U-shaped Curve Research Articles

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) nuts as an emerging source of protein: extraction, physicochemical and functional properties.

The increasing demand for sustainable alternatives to traditional protein sources, driven by population growth, underscores the importance of protein in a healthy diet. Pecan (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) nuts are currently underutilized as plant-based proteins but hold great potential in the food industry. However, there is insufficient information available on pecan protein, particularly its protein fractions. This study aimed to explore the physicochemical and functional properties of protein isolate and the main protein fraction glutelin extracted from pecan nuts. The results revealed that glutelin (820.67 ± 69.42 g kg-1) had a higher crude protein content compared to the protein isolate (618.43 ± 27.35 g kg-1), while both proteins exhibited amino acid profiles sufficient for adult requirements. The isoelectric points of protein isolate and glutelin were determined to be pH 4.0 and pH 5.0, respectively. The denaturation temperature of the protein isolate (90.23 °C) was higher than that of glutelin (87.43 °C), indicating a more organized and stable conformation. This is further supported by the fact that the protein isolate had a more stable main secondary structure than glutelin. Both proteins demonstrated improved solubility, emulsifying, and foaming properties at pH levels deviating from their isoelectric points in U-shaped curves. Compared to the protein isolate, glutelin displayed superior water and oil absorption capacity along with enhanced gelling ability. The protein isolate and glutelin from pecan nuts exhibited improved stability and competitive functional properties, respectively. The appropriate utilization of these two proteins will support their potential as natural ingredients in various food systems. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The simple analytics of the environmental Kuznets curve: a reformulation

Purpose This paper aims to review the relationship between per capita income and aggregate emission in an economy populated by rational agents. According to the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, pollution–income relationship is an inverted U-shaped curve. This paper aims to derive that relationship in an endogenous way and extends the relevant literature in an important way. Design/methodology/approach This paper formulated a general equilibrium model of homogenous population with identical tastes and preferences. Production side is modelled with firms operating in a monopolistically competitive environment. The approach is modelling the economy in an analytical way so that closed form solutions can be achieved. Model simulations have also been performed to get a clear view of results. Findings This study shows that increasing returns to scale in abatement technology ceases to be a sufficient condition for the generation of the EKC hypothesis. The general equilibrium structure of the model allows studying the endogenous evolution of income, emissions and prices of the abatement goods in a unified setting. Originality/value The paper is novel and original in nature. The results are new in the literature. These results extend and generalise the previous research work in this area in an important way. The sufficient condition that is obtained in this study limits the applicability of EKC in an otherwise identical economy as used in previous literature. Therefore, this paper adds value to the ongoing research related to EKC.

Estimation of salt intake from urinalysis as a prognostic indicator in patients with heart failure

Abstract Background Restricting sodium consumption by reducing salt intake is crucial in heart failure management. The average salt intake in Japan is approximately 10 g/day, which is significantly higher than that in other countries. Therefore, the Japanese guidelines for heart failure recommend a target salt intake of less than 6 g/day. Purpose Excessive salt intake is a well-known risk factor for heart failure, but it has also been reported that excessive salt restriction does not affect clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure. Moreover, although previous reports have mainly focused on clinically stable patients with chronic heart failure, appropriate salt intake management in patients with unstable heart failure immediately after hospital discharge remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of salt intake management on patients with heart failure in the early post-discharge period. Methods The study was conducted between April 2015 and March 2023, and included 395 of 4,292 patients (mean age: 72 y; sex: 63% male) who were hospitalized owing to heart failure and whose salt intake was measured at early post-discharge. Salt intake was estimated via the Tanaka Method, using spot urine samples. The patients were divided into four groups based on the estimated salt intake: very low (< 4 g/day) (n = 24), low (≥ 4 and < 7 g/day) (n = 109), high (≥ 7 and < 10 g/day) (n = 149), and very high (≥ 10 g/day) (n = 113). The primary endpoint was all-cause rehospitalization within 1 year of discharge. Results During a median follow-up period of 303 days, 153 rehospitalization occurred. 96 were heart failure rehospitalization; others included infection, arrhythmia, dehydration etc. Spline curve analysis for estimated salt intake and rehospitalization (Fig. 1) showed a significant nonlinear curve (P = 0.017). Cox regression analysis (Fig. 2) revealed a significantly higher number of rehospitalization in the very low group (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24–4.25; P = 0.009), compared with the low group, and a similar trend was also observed in the very high group (HR: 1.51; 95% CI: 0.99–2.31; P = 0.056). Subgroup analysis (Fig. 3) showed that the impact of estimated salt intake on rehospitalization, as represented by a U-shaped curve, was more pronounced in patients who were not treated with loop or thiazide diuretics. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that both excessive salt intake and excessive restriction may increase the risk of rehospitalization in patients with heart failure during the early post-discharge period. Additionally, the results indicate that estimation of salt intake using the Tanaka method may be particularly useful for patients not undergoing diuretic treatment. Conversely, patients with very low salt intake, potentially indicative of inadequate oral intake due to an impaired general condition, may require careful follow-up.

Linalyl acetate against larvae of Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. that affects ruminants: considerations about the hormetic effect.

Active components from plants are an alternative therapy to parasite control, addressing the widespread multidrug resistance populations. Linalyl acetate (LA), an ester abundantly found in plants of the genus Lavandula, was tested in vitro against third-stage larvae (L3) of Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. using the larval migration test at 0.89, 2.24, 4.47, 8.95, 17.9, 35.8, 71.6, and 143.2 mg/ml. After an initial incubation of 18 h, the total content of each tube was transferred to a 24-well plate that allowed active L3 to migrate through a nylon mesh (second incubation). Although LA exhibited 100% efficacy in reducing larval migration at 8.95 and 17.9 mg/ml, it showed reduced activity (5%) at 143.2 mg/ml. The data revealed a hormetic biphasic response characterised by an inverted U-shaped concentration-response curve. While hormesis has been previously documented in insecticidal and allelopathic contexts, this study reports the occurrence of hormesis induced by a phytochemical component against two species of nematodes for the first time. This distinctive stimulation-and-inhibition effect should be considered when selecting new compounds for preclinical testing.

Serum uric acid and prostate cancer: findings from the NHANES (2007–2020)

BackgroundThe relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between SUA levels and PCa incidence.MethodsA total of 9,776 participants aged ≥40 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2020 were included, 503 of whom had PCa. Weighted univariate logistic regression, multivariate logistic regression, and smooth-fitting curve analyses were used to analyze the association between SUA and PCa incidence. Concurrently, the fitted smoothing curves were used to explore the potential non-linear relationships. If non-linearity was observed, a recursive algorithm further calculated the inflection point.ResultsThree models were used to analyze the correlation between SUA levels and PCa incidence. All regression models demonstrated a negative correlation between SUA levels and PCa incidence (model 1: OR = 0.88, 95% CI=0.80–0.97; model 2: OR = 0.87, 95% CI=0.80–0.96; model 3: OR = 0.87, 95% CI=0.78–0.96). According to the trend test, with increasing SUA, the risk of PCa showed a downward trend (three models P for trend = 0.037, 0.015, 0.016). According to the subgroup analysis, a significant negative correlation between SUA and PCa was detected in individuals aged >60 years, non-Hispanic whites, those of other races, and those with hypertension. Moreover, the association between SUA and PCa followed a U-shaped curve among participants without hypertension, and the inflection point of SUA was 5.1 mg/dl.ConclusionsThis cross-sectional study revealed a negative relationship between SUA levels and the risk of PCa, particularly in specific demographic groups. These findings offer a fresh perspective on the role of SUA in PCa patients, potentially paving the way for new approaches for the prevention and treatment of PCa. However, further studies are necessary to validate these findings.

Examining the role of national governance capacity in building the global low-carbon agricultural supply chains

The majority of related research has traditionally focused on examining the individual influences of national governance capacity and technological innovation on carbon emissions and economic performance, neglecting the effects and influence mechanisms on carbon efficiency within agricultural supply chains, which is not conducive to advancing a low-carbon transition that includes agricultural concerns. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the correlation between national governance capacity (considering voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence/terrorism, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and corruption control) and agricultural supply chain carbon efficiency and investigating the influence mechanism and mediating role of technological innovation. The relevant findings are twofold. 1) The impact of national governance capacity and its components on agricultural carbon efficiency follows an inverted U-shaped curve. 2) Technological innovation can act as a mediator between national governance capacity and select factors of voice and accountability, government effectiveness and regulatory quality to enhance agricultural supply chain carbon efficiency. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and managers in agricultural supply chain enterprises seeking to transition towards low-carbon agriculture.

U-shaped association between dietary niacin intake and chronic kidney disease among US elderly: a nationwide cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn addition to hypertension or diabetes, elderly people are also considered one of the high-risk groups for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although niacin is recognized for its renal protective properties, the link between dietary niacin intake and CKD remains uncertain. This study investigated this relationship in the elderly.MethodsWe included participants aged 60 and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2003-2018. Dietary niacin intake was assessed through two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. CKD was diagnosed in individuals with a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio exceeding 30 mg/g or an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min per 1.73 m^2. The study cohort comprised 4,649 participants, 1,632 of whom had CKD. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to adjust for baseline differences between the groups.ResultsOur analysis, using smooth curve fitting and generalized additive models both before and after PSM, found a U-shaped curve depicting the relationship between dietary niacin intake and CKD risk, confirmed by a log-likelihood ratio test (P < 0.05). Threshold effect analysis (after PSM) indicated a reduced risk of CKD in older adults with a niacin intake below 38.83 mg per day [odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.00]. In contrast, higher intake levels significantly increased the risk (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06). Subgroup analysis indicated that these associations were consistent across different stratification variables (P for interaction > 0.05).ConclusionOur findings suggested a U-shaped association between dietary niacin intake and CKD risk among older Americans. However, further prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Interannual moisture variability on the Qinghai Plateau: Trends, patterns, and implications

Investigating surface dry-wet patterns on the Qinghai Plateau (QP) is crucial for water allocation, ecological sustainability, and climate variability adaptation strategies. Existing discrepancies in the QP dry-wet trends and distribution characteristics underscored the need for a more refined analysis. This study utilized the Thornthwaite Moisture Index (IM) to quantify changes in surface dryness and wetness under prevailing climatic conditions. Linear trend regression and ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) were applied to study the dynamic and periodic characteristics of the QP from 1980 to 2018.Our findings revealed a decrease from southeast to northwest in IM, with the semi-arid and sub-humid transition line aligning closely with the 400 mm isohyet. The dry-wet transition line exhibited a northwestward trend over the past four decades. Possibly influenced by monsoon circulation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the annual IM displayed a quasi-cycle of 3 to 5 years, manifested by a dry period (1990–2004) and a wet period (2005–2012). However, spatial differences existed, challenging the universality of the “Dry gets Drier and Wet gets Wetter (DDWW)” pattern. Precipitation (PRCP) changes could predict over 90 % of IM spatiotemporal variations. Additionally, the IM response to Average Temperature (TAVG) exhibited an inverted U-shaped curve, with a boundary (−3.8 °C) below which cooler regions became wetter and above which they became drier. The observed warming and precipitation shifts suggested that continued warming could lead to warmer and wetter climates, potentially causing ecological and environmental problems. Therefore, examining the surface moisture budget is of critical scientific and practical significance, in order to provide a decision-making basis for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Can the digital economy empower the transportation sector to improve green total factor productivity?

The digital economy has the potential to facilitate digitization and green transformation within the transportation sector, but further research is warranted on how it can enhance the sector’s green total factor productivity (GTFP). Utilizing provincial data from China spanning 2013 to 2021, this study investigates the impact of the digital economy on the transportation sector’s GTFP. The findings are as follows: (1) The transportation sector exhibits a U-shaped relationship between the digital economy and GTFP. The inflection point of the U-shaped curve is at 0.441, with 81.11% of the samples falling to the left of this point. It is primarily through technological progress and innovation, rather than changes in technological efficiency, that the digital economy influences the improvement of GTFP. (2) The U-shaped relationship exhibits heterogeneity and varies depending on the mode and content of transportation. The U-shaped relationship is more pronounced in regions with lower total traffic volume on highways and railways or higher traffic volume on waterways. For transportation content, DEEI and GTFP show a significant U-shaped relationship in areas with high traffic volumes of passengers and freights. (3) Government intervention can attenuate the U-shaped relationship, which leads to a flatter curve. The market-driven level has the capability to strengthen the U-shaped relationship, resulting in a steeper curve. In conclusion, these findings contribute to deeper insights into the U-shaped relationship between the digital economy and GTFP, offering valuable guidance for policymakers seeking to improve GTFP in the transportation sector.

Dynamic tunability of NIR absorption in a plasmonic grating through nonlinear kerr-effect of graphene-oxide and photothermal phase transition of GSST

In this paper, we present an in-depth examination of the absorption dynamics of a silver plasmonic grating incorporating Kerr-type nonlinear graphene-oxide (GO) nanoslits and a Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 (GSST) phase-change material, both in linear and nonlinear regimes. Linear absorption approaches unity at the resonant wavelength when GSST is amorphous. Upon exposure to a nanosecond Gaussian pulse laser irradiation with appropriate fluences, the amorphous GSST partially crystallizes through a thermoplasmonic-induced process, resulting in a significant reduction of the linear on-resonance absorption in the form of a step-like curve. Additionally, the weak off-resonance linear absorption of the system can be enhanced owing to the non-uniform phase-transition within the GSST. Transitioning to a nonlinear regime, considering the third-order nonlinearity of GO nanoslits, reveals distinct absorption behaviors. Temporal analysis reveals that at the on-resonance wavelength, the unit absorption decreases with increasing laser intensity, reaching a minimum at the pulse peak due to the Kerr nonlinearity in the GO. Intriguingly, the absorption exhibits a U-shaped curve at lower fluences, while at higher fluences, it stabilizes at a lower value post-pulse peak where the amorphous GSST undergoes a thermally driven partially crystallization phase transformation. In the off-resonance mode, the weak absorption enhances dramatically by increasing the fluence, tracing an imperfect parabolic trajectory that reaches nearly unit at the trailing edge of the pulse, attributed to the Kerr nonlinearity within the GO nanoslits. By further increasing the laser fluence, the photothermal response of the GSST emerges as the dominant factor, diminishing the unity absorption observed at the trailing edge of the pulse. These findings underscore the dynamic responsiveness of the proposed grating to pulsed laser illumination, driven by the nonlinear Kerr effect and GSST reconfigurability, offering promising opportunities for developing active optical switching devices.

Do policies make a difference? Assessing the impact of China's air pollution prevention and control action plan on carbon emissions

This study aims to balance the dual objectives of improving environmental quality and achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Utilizing panel data from 274 Chinese cities between 2006 and 2020, this paper employs the difference-in-differences method to examine the impact of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) on urban carbon emissions. Empirical results indicate that the impact of the APPCAP on regional carbon emissions follows an inverted U-shaped curve, exhibiting a dual impact path. Although the implementation of the APPCAP increased the annual carbon emissions of the city by an average of 1.637 million tons, it showed a trend of inhibiting the growth of carbon emissions, although it was not significant. Specifically, the APPCAP is most effective in reducing carbon emissions during the "source prevention" stage, primarily by increasing industrial electricity consumption and reducing coal production and consumption. However, a rebound effect occurs at the policy period's end, with compensatory increases in crude oil and electricity consumption, thereby elevating regional carbon emission levels. The APPCAP's effect on carbon emissions is more pronounced in areas with lower population density and higher environmental regulation intensity. It notably raises carbon emission levels in non-industrial base and non-resource-based cities compared to other cities. Furthermore, the APPCAP positively impacts regional carbon emission intensity and economic growth, significantly driving the secondary industry while minimally affecting the primary industry.

The contribution of clean energy consumption and production to sustainable economic development: New insights from the PSTR model

Massive consumption of fossil fuels has posed significant threat to sustainable development. Therefore, clean energy is an urgent requirement for sustainable economic development (SED). There is no comprehensive assessment of the relationship between clean energy and the SED, signifying a research gap in understanding the non-linear effects between them. This study fills this gap by calculating the SED index for China and using a panel smoothed transformation regression model. The findings reveal that the impact of clean energy development and utilisation on SED is characterised by non-linearity, which manifests in two key aspects: (1) Clean energy consumption (CEC) positively influences SED, with its impact strengthening alongside improvements in industrial structure optimisation and economic growth. Notably, the threshold values for the industrial optimisation level, industrial structure level, and economic development are 1.0390, 0.4667, and 43730, respectively. (2) The relationship between clean energy production (CEP) and SED follows a U-shaped curve; once economic development surpasses 38,588 units, CEP transitions from a negative to a positive influence on SED. This study provides valuable insights into comprehensive measurement of SED, offering guidance for countries worldwide to formulate context-specific energy policies aligned with their respective industrial structures and stages of economic development to foster SED growth.

Correlation between body mass index and gender-specific 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis: a retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the potential correlation between body mass index (BMI) and the 28-day mortality rate among sepsis patients and the gender difference in this association. The current research was a retrospective cohort study. A total of 14,883 male and female cohorts of sepsis patients were included in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV V2.2) database. Patients in each gender cohort were further classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese according to BMI and the World Health Organization (WHO) BMI categories. The 28-day mortality from the date of ICU hospitalization was the primary outcome measure. The BMI and 28-day mortality exhibited an L-shaped relationship (p for nonlinearity <0.001) with significant gender-specific differences. Subgroup analysis revealed different association patterns between the male and female cohorts. Specifically, BMI and mortality exhibited a U-shaped curve relationship among the males (p for nonlinearity <0.001) and an L-shaped relationship among the females (p for nonlinearity = 0.045). This study proposes a link between extreme BMI and 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. Underweight patients have an increased risk of mortality; however, this risk decreases in overweight and obese patients. Upon stratifying by sex, a U-shaped pattern was observed, indicating an association between BMI and 28-day mortality in males, while an L-shaped pattern emerged in females.

Serum calcium improves the relationship between fluoride exposure and hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis hormones levels in males—a cross-sectional study on farmers in the lower reaches of the Yellow River

Numerous studies have reported the toxicity of fluoride to the male reproductive system, but epidemiological evidence is limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Kaifeng City, Henan Province in 2011 to explore the association between fluoride exposure and hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis hormones in men. Morning urinary fluoride (UF), serum HPT axis hormones and serum calcium (SC) concentrations were detected. Percent changes and 95% confidence intervals in HPT axis hormones associated with UF were estimated using adjusted linear regression models, and performed subgroup analysis based on SC levels. The restricted cubic spline model was used to fit nonlinear relationships. For every 10% increase in UF, the concentrations of serum GnRH, T, SHBG and TSI decreased by 2.13%, 2.39%, 2.19% and 1.96%, while E2 and FEI increased by 1.11% and 3.33%. Subgroup analysis showed that for every 10% increase in UF, the levels of GnRH, T, TSI and FTI decreased by approximately 3.15%, 5.49%, 4.47% and 5.14%, while the E2 level increased by 2.92% in low-serum-calcium group (LCG). The levels of GnRH and T decreased by approximately 2.97% and 1.82% in medium-serum-calcium group (MCG). In high-serum-calcium group (HCG), serum SHBG levels decreased by 4.70%, while FTI and FEI levels increased by 4.93% and 4.20% as UF concentration increased (P < 0.05, respectively). The non-linear relationship between serum GnRH and UF concentrations presented an approximately inverted U-shaped curve, with a turning point UF concentration of 1.164 mg/L (P < 0.001), and their nonlinear relationship in LCG and MCG were similar to that in the overall subjects. In conclusion, excessive exposure to fluoride can interfere with male serum HPT axis hormones, and a moderate increase in SC alleviates the effect of fluoride. Prospective cohort studies are essential to confirm the causality.

Number of Chronic Conditions and Death Anxiety Among Older Adults in Rural China: A Longitudinal Study in Anhui Province.

Objectives: Death anxiety is feelings of worry and fear regarding death. This study explored the effect of number of chronic conditions on death anxiety in older adults and the moderating effect of age. Methods: This study used the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth waves of longitudinal data (2012-2021) collected in Anhui, China (5014 person-year observations). A mixed linear model was used to examine the effect of number of chronic conditions on death anxiety and the moderating effect of age. Results: The number of chronic conditions showed an inverted U-shaped relationship with death anxiety, with death anxiety being lower in older adults with older age. As age increased, the U-shaped curve became flatter, and the extremes shifted to the right. Discussion: Particular attention should be given to younger older adults with chronic conditions to help them recover earlier from the negative impact by providing information and counseling about their chronic conditions.

Time toxicity faced by patients with advanced cancer across primary cancer sites.

268 Background: Time toxicity, defined as the burden of time for patients interacting with the health care systems, is particularly important for patients with limited life expectancy. Little is known about the relative impact of time toxicity among different cancer types at the end of life. This study examines median contact days for inpatient, outpatient, and home health services among different primary cancer types for patients with advanced cancer with limited prognosis. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on patients with advanced (stage 4) cancer who died within one year of diagnosis at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2023. Time toxicity was defined as comprehensive contact days with healthcare system over the course of patients’ survival period between cancer diagnosis and death (i.e., contact days divided by survival or contact %). Types of contact included institutional stay (emergency department visit, hospitalization, skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation); outpatient visits (ambulatory care, labs, imaging); and in-home care (home-health, home hospice, telephone and virtual visit). The study quantified overall median contact % and contact % by specific care settings, stratified by cancer primary site. Results: The study included 10102 patients. The median age at diagnosis was 74 years with 47% female. Patients were predominantly white (65%), followed by Asian (12%), Hispanic (12%), and black (8%). The median Elixhauser comorbidity score was 4. With the exception of head and neck cancers, most cancers had higher contact % near diagnosis and at end of life (U-shaped curve). Head and neck cancers had the highest percent of patients undergoing surgery (36%) and radiation (52%), which may explain its sinuosity-like curve with a rapid increase of weekly contact % after diagnosis (a small peak), followed by rapid decrease and another increase by the end of their life. Survival days were comparatively long for head and neck cancers (158 days, IQR: 84-265) and short for thoracic (80 days, IQR: 35-166) and upper gastrointestinal cancers (80 days, IQR: 38-173). Malignant hematology patients had notably higher comprehensive contact % (74%, IQR: 47-100) which was driven primarily by emergency room department visits and hospital stays (p&lt;0.001 for all contact types). Conclusions: The study highlights the high burden of time toxicity in patients with advanced cancer with limited prognosis. The significant variations in time toxicity among different cancer types, especially in malignant hematology and head and neck patients, emphasize the need to tailor goals of care discussions for patients with cancer at the end of life. By focusing on reducing unwanted time toxicity, healthcare providers can enhance the quality of life for patients with cancer, ensuring more efficient and patient-centered care delivery.

Multiscale simulation of liquid chromatography: Effective diffusion in macro–mesoporous beds and the B-term of the plate height equation

We performed multiscale simulations of analyte sorption and diffusion in hierarchical porosity models of monolithic silica columns for reversed-phase liquid chromatography to investigate how the mean mesopore size of the chromatographic bed and the analyte-specific interaction with the chromatographic interface influence the analyte diffusivity at various length scales. The reproduced experimental conditions comprised the retention of six analyte compounds of low to moderate solute polarity on a silica-based, endcapped, C18 stationary phase with water‒acetonitrile and water–methanol mobile phases whose elution strength was varied via the volumetric solvent ratio. Detailed information about the analyte-specific interfacial dynamics received from molecular dynamics simulations was incorporated through appropriate linker schemes into Brownian dynamics diffusion simulations in three hierarchical porosity models received from physical reconstructions of silica monoliths with a mean macropore size of 1.23 µm and mean mesopore sizes of 12.3, 21.3, or 25.7 nm. The mean mesopore size was found to have a similar influence on the effective mesopore diffusivity as the analyte polarity and the mobile-phase elution strength, which together determine the analyte residence time on a column. A smaller mesopore size attenuated the increase of the effective mesopore diffusivity with increasing mobile-phase elution strength significantly. The effective bed diffusivity was limited by the analyte residence time rather than by morphological details of the mesopore space. The stronger an analyte was retained by the chromatographic interface inside the mesopores, the slower became the mass transfer between the pore space hierarchies and the lower was the effective bed diffusivity. The B-terms of the plate height equation were finally generated with the bed diffusivities and phase-based retention factors derived from the hierarchical porosity models using additional information about the stationary-phase limit obtained from the analysis of analyte–bonded phase contacts. The B-terms highlight analyte- and mobile phase-specific behavior relevant to isocratic and gradient elution conditions in chromatographic practice. In particular, U-shaped B-term curves are observed due to the dominating contribution of the retention factor and the bed diffusivity to the B-term at low and high elution strength of the mobile phase, respectively.

Digital transformation and enterprise violation risk: A ‘motivation-opportunity-attitude’ framework

In the evolving digital economy, digital transformation has emerged as an important strategic choice for enterprises. Their comprehensive and innovative characteristics have instigated a paradigm shift in enterprise governance ideologies and models. However, this transformation has also introduced heightened demands and challenges to enterprise governance mechanisms during the transitional phase. This study examined the influence of digital transformation on enterprise violation risk using data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2017 to 2021. The analysis revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between the degree of digital transformation and enterprise violation risk. This relationship was underpinned by three fundamental dimensions: motivation, opportunity, and management attitude. These dimensions were elucidated through mechanisms involving risk perception, management agency costs, and management responsibilities. These conclusions were reached even after rigorous tests for endogeneity and stability. Furthermore, this study probed specific scenarios in which digital transformation influences enterprise violation risk. This finding revealed that internal control mechanisms and external analysts’ attention moderate this relationship. As the effectiveness of internal controls and the attention of external analysts increase, the inflection point of the inverted U-shaped curve shifts to the left, and the curve progressively smoothens. Thus, greater internal control effectiveness and the governance impact of external analysts can positively affect the correlation between digital transformation and enterprise violation risk, thereby facilitating digital resources to empower enterprise governance. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on the implications of digital transformation for enterprise governance, particularly in the context of evolving market dynamics. It offers valuable insights and recommendations for effectively driving digital transformation processes.

The time toxicity efficacy-effectiveness gap: A population-based study of stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Ontario, Canada.

133 Background: While patients enrolled in clinical trials tend to have superior cancer-specific outcomes relative to those in routine practice (the ‘’efficacy-effectiveness gap’’), it is unknown if this gap extends to time toxicity. While trial protocols can impose additional contact days, trial participants also tend to be healthier, perhaps needing fewer contact days. We sought to evaluate the time toxicity efficacy-effectiveness gap among patients with stage III/IV NSCLC. Methods: We created a population-based, retrospective cohort with health administrative data covering the population of Ontario, Canada (15.5 million), of adults aged ≥20 years diagnosed with stage III/IV NSCLC in 2014-2017 and died in 2014-2019, receiving palliative systemic anti-cancer drug(s) as part of a trial. We matched patients 1:1 to those who received the same drug(s) in the real world (post-approval) in the same line of treatment, and received the same total lines of therapy. We calculated contact days (days with healthcare contact outside the home) from diagnosis to death and measured overall survival. We plotted, normalized, and fitted with cubic splines the weekly percentage of contact days to obtain trajectories over the disease course. Results: We identified and matched 55 trial participants to 55 patients in routine practice. Trial participants were younger (median age, 62 vs 66 years), had fewer co-morbidities (hypertension, 35% vs 53%), and more often had de novo metastatic disease (82% vs 67%). Median lines of therapy were 2. Systemic therapy regimens most commonly included immunotherapy (n=41, 75%). Trial participants initiated systemic therapy sooner than in routine practice (median 2.0 vs 2.4 months). Trial participants had a longer overall survival (median 13.8 vs 11.6 months) and a similar number of contact days (median 79 vs 78 days). The percentage of contact days was lower in trial participants due to longer survival (median 19% vs 22%). Trial participants had similar acute/assisted institutional care contact days (median 19 vs 18 days), but more days with laboratory tests (median 23 vs 17 days), systemic therapy (median 9 vs 6 days), and radiotherapy visits (median 15 vs 11 days). Normalized trajectories for both cohorts followed a ‘’U-shape’’; the difference between the maximal peak and trough was smaller in trial participants. Conclusions: We describe a novel efficacy-effectiveness gap in time toxicity, in addition to the previously established efficacy-effectiveness gap in overall survival. Encouragingly, trial participants did not experience delays in treatment, and initiated treatments sooner than in routine practice. Among trial participants, the higher number of contact days for tests, and the shallower U-shaped curve (indicating frequent visits even when relatively well) indicate potential opportunities to decrease trial-related time toxicity.

Research on the Impact of Agricultural Production Outsourcing on Farmers’ Fertilizer Application Intensity: An Inverse U-Shaped Relationship

Agricultural production outsourcing services encourage a shift in the way crops are grown in developing countries and make it easier for small farmers to join the social division of labor in agriculture. This makes production more efficient and has a big effect on the inputs used in agriculture, especially fertilizer. This paper empirically tests the impact of production outsourcing on farmers’ fertilizer intensity using the instrumental variables method with non-planar panel data from the 2020–2022 China Land Economy Survey (CLES) of farm plots. The results showed that there was a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between the degree of agricultural production outsourcing and the intensity of fertilization on farmers’ plots. Mechanistic analysis shows that agricultural production outsourcing affects the fertilizer intensity by changing the labor allocation of farmers. Especially as the degree of agricultural production outsourcing increases, the intensity of farm labor inputs by farmers gradually decreases, and the impact of fertilizer intensity on the plots showed a tendency to be promoted first and then suppressed. The moderating effect showed that plot size was a major moderating factor. This means that the bigger the plot, the flatter the inverted U-shaped curve became, and the same level of outsourcing could lead to less fertilizer application. This happened by moving the inflection point of the inverted U-shaped curve to the left, which stopped the fertilizer application at a lower level of outsourcing. Heterogeneity analysis showed that participation in technology-intensive production outsourcing was beneficial in terms of reducing fertilizer intensity, and that an increased degree of agriculture production outsourcing was beneficial for farmers with large plot sizes and younger heads of household.