Fuzzy Subalgebras and Fuzzy Ideals of BCI-Algebras with Operators

The aim of this paper is to introduce the concepts of fuzzy subalgebras, fuzzy ideals and fuzzy quotient algebras of BCI-algebras with operators, and to investigate their basic properties

Environmental Finance:An Interdisciplinary Review

Environmental finance has gained considerable attention globally as an emerging interdisciplinary research area. This study uses bibliometric analysis to systematically review major studies on environmental finance-related areas published since the 1970s. Through a bibliometric analysis of 892 environmental finance-related articles sourced from the Web of Science database, we identified the main research streams and illustrated the trending research themes of environmental finance. We find that publications related to environmental finance have increased exponentially over the past decade. Current research streams include corporate and social re- sponsibility (CSR), climate negotiations, natural gas price volatility, national policy, and cost comparisons. Further analysis of the recent five years of literature shows that emerging research topics include climate finance, sustainable finance, firm value, climate risk, and green bonds. Finally, we conclude with a future research agenda for environmental finance

Review on City-Level Carbon Accounting

Carbon accounting results for the same city can differ due to differences in protocols, methods, and data sources. A critical review of these differences and the connection among them can help to bridge our knowledge between university-based researchers and protocol practitioners in accounting and taking further mitigation actions. The purpose of this study is to provide a review of published research and protocols related to city carbon accounting, paying attention to both their science and practical actions. To begin with, the most cited articles in this field are identified and analyzed by employing a citation network analysis to illustrate the development of city-level carbon accounting from three perspectives. We also reveal the relationship between research methods and accounting protocols. Furthermore, a timeline of relevant organizations, protocols, and projects is provided to demonstrate the applications of city carbon accounting in practice. The citation networks indicate that the field is dominated by pure-geographic production-based and community infrastructure-based accounting; however, emerging models that combine economic system analysis from a consumption-based perspective are leading to new trends in the field. The emissions accounted for by various research methods consist essentially of the scope 1–3, as defined in accounting protocols. The latest accounting protocols include consumption-based accounting, but most cities still limit their accounting and reporting from pure-geographic production-based and community infrastructure-based perspectives. In conclusion, we argue that protocol practitioners require support in conducting carbon accounting, so as to explore the potential in mitigation and adaptation from a number of perspectives. This should also be a priority for future studies

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with heart failure: A pool analysis

Background and aimsNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF) than those without NAFLD. However, the prognostic impact of NAFLD in HF is still controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between NAFLD and the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with HF.MethodsWe searched multiple electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar) for potentially related studies up to June 30, 2022. Cohort studies reported multivariable adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of adverse outcomes in HF patients with NAFLD comparing those without NAFLD were included for analysis.ResultsA total of six studies involving 12,374 patients with HF were included for analysis, with a median follow-up duration of 2.5 years. The pooled analysis showed that HF patients with NAFLD were associated with a significantly increased risk of major composite adverse outcomes (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.25-2.07), all-cause mortality (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.39-1.98), and HF hospitalization or re-hospitalization (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.03-2.86).ConclusionNAFLD is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with HF. Effective screening and treatment strategies are needed to improve the prognosis in HF patients with NAFLD

The XRE Family Transcriptional Regulator SrtR in Streptococcus suis Is Involved in Oxidant Tolerance and Virulence

Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that harbors anti-oxidative stress genes, which have been reported to be associated with virulence. Serial passage has been widely used to obtain phenotypic variant strains to investigate the functions of important genes. In the present study, S. suis serotype 9 strain DN13 was serially passaged in mice 30 times. The virulence of a single colony from passage 10 (SS9-P10) was found to increase by at least 140-fold as indicated by LD50 values, and the increased virulence was stable for single colonies from passage 20 (SS0-P20) and 30 (SS0-P30). Compared to the parental strain, the mouse-adapted strains were more tolerant to oxidative and high temperature stress. Genome-wide analysis of nucleotide variations found that reverse mutations occurred in seven genes, as indicated by BLAST analysis. Three of the reverse mutation genes or their homologs in other bacteria were reported to be virulence-associated, including ideSsuis in S. suis, a homolog of malR of Streptococcus pneumoniae, and a homolog of the prepilin peptidase-encoding gene in Legionella pneumophila. However, these genes were not involved in the stress response. Another gene, srtR (stress response transcriptional regulator), encoding an XRE family transcriptional regulator, which had an internal stop in the parental strain, was functionally restored in the adapted strains. Further analysis of DN13 and SS9-P10-background srtR-knock-out and complementing strains supported the contribution of this gene to stress tolerance in vitro and virulence in mice. srtR and its homologs are widely distributed in Gram-positive bacteria including several important human pathogens such as Enterococcus faecium and Clostridioides difficile, indicating similar functions in these bacteria. Taken together, our study identified the first member of the XRE family of transcriptional regulators that is involved in stress tolerance and virulence. It also provides insight into the mechanism of enhanced virulence after serial passage in experimental animals

Quality Assessment of Guidelines forVascular Cognitive Impairment Using the AGREEⅡ

BackgroundAs the second primary type of cognitive impairment worldwide, vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is closely associated with cerebrovascular risks, which imposes a heavy burden on the society and families. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for intervening and reversing VCI. And formulating high-quality clinical guidelines is an effective way to improve diagnosis and treatment levels of VCI.ObjectiveTo assess the quality of guidelines for VCI, aiming at offering support for making clinical decisions for VCI.MethodsFrom August to November 2021, we searched literature databases and websites in China and abroad to identify guidelines for VCI, and assessed them using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) Ⅱ.ResultsA total of 18 guidelines were enrolled, 12 of which are Chinese guidelines and 6 are foreign guidelines; 9 of which are evidence-based guidelines, and the other 9 are not. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.935, indicating a high degree of agreement between raters. The overall quality of these guidelines was relatively low, since in the six domains, only the average score of Clarity of Presentation was greater than 60% (64.04%) , and the average scores of Scope and Purpose (52.31%) and Editorial Independence (42.01%) were between 30% and 60%, and those for other three domains, Stakeholder Involvement (27.24%) , Rigor of Development (20.05%) and Applicability (13.83%) , were all less than 30%. The grade of recommendation for 6 guidelines was B, and that for other 12 guidelines was C.ConclusionThe overall quality of the included guidelines was rated relatively low, especially their average score for each of the three domains, Stakeholder Involvement, Rigor of Development, and Applicability, was below the average level. It is suggested to enhance the quality of VCI guidelines via improving the details of guidelines strictly under the evidence-based principle

Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor and the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Young Chinese Patients

Background. Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a novel marker of chronic inflammation and is considered to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in Caucasians. This study investigated the role of suPAR in young Chinese patients with CAD. Methods. The study involved a total of 196 consecutive young (age ≤ 55 years) patients with angiographically proven CAD and 188 age-matched non-CAD individuals as controls. Traditional risk factors were evaluated using conventional assays, and levels of suPAR were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results. Levels of suPAR were significantly correlated with age (r=0.20, P=0.04), smoking (r=0.33, P=0.008), body mass index (r=0.21, P=0.03), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; r=0.31, P=0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male sex (odds ratio (OR) = 3.12; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18–8.25, P=0.02), smoking (OR = 3.41, 95% CI = 1.55–7.50, P=0.002), triglyceride (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.10–3.25, P=0.02), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.02–0.03, P=0.03), and suPAR (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.09–1.72, P=0.007) were independently associated with CAD risk in young patients. Conclusions. SuPAR is a novel independent risk factor for CAD in young Chinese patients. Further studies evaluating the effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on the suPAR levels and the risk of CAD are needed