels. This study aimed to develop, psychometrically evaluate and validate a multidimensional awareness scale grounded in socioecological theory for patients with stage 3–4 CKD. Materials and Methods: This methodological study enrolled 908 stage 3–4 CKD patients. Scale development proceeded through systematic stages: comprehensive literature review, qualitative interviews (n = 15), expert panel evaluation (n = 25), and pilot testing. The initial 72-item pool was refined to 41 items (Content Validity Index = 0.912). The sample was randomly split for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 454) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 454). Psychometric evaluation encompassed internal consistency (Cronbach’s α, McDonald’s ω), test–retest reliability (n = 30; 4-week interval), convergent validity (average variance extracted [AVE], composite reliability [CR]), discriminant validity (Fornell–Larcker criterion), and criterion validity (correlation with Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 [TSOY-32]). Results: EFA revealed a seven-factor structure with an acceptable explained variance of 43.8%. Following iterative item elimination based on communalities (h² < 0.20) and factor loadings (λ < 0.30), CFA confirmed the final 34-item model with good fit (CFI = 0.972; RMSEA = 0.070 [90% CI: 0.067–0.074]). The factor structure captured awareness across core socioecological levels (Individual, Interpersonal/Institutional, Community, and Systemic), complemented by Treatment Adherence and Social Impact dimensions. Internal consistency coefficients were α = 0.884 and ω = 0.889 for the total scale. Test–retest reliability yielded an ICC of 0.954 (95% CI: 0.907–0.978). Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed via composite reliability (CR: 0.740–0.953) and the Fornell–Larcker criterion. Criterion validity analysis revealed a significant correlation with TSOY-32 (r = 0.810, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The CKD Awareness Scale (CKD-AS-34) represents a novel, psychometrically validated, multidimensional awareness instrument for CKD. This scale enables clinicians to identify awareness deficits spanning individual to systemic levels, facilitating personalised patient education and targeted public health interventions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Point-of-care (PoC) manufactured fresh chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are typically formulated in hypothermic preservation formulations (HPFs) and stored under hypothermic conditions (2–8 °C) until administered to the patient. However, in current HPFs the shelf life of fresh CAR-T cells is short (~24–36 h) due to limited CAR-T cell stability, which poses significant time constraints on manufacturing procedures and logistics. The objective of this study was to improve the stability and extend the shelf life of fresh clinical-grade CAR-T cell drug products (DPs). Methods: A novel HPF was developed by supplementing a base HPF with the novel excipient SUL-138, which stabilizes mitochondria during hypothermic storage and subsequent rewarming, alone or in combination with endogenous mitochondrial substrates. This panel of HPFs was first screened for their stability-improving characteristics in the model cell line Jurkat cells. Subsequently, HPFs were assessed for their stability-improving characteristics of clinical-grade CD19 CAR-T cell DPs. Critical quality attributes, including CAR-T cell viability, T-cell differentiation state, exhaustion markers, and functional potency were evaluated in a good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant stability study up to 72 h. Results: For Jurkat cells, HPFs supplemented with SUL-138 and a combination of glucose, glutamine, and succinate demonstrated the greatest stability improvement at 2–8 °C, improving cell viability from ~1% to >85% after 72 h. For CAR-T cells, supplementation of HPFs with SUL-138 alone demonstrated the greatest improvement, resulting in a CAR-T cell viability from ~40% to >85% after 72 h of storage at 2–8 °C, while no additional benefits from mitochondrial substrates were observed. The novel HPF did not significantly impact CAR-T cell potency test results, T cell subset distribution, or exhaustion markers compared to control. Conclusions: A novel clinical-grade HPF that significantly improved fresh CAR-T cell stability during hypothermic storage was developed. This novel HPF can aid in the establishment of GMP-compliant and PoC CAR-T cell manufacturing platforms. Full article

Reducing agricultural emissions is vital for climate mitigation, yet evidence on green finance’s potential to facilitate agricultural decarbonization—particularly in China—remains scarce. Leveraging China’s Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot Zones as a quasi-natural experiment, this study employs a staggered difference-in-differences design and complementary Callaway-Sant’Anna estimates. Using a balanced panel of 282 prefecture-level and above cities spanning 2012–2022—a window covering five pre-policy years before the initial 2017 pilot rollout and sufficient post-policy years to capture dynamic effects for the 2017, 2019, and 2022 cohorts—this study assesses the policy impact on agricultural carbon emission intensity. The findings reveal that the pilot policy reduces emission intensity by approximately 9.2% on average. This result is robust across event-study analyses, placebo tests, PSM-DID, policy interference checks, and alternative outcome specifications. Channel-consistent evidence suggests that the effect operates through three mechanisms: greener credit allocation, stronger green technological innovation, and lower-carbon adjustment of the agricultural production structure. The effect is larger in eastern China, major grain-producing regions, and cities with higher levels of financial development, and exhibits a strengthening trend over time. By analyzing China’s city-based pilot approach, this study demonstrates how financial policy can support agricultural decarbonization in settings characterized by dispersed emitters, imperfect environmental monitoring, and strong food-security constraints. The findings extend beyond China to inform other developing economies seeking non-price-based pathways to greener agriculture. Full article

During fires, the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor environments induces out-of-plane deformation in steel studs. Due to the differential coefficients of thermal expansion between panels and steel, the panels exert a restraining effect on the studs. However, there remains a lack of systematic experimental and theoretical models addressing the failure modes, restraining mechanisms, and synergistic effects of various panels on steel studs. This study conducted high-temperature bending tests to compare the failure modes, load–displacement curves, and key mechanical parameters (peak load, elastic stiffness) of connections combining steel studs with three types of panels: autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC) panels, fire-resistant gypsum boards, and medium-density calcium silicate board. The research clarifies the constraining effect and temperature sensitivity of different panels. Based on experimental data, a bending constitutive model was developed to quantify the attenuation of the out-of-plane constraining effect at elevated temperatures. The results indicate that the load–displacement curves exhibit three distinct stages: Elastic Ascending Stage, Elastoplastic Ascending Stage, and Post-Peak Stage. A two-stage bending constitutive model was proposed and formulated. Comparison between numerical simulations and experimental specimens in terms of failure modes and characteristic parameters demonstrated that simplifying the panels as spring elements, with stiffness defined by the proposed bending constitutive model, yields errors within 15%, confirming the accuracy of the model. This study systematically investigates the influence of sheathing panels on the high-temperature out-of-plane mechanical behavior of cold-formed steel studs, innovatively proposes a two-stage bending constitutive model, provides theoretical and data support for cold-formed steel structural fire-resistant design, and offers new perspectives and methodologies for future research. Full article

This study investigates the antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and antimicrobial activities of water (WEHL) and ethanol (EEHL) extracts of hop (Humulus lupulus) cones. Phytochemical analyses revealed higher total phenolic content in EEHL (271.52 ± 0.13 mg GAE/g) than in WEHL (251.84 ± 0.06 mg GAE/g), as well as higher total flavonoid content (182.56 ± 0.45 mg QE/g for EEHL versus 179.39 ± 0.46 mg QE/g for WEHL). Antioxidant activity, determined by DPPH and ABTS assays, showed that EEHL had stronger radical scavenging capacity with IC₅₀ values of 19.13 ± 4.66 μg/mL (DPPH) and 12.66 ± 1.94 μg/mL (ABTS), compared to WEHL (DPPH: 20.90 ± 2.39 μg/mL; ABTS: 32.41 ± 4.29 μg/mL). In reducing assays, EEHL also showed better absorbance values in FRAP (0.77 ± 0.01), CUPRAC (2.09 ± 0.05), and Fe³⁺ reducing (1.95 ± 0.01) tests. EEHL likely outperformed WEHL due to solvent polarity and extraction efficiency. Moderately polar ethanol extracts a broader range of phenolics and flavonoids, including fewer polar bioactive compounds that contribute to antioxidant capacity and enzyme inhibition. This matches higher TPC/TFC in EEHL and explains stronger radical scavenging, reducing power, and multi-enzyme inhibition. Enzyme inhibition studies revealed that EEHL inhibited acetylcholinesterase (IC₅₀: 26.06 μg/mL), butyrylcholinesterase (IC₅₀: 44.00 μg/mL), α-glycosidase (IC₅₀: 119.31 μg/mL), and carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes hCA I (IC₅₀: 59.78 μg/mL) and hCA II (IC₅₀: 21.19 μg/mL). LC–MS/MS analysis identified major phenolic compounds such as isoquercitrin (3.14 ng/mL), rutin (0.60 ng/mL), and hesperidin (0.43 ng/mL) in EEHL. Antimicrobial screening showed selective activity against Staphylococcus aureus with an inhibition zone of 18.50 ± 0.58 mm, while no inhibition was observed against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. These findings provide a solvent-dependent in vitro profile that can guide extraction strategies, support antioxidant and multi-enzyme screening (including hCA I and II), and identify candidates for selective antimicrobial evaluation and further preclinical investigation. Despite extensive use of hop extracts, comparative solvent-dependent profiling that links LC–MS/MS phenolic composition with a broad multi-enzyme inhibition panel, including the less frequently evaluated hCA I/II isoenzymes, remains limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to systematically compare WEHL and EEHL in terms of phytochemical content and in vitro antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and antimicrobial activities. Overall, these results provide a solvent-dependent, comparative in vitro profile of WEHL vs. EEHL that can support antioxidant, multi-enzyme screening (including hCA I and II), and selective antimicrobial assays. Full article

To address global climate challenges, China’s transition toward a green, low-carbon economy underscores the critical role of green finance (GF) as a key policy instrument. Against this backdrop, clarifying how GF influences green technology innovation (GTI) has become an urgent research priority. Using panel data from 283 Chinese cities (2012–2023), this study estimates a panel threshold model to examine the non-linear relationship between GF and GTI, with environmental regulation (ER) as the threshold variable. The results, validated by robustness and endogeneity tests, reveal the following: (1) GF exerts a double-threshold effect on GTI, with its promoting effect strengthening between thresholds but weakening beyond the second threshold. (2) ER exhibits a significant single-threshold effect; beyond it, GF’s contribution to GTI is substantially enhanced. (3) Three types of heterogeneity analysis are performed based on geographical regions, historical endowments, and whether a city is classified as an innovation-driven city. Overall, the results indicate that the threshold effects are more pronounced in eastern regions, cities with stronger historical endowments, and innovation-driven cities. These findings not only deepen the theoretical understanding of the GF–ER–GTI nexus but also provide empirically grounded insights for designing differentiated GF policies and region-specific environmental regulation strategies, thereby supporting both China’s low-carbon transition and global climate governance efforts. Full article

In the digital economy era, how to effectively leverage data elements to promote green productivity has become a critical issue. The Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone (BDCPZ) serves as an institutional arrangement to promote data circulation, governance, and efficient allocation. Utilizing panel data from Chinese A-share listed firms spanning 2012–2023, this study treats the 2016 establishment of BDCPZ as a quasi-natural experiment and employs a difference-in-differences (DID) model to investigate how improvements in the data institutional environment induced by BDCPZ affect enterprise green total factor productivity (GTFP). Empirical results indicate that the establishment of BDCPZ significantly enhances GTFP, with results remaining robust across specification tests. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate that these positive effects are more pronounced among non-heavily polluting enterprises, high-technology enterprises, and enterprises in less competitive markets. Mechanism analyses suggest that data-oriented institutional reforms primarily enhance GTFP through innovation incentives, human capital accumulation, and industrial structure upgrading. Furthermore, superior managerial efficiency and stronger managerial equity ownership amplify these positive effects. This study provides firm-level empirical evidence on the relationship between data-oriented institutional reforms and GTFP enhancement, contributing to the literature on data-driven institutional reforms and green productivity, and policy implications for optimizing data element utilization and promoting sustainable development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Allopurinol, a first-line drug for gout and hyperuricemia, carries a risk of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs). Studies have established a strong association between HLA-B*58:01 and this adverse reaction. Although pre-treatment genotyping is recommended, the reliability of HLA-B*58:01 genetic testing varies across laboratories. This study aims to assess the performance of HLA-B*58:01 genetic testing of clinical laboratories in Shanghai through an External Quality Assessment (EQA) program, evaluating accuracy and standardization. Methods: The EQA program was carried out twice a year in 2023 and 2024. Each EQA sample panel consisted of five distinct samples, including HLA-B*58:01 allele-positive and -negative cell cultures. Sample panels were distributed to clinical laboratories through the cold chain system and results were analyzed and scored. Results: EQA samples used in this study were optimized for evaluating current HLA-B*58:01 genotyping assays, and the EQA samples were proved to be homogeneous and stable through each EQA period. In 2023, 17 and 16 clinical laboratories participated in the two EQA schemes; in 2024, 34 and 33 laboratories participated. A total of 14/17 (82.4%), 16/16 (100%), 33/34 (97.1%), and 33/33 (100%) laboratories achieved “optimal” scores. Conclusions: EQA results indicate that most of clinical laboratories in Shanghai exhibit constantly satisfactory performance for HLA-B*58:01 genotyping. However, a few laboratories still need further improvement. Additionally, EQA has demonstrated to be an important method for monitoring clinical laboratories’ performance. Full article

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the Derma-SR-screen agar for accurate discrimination between susceptible and non-susceptible clinical Trichophyton isolates. Consecutive Trichophyton isolates, received for identification and susceptibility testing, were screened for terbinafine and itraconazole resistance using Liofilchem Derma-SR-screen 4-well panels alongside EUCAST reference testing (E.Def 11.0). EUCAST tentative ECOFFs (terbinafine: T. rubrum 0.03 mg/L; T. indotineae 0.125 mg/L; itraconazole: both species: 0.25 mg/L) were applied for wild-type/non-wild-type classification. Plates were evaluated after 5 days of incubation at 25 °C, with growth graded 0-+++. Faint growth (+) was disregarded. All isolates underwent sqle sequencing. Forty isolates were included; 25 were non-wild-type harbouring Sqle alterations (F397I (number (n) = 1), F397L (n = 17), L393F (n = 3), L393S (n = 1), and Q408L (n = 3)). On day 5, 21 isolates reached +++ growth in the control well; a further 10 reached this level on day 6. The remaining isolates reached a ++/+++ score after 5/6 days (n = 7/n = 2). The 0.125 mg/L terbinafine agar correctly identified 7/8 non-wild-type T. indotineae isolates (4/5 F397L and 3/3 Q408L alterations), all 17 non-wild-type and eight wild-type T. rubrum isolates, as well as the five wild-type isolates of other Trichophyton spp. The 0.016 mg/L agar correctly identified all 17 non-wild-type T. rubrum isolates, but misclassified 2/8 wild-type isolates as non-wild-type. All isolates were wild-type to itraconazole and correctly identified. The Derma-SR-screen agar resulted in correct classification of 24/25 (96%) sqle mutant T. indotineae and T. rubrum isolates. Two wild-type T. rubrum isolates grew at the 0.016 mg/L terbinafine agar suggesting possible reduced agar potency at this concentration. Full article

This paper focuses on the critical issue of change point detection in panel linear regression models and proposes a novel jump information criterion (JIC) for efficient solution. The core innovation of this criterion lies in reconstructing the traditional change point hypothesis testing problem into a parameter estimation problem: under the null hypothesis ($H_0$, i.e., no change point exists in the model) and the alternative hypothesis ($H_1$, i.e., a change point exists in the model), the number of potential change points is set to 0 and 1 for modeling and solution, respectively. To verify the theoretical reliability of the proposed method, this paper systematically establishes the consistency of the change point count estimator through rigorous mathematical deductions and further derives its optimal convergence rate. In terms of numerical validation, extensive Monte Carlo simulation experiments and real data empirical analysis both demonstrate that the estimator constructed based on JIC exhibits excellent performance in change point identification accuracy, stability, and computational efficiency, providing a reliable new tool for structural break analysis in panel data models. Full article

Promoting digital governance is a key direction for the Chinese government’s governance reform. Based on panel data from 280 prefecture-level and above cities spanning 2008–2023, this study treats the “National Pilot Policy for Information Benefiting the People” as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing a difference-in-differences model, it examines the impact of government digital governance on urban innovation and its underlying mechanisms. Findings indicate that digital governance significantly enhances urban innovation, with conclusions remaining robust after rigorous stability tests and endogeneity treatments. Mechanism tests reveal that digital governance enhances urban innovation by cultivating innovation entities, improving the innovation environment, and optimizing the allocation of innovation elements. Further analysis indicates that the impact of digital governance on urban innovation is influenced by city location and development level. In eastern regions, areas with lower government fiscal pressure, and regions with higher levels of informatization, government digital transformation is more effective in boosting urban innovation. In addition, digital governance has significantly promoted sustainable and strategic innovation in cities and can influence innovation in neighboring areas through spillover effects. These findings can provide valuable insights for promoting urban innovation. Full article