Green supply chain integration, supply chain agility and green innovation performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Despite widespread attention on the significance of green supply chain integration (GSCI), there is still limited research on how GSCI can improve firms’ green innovation performance. From the perspective of the natural resource-based view and dynamic capability theory, based on the theoretical logic of “resource-capability-performance”, this study aims to explore the relationship between GSCI and firms’ green innovation performance and its intrinsic mechanism. In order to test the research model, this study collected survey data from 405 Chinese manufacturing firms and tested them by using hierarchical regression and bootstrap analysis. The results show that all three dimensions of GSCI, namely, green internal integration, green supplier integration, and green customer integration, have positive effects on supply chain agility. In addition, supply chain agility has a significant positive impact on green product and process innovation. This study also finds that supply chain agility plays a partially mediating role between all three dimensions of GSCI and green product and process innovation; that is, GSCI can further promote firms’ green innovation performance by improving supply chain agility. The results of this study not only enrich the theoretical research on the driving factors of firms’ green innovation but also provide policy implications for manufacturing firms and government policy-makers regarding the implementation and promotion of green innovation practices

Complete remission of advanced pancreatic cancer induced by claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy: a case report

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most malignant tumors in digestive system due to its highly invasive and metastatic properties. At present, conventional treatment strategies for PC show the limited clinical efficacy. Therefore, novel effective therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Here, we report a case of complete remission of advanced PC induced by claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy. The patient was a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma 2 years ago, and he experienced tumor recurrence and multiple metastases after pancreaticoduodenectomy and multi-line chemotherapies, including liver, peritoneum, and cervical lymph node metastases. Then, the patient was referred to our department for further treatment of metastatic PC, and he was enrolled in a clinical trial of claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy. After lymphodepleting chemotherapy, the patient received claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell infusion at a dose of 1.2 × 106 cells/kg on November 21, 2022. During CAR-T cell therapy, the patient experienced grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and gastric mucosa injury, which were controlled by tocilizumab and conventional symptomatic and supportive treatment. The patient achieved a complete response (CR) 1 month after claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, and remained in clinical remission for 8 months. Unfortunately, the patient experienced claudin18.2-negative relapse in July, 2023. Despite antigen-negative relapse after claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell infusion, the patient achieved sustained remission for 8 months, which indicates that claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy is an extremely effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of advanced PC

Strategies to inhibit tumour associated integrin receptors: rationale for dual and multi-antagonists

YesThe integrins are a family of 24 heterodimeric transmembrane cell surface receptors. Involvement in cell attachment to the extracellular matrix, motility, and proliferation identifies integrins as therapeutic targets in cancer and associated conditions; thrombosis, angiogenesis and osteoporosis. The most reported strategy for drug development is synthesis of an agent that is highly selective for a single integrin receptor. However, the ability of cancer cells to change their integrin repertoire in response to drug treatment renders this approach vulnerable to the development of resistance and paradoxical promotion of tumor growth. Here, we review progress towards development of antagonists targeting two or more members of the RGD-binding integrins, notably αvβ3, αvβ5, αvβ6, αvβ8, α5β1, and αIIbβ3, as anticancer therapeutics

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Antibacterial, efficient and sustainable CS/PVA/GA electrospun nanofiber membrane for air filtration

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, a large number of disposable protective masks have been manufactured and used, and the abandonment of masks has caused enormous pollution. In this paper the chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and water were used as raw materials and the nanofiber membranes were prepared by electrostatic spinning. The CS/PVA fiber membranes were crosslinked by glutaraldehyde hydrochloric acid vapour. The fiber morphology, hydrolysis resistance, antibacterial properties, chemical structure, thermal stability and filtration performance of nanofiber membranes were characterized. Results shows that the antibacterial performance of the crosslinked composite nanofibers exceeds 97%, the thermal stability is improved, and the fiber morphology is not destroyed. The hybridized fiber membrane has high filtration performance, excellent antibacterial and hydrolysis resistance, which broadening the PVA fiber membrane application. It is expected to replace traditional protective materials and relieve environmental pressure

The impact of corporate digital strategic orientation on innovation output

Given the development of the digital economy, the shift to digitalization is an inevitable direction for corporate strategic planning. This empirical study investigates the impact of corporate digital strategic orientation on innovation output. It also examines the moderating effects of executive equity and compensation incentives on the relationship between corporate digital strategic orientation and innovation output. We selected a sample of Chinese listed companies and adopted the Heckman two-stage and two-stage least square (2 S LS) methods to control for potential endogenous problems. Our findings indicate that corporate digital strategic orientation significantly enhances innovation output. Additionally, we found that executive compensation and equity incentives positively moderate the impact of corporate digital strategic orientation on innovation output, with equity incentives having a greater moderating effect than compensation incentives. Further analysis shows that the impact of corporate digital strategic orientation on innovation output is greater in non-manufacturing industries and non-state-owned enterprises. Our study provides policy insights on how companies can enhance their innovation capability in the digital economy

Effect of Angelica sinensis Root Extract on Cancer Prevention in Different Stages of an AOM/DSS Mouse Model

Angelica sinensis root (ASR) extract was obtained to investigate its effects on colorectal carcinogenesis in different stages of an Azoxymethane/Dextran sodium sulphate (AOM/DSS) model. In this study, we showed that ASR extract administration in the initial stage of the AOM/DSS model had cancer preventive effects with decreasing tumor incidence and a high-grade of intraepithelial neoplasia incidence. With respect to DNA damage, the amounts of 8-oxoguanine and γ-H2AX were suppressed in colon tissue. The balance of apoptosis and proliferation was approaching the normal state. In contrast, ASR extract administration in the promotion stage of the AOM/DSS model accelerated the progression of carcinogenesis. The maximum tumor size reached 49.85 ± 25.04 mm3. High-grade pathological changes were significantly increased. Decreased DNA damage and P53 level reflected the disrupted reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration in colorectal tissue, which led to an imbalance of proliferative and apoptotic relationships. These findings suggested that the cancer-preventive effect of ASR extract may be stage-dependent in the process of carcinogenesis

Effect of co-existent components in CO2 supercritical fluid extract of Angelica Sinensis Radix on metabolism of Z-ligustilide after oral administration in rats

Objective: To establish a basis for Angelica Sinensis Radix (ASR) as a dietary supplement for colorectal cancer chemoprevention, the effect of co-existent components in supercritical fluid extract (SFE) of ASR on the pharmacokinetics of Z-ligustilide after oral administration was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Incubation in gastrointestinal contents and incubation in rat liver tissue homogenates post-mitochondrial supernatant (PMS) experiments were used to study changes in the levels of Z-ligustilide in vitro. Results: Within 4 hours, the level of Z-ligustilide in SFE declined at a slower rate than in its pure form. Clearance of Z-ligustilide after administration in its pure form was significantly slower than that of SFE of ASR (CL, 0.96 ± 0.16 mL·min/kg versus 1.24 ± 0.21 mL·min/kg P < 0.05; AUC, 243.37 ± 16.84 versus 176.69 ± 12.59 mg·min/L). Conclusion: These phenomena may be attributed to the interactions between the co-existent components in SFE of ASR and Z-ligustilide enhancing the stability of Z-ligustilide. These results suggest that the bioavailability of Z-ligustilide in SFE of ASR is improved. However, stabilization of plasma concentration was not sustained, so that the efficacy of active components could not be maintained. Thus, further processing of SFE of ASR is required