bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The pandemic and economic policy uncertainty
Authors: Al‐Thaqeb Saud Asaad , Algharabali Barrak Ghanim , Alabdulghafour Khaled Tareq 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe events that occurred after the worldwide diffusion of COVID‐19 provide a real‐life example of how uncertainty can severely affect the global economy. This paper reviews literature on the negative impacts of the economic policy uncertainty index (EPU) on individuals, businesses, governments, and economies at the local and international levels. This reveals that a high EPU is associated with adverse effects on households, corporations, and governments, which tend to delay many financial decisions under high uncertainty, which leads to lower consumption, fewer issuances of debt, fewer investments, and higher unemployment. The effects of political and regulatory uncertainty also extend to the commodity markets, such as the adverse effects on both oil and gasoline markets, and can potentially create adverse impacts on the crypto‐currency market and its potential growth. We demonstrate that governmental uncertainty also affects financial, housing, and equity markets; debt issuances; and the entire economy. This underscores the importance of considering EPU as a risk factor. The association with several components of the global economy reflects not only the EPU index's critical influence, but also the importance of risk management. Our results lead us to consider the gravity of economic policy uncertainty and call for innovation across different sectors to mitigate its adverse effects.
Assessment of chromosomal aberrations among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides in Punjab, India
Authors: Ahluwalia Meenakshi , Kaur Anupam 
Published: October 2020

AbstractChromosomal aberrations (CAs) are an important tool for assessment of exposure to pesticides. Genotoxic potential of pesticides is a principal risk factor for long‐term health effects. The present study was aimed toward the assessment of CAs among agricultural workers exposed to pesticides and comparison with nonagricultural workers not exposed to pesticides. A total of 296 subjects were enrolled in the study: exposed (n = 148) and nonexposed subjects (n = 148) from Punjab. A significantly high frequency of aberrations was seen in peripheral blood lymphocytes of exposed subjects as compared with nonexposed ones. Most CAs were present as loss (aneuploidy) and were observed significantly in subjects having a history of alcohol consumption. It can be, thus, concluded that agricultural workers exposed to a mixture of pesticides, in addition to being alcoholic, are at a greater risk of genotoxic damage. It is highly recommended that the agricultural workers are educated regarding the potential hazards of occupational exposure to pesticides.
Efficiency Spillovers From Foreign Direct Investment and Domestic‐exporting Firms: The Case of Ethiopian Manufacturing
Authors: Abegaz Melaku , Lahiri Sajal 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis study examines efficiency spillovers from foreign‐owned and domestic‐exporting firms in the Ethiopian manufacturing sector using a two‐stage econometric approach. We estimate firm‐level technical efficiency using the ‘true’ fixed effects stochastic frontier analysis and apply system generalized methods of moments to examine how spillovers impact the efficiency of local firms. Results show that the presence of domestic‐exporting firms in the same sector increases the efficiency of local non‐exporting firms with a higher absorptive capacity. Furthermore, spillovers from foreign‐owned firms improve the efficiency of vertically linked domestic‐exporting enterprises but negatively impact non‐exporting firms. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Variations in precipitation extremes in the arid and semi‐arid regions of China
Authors: Xu Lu , Zheng Chaolei , Ma Yi 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPrecipitation regimes have been predicted to shift to more extreme patterns that are characterized by heavy rainfall events and longer dry intervals. Spatiotemporal variation of precipitation extremes may significantly influence the local ecosystem, especially in the arid and semi‐arid regions. This study investigated the variations in extreme precipitation indices across the arid and semi‐arid land of China from 1960 to 2018. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was also conducted to evaluate spatial autocorrelations within the study area. There was generally an increasing trend of precipitation intensity, however, most stations in the low‐altitude semi‐arid regions showed non‐significant trend. The frequency indices generally showed a decreasing trend in consecutive dry days, and an increasing trend in precipitation days in the arid land and high‐altitude semi‐arid regions, suggesting that the arid and high‐altitude semi‐arid regions are becoming wetter. Signals of decreasing precipitation intensity and frequency were still found, such as increasing trends in consecutive dry days in the stations from the low‐altitude semi‐arid regions, implying the possibility of increased drought risk at small spatial scale. The global Moran's I values indicated that the spatial autocorrelation of the trend in the low‐altitude semi‐arid region is high. The local Moran's I showed that the number of stations with wetting trend in the arid region were much higher than that in the semi‐arid regions. These observations imply that the precipitation extremes in the arid and semi‐arid regions of China are becoming more homogeneous. Hence, this study can serve as a useful reference to the policymakers and stakeholders for framing water resource and ecosystem management strategies in arid regions.
Delayed notochordal cell disappearance through integrin α5β1 mechanotransduction during ex‐vivo dynamic loading‐induced intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Kanda Yutaro , Yurube Takashi , Morita Yusuke , Takeoka Yoshiki , Kurakawa Takuto , Tsujimoto Ryu , Miyazaki Kunihiko , Kakiuchi Yuji , Miyazaki Shingo , Zhang Zhongying , Takada Toru , Hoshino Yuichi , Masuda Koichi , Kuroda Ryosuke , Kakutani Kenichiro 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe loss of nucleus pulposus (NP) notochordal cells is one of the key initial hallmarks of age‐related intervertebral disc degeneration. Although the transmembrane mechanoreceptor integrin α5β1 is important in the process of disc degeneration, the relationship between integrin α5β1 and notochordal cell disappearance remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of integrin α5β1 in the homeostasis of notochordal cells using an ex‐vivo dynamic loading culture system that we developed. Rat tail functional spinal units (n = 80 from 40 rats) were cultured under unloading or 1.3‐MPa, 1.0‐Hz dynamic compressive loading for 48 or 144 h with or without an integrin α5β1 inhibitor. Disc histomorphology, cell viability, apoptosis, senescence, and phenotypic expression were investigated. Consequently, histological degenerative disc changes with decreased cell viability and increased cell apoptosis and senescence were observed with an extended loading duration. Immunofluorescence revealed that the expression of notochordal cell markers, CD24 and brachyury, and chondrocyte markers, collagen type II and SRY‐box 9, declined with loading. In particular, reduction in notochordal cell marker expression was more dramatic than that in chondrocyte marker expression. Apoptotic terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick‐end labeling positivity was also higher in brachyury‐positive notochordal cells. Furthermore, all these changes were delayed by inhibiting integrin α5β1. Findings of our dynamic loading regimen with a relatively high pressure suggest reproducibility of the cellularity and phenotypic disappearance of NP notochordal cells during adolescence, the susceptibility of notochordal cells to mechanical stimuli partially through the integrin α5β1 pathway, and future potential treatment of integrin regulation for intervertebral disc disease.
Characterization of synthetic dyes for environmental and forensic assessments: A chromatography and mass spectrometry approach
Authors: Terán Julio E , Millbern Zoe , Shao Dongyan , Sui Xinyi , Liu Yixin , Demmler Morgan , Vinueza Nelson R 
Published: October 2020

AbstractDyes have become common substances since they are employed in mostly all objects surrounding our daily activities such as clothing and upholstery. Based on the usage and disposal of these objects, the transfer of the dyes to other media such as soil and water increases their prevalence in our environment. However, this prevalence could help to solve crimes and pollution problems if detection techniques are proper. For that reason, the detection and characterization of dyes in complex matrices is important to determine the possible events leading to their deposition (natural degradation, attempts of removal, possible match with evidence, among others).Currently, there are several chromatographic and mass spectrometric approaches used for the identification of these organic molecules and their derivatives with high specificity and accuracy. This review presents current chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods that are used for the detection and characterization of disperse, acid, basic, and reactive dyes, and their derivatives.
Transition of Ultrathick Polyamide Tubes into Vesicles with Great Stability
Authors: Wang Lipeng , Zhu Qing , Bai Yongping 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis work reports on the transition of a polyamide ultrathick wall microtubes to microvesicles through self‐assembly. An amphiphilic polyamide is synthesized first by the solution polycondensation of sodium isophthalate‐5‐sulfonate (SIPA) and poly(propylene glycol) bis(2‐aminopropyl ether) 2000. Then, its self‐assembly in aqueous solution is investigated through direct hydration. The size and morphology of the self‐assemblies is investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and optical microscope (OM) measurements. The result shows that the as‐prepared polyamide first self‐assembles to thick walled tubes, then these tubes can gradually evolve to ultrathick wall microvesicles with an unusually thick membrane above 330 nm. Both the transition pathway and the mechanism are investigated in micromicroscopy. Most importantly, the microvesicles show great thermal and chemical stability. The novel superstable self‐assembly structures as well as the transition mechanism presented here offer a promising perspective for the application in the scope of the biological membrane movements and nanoelectromechanics in medical devices.
Spray Deposition of PDMS/Candle Soot NPs Composite for Self‐Cleaning Superhydrophobic Coating
Authors: Sutar Rajaram S. , Latthe Sanjay S. , Sargar A. M. , Patil C. E. , Jadhav V. S. , Patil A. N. , Kokate K. K. , Bhosale Appasaheb K. , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar , Mohite Santosh V. , Liu Shanhu , Xing Ruimin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe preparation of superhydrophobic coating using cheap candle soot nanoparticles (CS NPs) collected from candle flame is a very novel research topic. A less than 30 nm sized candle soot particles are collected by passing through stainless steel mesh of pore size ̴30 nm. An optimum suspension of CS NPs and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in chloroform is sprayed on clean glass substrate and dried at 100°C for 1 hour. The coating surface with water contact angle ̴173° and rolling angle ̴ 4° is achieved by spraying suspension of 100 mg CS NPs and 0.3 mL PDMS in chloroform. The stability of superhydrophobic coating is studied by finger‐wiping, water jet hitting, water dripping, adhesive tape, and sandpaper abrasion test. Result showed that the coatings prepared with an optimum 100 mg CS NPs in suspension are stable under water jet hitting and water dripping test. The superhydrophobicity is destroyed for four cycles of adhesive tape peeling and seven cycles of sandpaper abrasion tests. The coated substrate showed good self‐cleaning performance. The high water repellent and self‐cleaning property of the prepared coating can be adopted for industrial applications.
Superhydrophobic PVC/SiO2 Coating for Self‐Cleaning Application
Authors: Sutar Rajaram S. , Kalel Prashant J. , Latthe Sanjay S. , Kumbhar Deepak A. , Mahajan Smita S. , Chikode Prashant P. , Patil Swati S. , Kadam Sunita S. , Gaikwad V. H. , Bhosale Appasaheb K. , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar , Liu Shanhu , Xing Ruimin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA lotus leaf like self‐cleaning superhydrophobic coating has high demand in industrial applications. Such coatings are prepared by alternative dip and spray deposition techniques. A layer of polyvinyl chloride is applied on glass substrate by dip coating and then spray coated a suspension of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles at substrate temperature of 50 °C. This coating procedure is repeated for three times to achieve rough surface morphology which exhibits a water contact angle of 169 ± 2° and sliding angle of 6°. The superhydrophobic state of the coating is still preserved when water volume of 1.2 L is used to impact the water drops on coating surface. The stability of the wetting state of the coating is analyzed against the water jet, adhesive tape and sandpaper abrasion tests. The prepared superhydrophobic coating strongly repelled the muddy water suggesting its importance in self‐cleaning applications.
Photoluminescence Analytical Study of Ce3+‐Activated Blue‐Emitting SrAl12O19 Lamp Phosphors
Authors: Panse V. R. , Choubey S. R. , Pandey Richa , Dhoble S. J. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBecause of the favorable spectroscopic properties of Ce3+ and the ability to incorporate trivalent cerium ion into many different host materials, trivalent cerium‐activated materials have received renewed interest for many applications. These prepared materials combine with higher yield, emission wavelength with favorable response, faster decay studies of luminescence, and stable temperature, which makes them attractive for uses in high‐energy physics research area and medical imaging applications. Therefore, based on exceptional properties of luminescence, Ce3+‐activated inorganic materials are applied in displays, lightings applications, and others for radiation ionizing. Cerium ions can be stabilized in host material in trivalent oxidation state. Here, synthesis and photoluminescence (PL) investigation of SrAl12O19:Ce3+ is carried out using combustion synthesis method. The structural and morphological studies and confirmation of phase and purity are done using XRD and morphological terms identified with the help of SEM. PL excitation and emission spectra of SrAl12O19:Ce3+ phosphors, which shows a wide absorption band in the range of 280–380 nm due to the 4f–5d transition of Ce3+ ions peaking at 331 nm. The PL emission spectra of SrAl12O19:Ce3+ phosphor as shown in figure exhibit blue emission band centered at 442 nm. Usually, configuration of Ce3+ ion in ground state is divide into two levels viz., 2F5/2 and 2F 7/2, whereas the 5d1 excited configuration is divided by the crystal playing field ranging from two to five components.
The Effect of Different Surface-Cleaning Devices on the Success of Swim Bladder Inflation in Zander Larvae
Authors: Fazekas Georgina , Vass Vivien , Demény Ferenc , Tóth Flórián , Ljubobratović Uroš 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The failure of initial swim bladder inflation (SBI) is one of the main obstacles to successful results in Zander (also known as Pikeperch) Sander lucioperca larviculture because the larvae are unable to penetrate the oil layer on the water surface to gulp air. There are numerous technical solutions for cleaning the water surface, including using a sprayer to emulsify the oil contamination and a skimmer for trapping the oil globules on the surface. To investigate the most appropriate method for improving the SBI success rate, three different devices were evaluated in triplicate tanks. In addition to the control tanks, which were not equipped with any surface-cleaning device other than overflow mesh, two sprayer designs (narrow, covering one-third of the tank's diameter, versus wide, covering the tank's entire diameter) and an air-blowing surface skimmer were set for a 16-d trial. Freshly hatched larvae (7,000 per tank) were divided into four treatment groups in twelve 250-L larval nursing tanks that shared a common recirculation system. Significantly higher rates of SBI were found in the tanks that were equipped with a wide-covering sprayer (30.6 ± 13.0%) compared with the control, skimmer, and narrow-covering sprayer groups (14.7 ± 7.5%, 4.8 ± 1.7%, and 12.2 ± 5.1%, respectively). Thus, the results of the present study indicate that the sprayer design that covers a large portion of the tank’s diameter is an appropriate solution for enhancing SBI rates in Zander larviculture.
Considerations for the use of circulating tumor DNA sequencing as a screening tool in cancer predisposition syndromes
Authors: Paramathas Sangeetha , Guha Tanya , Pugh Trevor J. , Malkin David , Villani Anita 
Published: October 2020

AbstractLiquid biopsy, specifically circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection, has started to revolutionize the clinical management of patients with cancer by surpassing many limitations of traditional tissue biopsies, particularly for serial testing. ctDNA sequencing has been successfully utilized for cancer detection, prognostication, and assessment of disease response and evolution. While the applications of ctDNA analysis are growing, the majority of studies to date have primarily evaluated its use as a tool for tracking a known cancer, and in most cases at advanced stage. Herein, we discuss the potential application of ctDNA for surveillance and early cancer detection in patients with a cancer predisposition syndrome.
Comparison of myelosuppression using the D‐index between children and adolescents/young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during induction chemotherapy
Authors: Matsushima Satoru , Kobayashi Ryoji , Sano Hirozumi , Hori Daiki , Yanagi Masato , Kodama Koya , Suzuki Daisuke , Kobayashi Kunihiko 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundAdolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are more likely to have chemotherapy‐related complications than children. In addition, several reports have shown that infections account for most of the therapy‐related mortality during cancer treatment in AYAs. Thus, we hypothesized that chemotherapy‐induced myelosuppression is more severe in AYAs than in children, and the state of neutropenia was compared between children and AYAs using the D‐index, a numerical value calculated from the duration and depth of neutropenia.ProcedureThis study retrospectively analyzed 95 patients newly diagnosed with ALL at our institution between 2007 and 2019. Of these, 81 were children (<15 years old) and 14 were AYAs (≥15 years old). The D‐index and duration of neutropenia during induction chemotherapy for ALL were compared between children and AYAs.ResultsThe median D‐index of children was significantly higher than that of AYAs (8187 vs 6446, respectively, P = .017). Moreover, the median duration of neutropenia was also significantly longer in children than in AYAs (24.0 days vs 11.5 days, respectively, P = .007).ConclusionContrary to our expectations, myelosuppressive toxicity during induction chemotherapy for ALL was more severe in children than in AYAs.
Randomized pilot trial of ipratropium versus placebo in children with critical asthma
Authors: Murphy Kaitlyn , Mahmood Nabihah , Craven Daniel , Gallagher John , Ross Kristie , Speicher Richard , Rotta Alexandre T. , Shein Steven L. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo test the effects of inhaled ipratropium on clinical outcomes of critical asthma in the first randomized trial of this adjunctive therapy in critically ill children.DesignPilot, placebo‐controlled, double‐blinded, and randomized‐controlled trialPatientsThirty children (15 per group) with critical asthma receiving high‐intensity albuterol per a standardized pathway utilizing objective assessments to wean patients to less frequent albuterol administration.InterventionsSubjects were randomized to receive either nebulized ipratropium bromide (500 µg in 0.9% saline per dose) or an equivalent volume of nebulized 0.9% saline every 6 h until the patient was successfully weaned to albuterol doses every 2 h (“q2 albuterol”).Measurements and Main ResultsDemographics, initial clinical severity score, and asthma histories were similar between groups. There was no significant difference in the median duration of high‐intensity albuterol between the treatment group (17.5 [10.3–22.1] h) and placebo group (14.6 [12.7–24.5] days; p = .56). Similarly, there was no significant difference in pediatric intensive care unit length of stay (22.6 [21.1–33.6] vs. 21.4 [16.1–35.8] h; p = .74) or hospital length of stay (48.0 [41.8–59.8] vs. 47.3 [37.2–63.1] h; p = .67). In multivariate linear regression adjusting for identified confounders, treatment with ipratropium was not significantly associated with any of the three outcomes. Side effects were rare and occurred with equally between both groupsConclusionsAdjunctive therapy with ipratropium was not associated with decreased duration of high‐intensity albuterol or shortened length of stay when compared to placebo. A larger, multicenter trial is warranted to confirm that ipratropium does not improve clinical outcomes.
Gravity, Superselection Rules and Axions
Authors: Gómez César 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIt is generally accepted that consistent coupling to quantum gravity implies that any low energy free parameter is in reality the vacuum expectation value of some local quantum field. In this note we present a modest attempt to prove this general claim using as key example the θ parameter of QCD and the Peccei‐Quinn axion solution of the strong CP problem. The gravitational emergence of the local axion field associated with the superselection θ parameter is worked out using as basic ingredients the quantum representation of classical geometries in terms of coherent states and the interpretation of the θ QCD superselection rule in quantum information terms as the lack of a quantum reference frame for topological charge. The formal connection with the model independent axion in string theory is briefly discussed.
Granulomatosis (Wegener's granulomatosis) with polyangiitis presented as pulmonary manifestation: a case report
Authors: Lazim Qusay Jummaa , Atrah Sinan Shakir Gheni , Mutlag Khalid Jawad , Alhilfi Haider Saadoon Qasim , Fahad Ahmed Muhi , Alshewered Ahmed Salih 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPulmonary vasculitis can be the manifestation of several systemic illnesses such as primary systemic vasculitis, collagen vascular diseases, and systemic diseases associated with autoantibodies. It may be associated with granulomatous, eosinophilic, lymphoplasmacytic and neutrophilic inflammatory diseases. In this case report, we describe a 22‐year‐old female presented with intermittent fever, sweating and shivering, haemoptysis, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, non‐projectile vomiting, dizziness, and dark coloured urine. The diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis was made utilizing biochemical and radiological tests. Several pharmacological therapies were tried including rituximab. The patient made a good recovery and was discharged home after 12 days of hospitalization. The knowledge of the main radiographic and computed tomography (CT) scan findings, in association with clinical and laboratory data, often enables non‐invasive diagnosis of pulmonary vasculitis.