bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Politics and administration in times of crisis: Explaining the Swedish response to the COVID‐19 crisis
Authors: Petridou Evangelia 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe Swedish response to the COVID‐19 pandemic is different not only to the response of other European countries, but also to other Scandinavian countries, which are geographically proximate and culturally similar. The question that emerges from an analysis of the Swedish case concerns the reasons why the country chose to take such a relatively liberal crisis response to the onset of the pandemic compared to the rest of Europe. In this paper, I treat the national response to the pandemic as the outcome variable, which I seek to explain through an analysis of the intersection of dualism in the model of Swedish public administration and the devolved governance system that bestows operational autonomy on public agencies and local public authorities. The duality that characterizes the relationship between politics, policy, and administration in Sweden resulted in a response that was necessarily decentralized. The decentralized response in conjunction with high political trust among the citizenry necessitated, and was conducive to, broad guidelines. I conclude the article with a discussion placing the Swedish response in perspective for further comparative research.摘要瑞典对新冠肺炎大流行的响应不仅不同于其他欧洲国家，还不同于其他斯堪的纳维亚国家，后者在地理和文化上都与瑞典相似。浮现的问题则有关于瑞典选择自由式危机响应的原因。本文中，我将国家对大流行的响应作为结果变量，试图通过分析瑞典公共行政与下放治理体系（将操作自治权交予公共机构与地方公共机构）模式中二者的交集，对该变量进行诠释。瑞典政治、政策与行政之间的关系的双重性导致对危机的响应必然是去中心化的。去中心化响应加上全体公民高度的政治信任，不仅使广泛的指南成为必需，同时有益于该指南。我以一项探讨作为本文结论，这项探讨诠释了瑞典的危机响应对进一步比较研究的重要性。
Emerging markets financial sector debt: A Markov‐switching study of interest rate sensitivity
Authors: Gubareva Mariya , Keddad Benjamin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWe provide an empirical study on the sensitivity of capital gains of emerging market financial sector debts to the U.S. Treasury market in a three‐state Markov‐switching framework. Specifically, we model the capital gains change in a debt portfolio consisting of emerging market bonds as a linear regression of the capital gains change in a portfolio consisting of U.S. Treasury bonds in which the regression coefficients are allowed to switch between three regimes. Our analysis spans the period 2003–2016. We identify three regimes corresponding to positive sensitivity, insensitivity and negative sensitivity and provide economic explanations of our findings. We find that negative sensitivity regimes mostly occurred during the financial crisis. Our research advances understanding of the financial economics that governs the interdependence of interest rate risk and credit risk. By reassessing interest rate risk management through the prism of the downside risk hedge, our results shed light on how financial institutions may better withstand adverse financial conditions.
Did reduction in corporate tax rate attract FDI in Pakistan?
Authors: Nazir Mian Sajid , Hafeez Qaisar , U‐Din Salah 
Published: October 2020

AbstractForeign direct investment (FDI) is a very important factor for economic growth because of its associated benefits such as advanced technology, employment, and economic development for the developing host countries. The factors of lower corporate tax rate, social peace, consistent energy supply, better infrastructure, skilled labor, political stability and business openness are very important for foreign investors. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of corporate tax reduction, terrorism, energy shortfall, availability of labor, infrastructure and degree of business openness on the FDI in Pakistan. Further, it compares democratic and autocratic regimes to evaluate their impact on attracting FDI in Pakistan. A vector error correction (VEC) model is used on the secondary data of the period 1989–2016. The results of the study show that corporate tax rate, terrorism, and energy shortfall have significant negative impact on FDI. The study results also confirm that autocratic period was more favorable to attract FDI providing openness to the economy when compared to democratic period. The findings of this study could be used by policy makers for future FDI policy of Pakistan.
Foreign financial flows, human capital and economic growth in African developing countries
Authors: Dinh Su Thanh , Phuc Nguyen Canh 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between foreign financial flows (i.e., FDI inflows, ODA, and remittances), human capital, and economic growth in African developing countries. Along with the two‐step system GMM estimator, fixed effect panel quantile regression is applied as a robustness check for the sample of 38 African countries over the period 2002–2017. First, FDI inflows emerge with different impacts on economic growth, depending on the level: negative and positive effects at low and high levels, respectively. Interestingly, these effects are moderated by the human capital of hosting countries. Second, ODA and remittances are found as negative factors for economic growth; notably, higher human capital accumulation of receiving countries reduces these negative impacts. Overall, the results imply that foreign financial flows are correlated differently with human capital in influencing economic growth among African countries. Nevertheless, the significant implications are that more attention must be paid to human capital in these countries, and more feasible policies are urgently needed for better absorption of external capital flows.
Nonparametric variational learning of multivariate beta mixture models in medical applications
Authors: Manouchehri Narges , Bouguila Nizar , Fan Wentao 
Published: October 2020

AbstractClustering as an essential technique has matured into a capable solution to address the gap between the growing availability of data and deriving the knowledge from them. In this paper, we propose a novel clustering method “variational learning of infinite multivariate Beta mixture models.” The motivation behind proposing this technique is the flexibility of mixture models to fit the data. This approach has the capability to infer the model complexity and estimate model parameters from the observed data automatically. Moreover, as a label‐free method, it could also address the problem of high costs of medical data labeling, which can be undertaken just by medical experts. The performance of the model is evaluated on real medical applications and compared with other similar alternatives. We demonstrate the ability of our proposed method to outperform widely used methods in the field as it has been shown in experimental results.
Prediction of acute inhalation toxicity using cytotoxicity data from human lung epithelial cell lines
Authors: Lim Seong Kwang , Yoo Jean , Kim Haewon , Lim Yeon‐Mi , Kim Woong , Shim Ilseob , Kim Ha Ryong , Kim Pilje , Eom Ig‐chun 
Published: October 2020

AbstractRecent research on in vitro systems has focused on mimicking the in vivo situation of cells within the respiratory system. However, few studies have predicted inhalation toxicity using conventional and simple submerged two‐dimensional (2D) cell culture models. We investigated the conventional submerged 2‐D cell culture model as a method for the prediction of acute inhalation toxicity. Median lethal concentration (LC50) (rat, inhalation, 4 h) and half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) (lung or bronchial cell, 24 h) data for 59 substances were obtained from the literature and by experiments. Cytotoxicity assays were performed on 44 substances with reported LC50, but without IC50, data to obtain the IC50 values. A weak correlation was observed between the IC50 and LC50 of all substances. Semi‐volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and non‐VOCs (NVOCs) (16 substances) with a water solubility of ≥1 g/L were strongly correlated between 24‐h IC50 and 4‐h LC50, and this had an excellent predictive ability to distinguish between Categories 1–3 and 4 (Globally Harmonized System classification for acute inhalation toxicity). Our results suggest that the submerged 2‐D cell culture model may be used to predict in vivo acute inhalation toxicity for substances with a water solubility of ≥1 g/L in SVOCs and NVOCs.
The long noncoding RNA PDK1‐AS/miR‐125b‐5p/VEGFA axis modulates human dermal microvascular endothelial cell and human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis after thermal injury
Authors: Zhou Situo , Liang Pengfei , Zhang Pihong , Zhang Minghua , Huang Xiaoyuan 
Published: October 2020

AbstractOur previous study confirmed the critical role of miR‐125b and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in burn wound repair., The present study was aimed to identify the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) related to the function of miR‐125b and VEGF in burn wound repair and the underlying mechanism. First, we found that lncRNA PDK1‐AS and VEGFA expression was significantly increased in heat‐denatured dermal tissue samples and in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) after thermal injury. PDK1‐AS knockdown significantly inhibited cell viability, cumulative tube length, cell migratory ability, and cell invasion of thermally injured HDMECs and HUVECs. PDK1‐AS knockdown decreased VEGFA protein levels in HDMECs and HUVECs. While overexpression of PDK1‐AS showed the opposite effects. Online tools prediction and luciferase assay confirmed that miR‐125b‐5p targeted PDK1‐AS and VEGFA 3′‐untranslated region. miR‐125b‐5p inhibition significantly increased VEGFA protein levels and enhanced viability, cumulative tube length, migratory ability, and invasion of HUVECs and HDMECs. Furthermore, the effects of PDK1‐AS knockdown on VEGFA protein levels in the two cell lines were partially reversed by miR‐125b‐5p inhibition. Finally, in the tissue samples, PDK1‐AS and VEGFA expression was increased, while miR‐125b‐5p expression was decreased in heat‐denatured dermal tissues; the expression of miR‐125b‐5p had a negative correlation with PDK1‐AS and VEGFA, respectively, and PDK1‐AS and VEGFA were positively correlated with each other in tissue samples. In conclusion, PDK1‐AS relieves miR‐125b‐5p‐induced inhibition on VEGFA by acting as a endogenous RNA, therefore modulating HDMEC and HUVEC angiogenesis after thermal injury.
Black‐Blood Contrast in Cardiovascular MRI
Authors: Henningsson Markus , Malik Shaihan , Botnar Rene , Castellanos Daniel , Hussain Tarique , Leiner Tim 
Published: October 2020

MRI is a versatile technique that offers many different options for tissue contrast, including suppressing the blood signal, so‐called black‐blood contrast. This contrast mechanism is extremely useful to visualize the vessel wall with high conspicuity or for characterization of tissue adjacent to the blood pool. In this review we cover the physics of black‐blood contrast and different techniques to achieve blood suppression, from methods intrinsic to the imaging readout to magnetization preparation pulses that can be combined with arbitrary readouts, including flow‐dependent and flow‐independent techniques. We emphasize the technical challenges of black‐blood contrast that can depend on flow and motion conditions, additional contrast weighting mechanisms (T1, T2, etc.), magnetic properties of the tissue, and spatial coverage. Finally, we describe specific implementations of black‐blood contrast for different vascular beds.Level of Evidence5Technical Efficacy Stage5
Interpretive discrepancies caused by target values inter‐batch variations in chemiluminescence immunoassay for SARS‐CoV‐2 IgM/IgG by MAGLUMI
Authors: Selingerova Iveta , Valik Dalibor , Gescheidtova Lenka , Sramek Vladimir , Cermakova Zdenka , Zdrazilova‐Dubska Lenka 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPlasma specimens from coronavirus disease 2019 patients were double‐tested for anti‐severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) antibodies by two different batches of MAGLUMI 2019‐nCov immunoglobulin M/immunoglobulin G (IgM/IgG) assays to evaluate IgM/IgG levels, qualitative interpretation, antibody kinetics, and linearity of diluted specimen. Here we show that (i) high‐level IgM specimens need to be diluted with negative human plasma but not kit diluents and (ii) measured anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgM/IgG concentrations are substantially higher with later marketed immunoassay batch leading to (iii) the change of qualitative interpretation (positive vs. negative) in 12.3% of specimens measured for IgM, (iv) the informative time‐course pattern of antibody production only when data from different immunoassay batches are not combined.
Evaluating Bayesian Radiocarbon‐dated Event Count (REC) models for the study of long‐term human and environmental processes
Authors: Carleton W. Christopher 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTChronological uncertainty complicates attempts to use radiocarbon dates as proxies for processes such as human population growth/decline, forest fires and marine ingression. Established approaches involve turning databases of radiocarbon‐date densities into single summary proxies that cannot fully account for chronological uncertainty. Here, I use simulated data to explore an alternative Bayesian approach that instead models the data as what they are, namely radiocarbon‐dated event counts. The approach involves assessing possible event‐count sequences by sampling radiocarbon date densities and then applying a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to estimate the parameters of an appropriate count‐based regression model. The regressions based on individual sampled sequences were placed in a multilevel framework, which allowed for the estimation of hyperparameters that account for chronological uncertainty in individual event times. Two processes were used to produce simulated data. One represented a simple monotonic change in event‐counts and the other was based on a real palaeoclimate proxy record. In both cases, the method produced estimates that had the correct sign and were consistently biased towards zero. These results indicate that the approach is widely applicable and could form the basis of a new class of quantitative models for use in exploring long‐term human and environmental processes.
Precursor carboxy‐silica for functionalization with interactive ligands. I. Carbodiimide‐assisted preparation of silica‐bonded stationary phases with octadecyl, naphthyl, and anthracenyl ligands: Comparison of their selectivity and retentivity
Authors: Paranamana Nilushi , El Rassi Ziad 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA precursor carboxy‐silica support was introduced for grafting retentive ligands for use in high‐performance liquid chromatography. This support was prepared by sequentially reacting 5 μm silica particles with vinyltrimethoxysilane and then thioglycolic acid. The carboxy‐silica thus obtained was subsequently functionalized with octadecylamine, 2‐naphthylamine, or 2‐aminoanthracene by on‐column reactions via a carbodiimide conjugation reaction. The carbodiimide with its zero‐length carboxyl‐to‐amine coupling ability works by activating the surface carboxyl groups of the precursor support for direct reaction with the primary amines of octadecylamine, 2‐naphthylamine, or 2‐aminoanthracene via amide bond formation. These reactions series, which are applied for the first time in high‐performance liquid chromatography column fabrication, yielded the octadecyl‐, naphthyl‐, and anthracenyl‐silica columns. The three columns were evaluated for their reversed‐phase chromatography retention properties with alkylbenzenes, alkylphenyl ketones, nitroalkanes, benzene and toluene derivatives, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and nitro‐substituted amino acids. The naphthyl‐ and anthracenyl‐silica exhibited a good selectivity and efficiency toward most of the aromatic analytes when compared to the octadecyl‐silica. Nitro‐substituted amino acids containing electron withdrawing groups showed greater selectivity than other analytes on the aromatic‐based columns than the C18 column. This is because of the ability of the π electron system of the analyte to accept electrons from the aromatic‐based stationary phase (a Lewis base).
Examination of the Factor Structure and Correlates of the Perceived Military Healthcare Stressors Scale
Authors: Hale Willie J. , Moore Brian A. , Straud Casey L. , Baker Monty T. , Peterson Alan L. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe current study evaluated the factor structure, reliability estimates, correlates, and predictive utility of the Perceived Military Healthcare Stressor Scale (PMHSS) in a sample of active duty military medical personnel (N = 1,131) deployed to Joint Base Balad in Iraq. The sample was composed of an approximately even split of male (51.2%) and female (48.8%) participants who ranged in age from 18 to 60 years. The PMHSS is a 21‐item measure that was designed to assess the impact of specific medical stressors that military healthcare providers may encounter while deployed. An exploratory factor analysis of the PMHSS revealed the presence of two distinct factors: trainable and futility stressors. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a bifactor model best represented the data, with all items loading higher on the general factor relative to their specific subscale factors. Evidence of partial scalar invariance by gender was found. The PMHSS was significantly correlated with several convergent measures, including assessments of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression severity, distress due to both combat exposure and general deployment‐related concerns, and positive affect, rs = .30–.59. PMHSS scores were more strongly correlated with PTSD and depression in women than in men, and they provided incremental validity in predicting convergent measures over and above other related constructs. Healthcare–specific stressors are an understudied area, and this study provides new insights into how deployment‐related caregiving stress may impact deployed military medical personnel independently of the impact of combat experiences.
Control of Mitochondrial Localization Using Thermoresponsive Sulfobetaine Polymer
Authors: Morimoto Nobuyuki , Oishi Yoshifumi , Yamamoto Masaya 
Published: October 2020

AbstractFast intracellular migration and controlled localization of molecules represent significant challenges for future applications of drug discovery and related fields. In this study, thermoresponsive sulfobetaine polymers with pyridinium cations are evaluated as biocompatible and mitochondria‐localizing agents. Among the polymers, poly(3‐(4‐(2‐methacrylamido)ethyl pyridinio‐1‐yl)propane‐1‐sulfonate), P(E‐PySMAAm)14k (Mn = 14 000 g mol−1) exhibit thermoresponsiveness with an upper critical solution temperature like behavior in cell culture medium containing serum with minimal cytotoxicity. Upon the addition of P(E‐PySMAAm)14k to HeLa cells at temperatures above the clearing point at 37 °C, effective localization is observed in mitochondria. However, increased intensity but nonspecific localization is observed below the clearing point at 4 °C. Doxorubicin is conjugated to the P(E‐PySMAAm) and achieves effective mitochondrial delivery while maintaining drug efficacy. Such sulfobetaine polymers represent promising tools for intracellular delivery of molecules.
Antifungal polymers for medical applications
Authors: Velazco‐Medel Marlene Alejandra , Camacho‐Cruz Luis Alberto , Lugo‐González José Carlos , Bucio Emilio 
Published: October 2020

AbstractFungi‐associated infections are very common diseases in humans, and these have increased in immunocompromised population and hospitalized patients. Fungi grow almost in any environment, and they reproduce easily in dirt and wet spaces, and thus, the development of antifungal materials is focused on avoiding fungal infections or inhibiting growth. Polymers used for medical devices are susceptible to microorganism adhesion. Therefore, they have been treated and modified for the inhibition of fungi growth. There are two pathways to deal with these microorganisms, firstly, the synthesis of versatile polymeric materials with antifouling properties, and, secondly, the development of materials for controlled fungicide release. These two approaches have been used in the crafting of food packaging. Additionally, sophisticated polymeric drug delivery systems have allowed the systematic and localized administration of fungicides reducing doses with a prolonged delivery. This general purpose has been accomplished by the synthesis of polymeric composites, grafted polymers or the modification of polymeric fungicides, by the coupling of cationic moieties on polymers, using metallic salts and nanoparticles, and by the loading of fungicides in micelles and metallic nanoparticles. Most of the materials presented on this review are still at an early stage of development. This compilation intends to be a frame of reference for researchers willing to explore this topic since clinical applications of these materials are starting to be increasingly relevant.
Facial nerve transfer for facial reanimation with parotidoplasty approach
Authors: Wehrle Chase J. , Sinkler Margaret A. , Brown Jimmy J. , Ritter Edmond F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundFacial paralysis has a profound impact on quality of life in affected individuals, primarily through loss of verbal and nonverbal communication. Common facial nerve reanimation techniques include coaptation to the masseteric or hypoglossal nerve. Most techniques require nerve grafts to achieve a tension‐free neurorrhaphy. Our report aims to show a surgical adaption to current facial reanimation procedures using a partial parotidoplasty approach in order to avoid challenges caused by interpositional nerve grafts through primary neurorrhaphy.Patients and MethodsThe modified surgical approach was performed on four patients, aged 30–67. Length of paralysis ranged from 6 to 13 months. Cause of paralysis included one patient with Bell's palsy in one patient, prior surgery in two patients, and traumatic fracture in the remaining patient. A modified Blair approach is used to expose the parotid capsule. The facial nerve is dissected proximally toward the stylomastoid foramen and distally toward the masseter. The parotid gland substance is sectioned overlying each branch of the facial nerve using ultrasonic dissection or hemostatic scalpel, allowing mobilization of the proximal segment and upper and lower divisions of the facial nerve. The superficial lobe of the parotid is preserved in most cases. The House–Brackmann (H–B) functional scale was used to assess facial nerve function pre‐ and post‐operatively.ResultsAll patients showed H–B score V or greater prior to reanimation. Follow‐up was conducted at 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐months in all patients with resultant improvement of H–B scores of I in three patients and II in the remaining patient. Only one complication was noted, with one patient developing a right postauricular hematoma that was adequately managed without sequelae. All remaining patients experienced an uncomplicated post‐operative course.ConclusionOur modified approach to facial nerve reanimation works well with a planned parotidoplasty allowing for successful reanimation outcomes without the need for interpositional grafting. This technique may be considered in masseteric and hemi‐hypoglossal nerve transfers for the reinnervation of facial muscles.