bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aging effect in dye-sensitized solar cells sealed with thermoplastic films
Authors: Yeoh Mian-En , Jaloman Adrian , Chan Kah-Yoong 
Published: April 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the aging effect in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) sealed with thermoplastic film and to compare it with unsealed DSSCs.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents the steps of the fabrication of standard DSSC, as well as the DSSC-sealing processes, by using thermoplastic film. Current-voltage characterization was performed to observe the changes in efficiency, fill factor, short circuit current density and open circuit voltage for both unsealed and sealed DSSCs for aging time up to 336 h.

Findings
The unsealed DSSC showed significant drop in efficiency from 4.26 to 2.42 per cent within the first 5.5 h of aging time because of the leakage and volatilization of the solvent in the electrolyte. On the other hand, the sealed DSSC exhibited a gradual improvement of efficiency from 4.16 to 4.73 per cent after the first 216 h of aging time. The initial efficiency increment can be ascribed to the improved adsorption of electrolyte into the titanium dioxide film because of the gradual desorption of excess dye from TiO2 with increasing aging time.

Originality/value
This paper demonstrates the importance of the proper sealing process for the long-term operation of DSSC.
Made in the U.S.A.? A Study of Firm Responses to Domestic Production Incentives
Authors: LESTER REBECCA 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACTHow do U.S. companies respond to incentives intended to encourage domestic manufacturing? I study the Domestic Production Activities Deduction (DPAD), which was enacted in the American Jobs Creation Act (AJCA) of 2004 and was the third largest U.S. corporate tax expenditure as of 2017. Using confidential data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, I find greater average domestic investment spending of $95.5–$143.6 million, but only within the sample of domestic‐only firms and not until 2010, when the greatest statutory DPAD benefits were available. Additional evidence suggests that U.S. multinational claimants invest abroad rather than in the United States and that the increased investment by DPAD firms is accompanied by a reduction in the domestic workforce, consistent with a substitution of capital for labor. I also show that the delayed investment response is due to firms engaging in other responses first, such as changing corporate reporting to shift income across time and borders. Quantifying the extent of these effects contributes to the literature that studies this tax deduction and informs policy makers as to the effectiveness of both manufacturing incentives and U.S. corporate income tax rate reductions in stimulating real domestic activity.
Observation of Granulocyte Adsorption in Adacolumn Cellulose Acetate Beads after Granulocytapheresis
Authors: Okuno Toshiyuki , Yoshida Yutaka , Takaki Yuriko , Araki Yasuyuki , Inoue Hironobu , Soejima Kazuaki , Okado Yuki , Yoshida Kenichi , Imamura Haruo , Hagiwara Satoshi , Matsumoto Shigekiyo , Kitano Takaaki 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAdacolumn is a therapeutic mode for ulcerative colitis that achieves therapeutic efficacy through the adhesion of leukocytes to cellulose acetate beads. We used scanning electron microscopy and observed leukocyte adsorption on Adacolumn beads after granulocytapheresis/granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis. We then compared results between two patients with a low and high C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels to determine whether adhesion is affected by a difference in leukocyte activity depending on the level of inflammation. We found that the surface layers of the beads from both patients were covered by a clay‐like layer, and spherical granulocytes were adsorbed here and there on top of it. In cross‐section the adsorbed granulocytes were visible in the clay‐like layer and the surface layer alike. The clay‐like layer had a maximum thickness of approximately 12 μm in the low CRP patient and approximately 50 μm in the high CRP patient, so in the high CRP patient the clay‐like adsorption layer was thicker. Taken together, adsorption onto beads is considered to involve an immunological mechanism. Our findings suggest that granulocytes contact and adhere to each other at the surface layer after adsorption, and that granulocyte‐granulocyte adhesion is enhanced by a higher inflammatory response.
A narrative review of the evidence regarding the use of telemedicine to deliver video‐interpreting during dementia assessments for older people
Authors: Haralambous Betty , Subramaniam Santini , Hwang Kerry , Dow Briony , LoGiudice Dina 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIntroductionAs Australia's aging population increases and diversifies, there will be a growing need to address the burden of dementia among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Due to a lack of CALD‐appropriate services and bilingual health professionals, older people from CALD backgrounds often receive a delayed diagnosis of dementia. The use of telemedicine (TM) to deliver video‐interpreting services may overcome the barriers of interpreter availability when diagnosing and assessing dementia in older people from CALD backgrounds.MethodsThis paper aims to present a review of the literature on the use of TM to deliver video‐interpreting during dementia assessments. Factors affecting the reliability and agreement, feasibility, and satisfaction and acceptability when using TM or video‐interpreting have been described.ResultsThe review found evidence that dementia assessments conducted via TM are as reliable as face‐to‐face (FTF) assessments and that participants are satisfied and find TM acceptable. There was less evidence about the feasibility of TM from the health care perspective, particularly regarding the acceptability and potential financial cost‐savings. Only five studies investigated the use of video‐interpreting during clinical assessments with CALD patients. Although video‐interpreting was found to be satisfactory among CALD patients and clinicians, a common finding was the preference for FTF interpreting.DiscussionMore research is needed to examine the financial feasibility and the health care perspective on the implementation and adoption of TM for dementia assessments. The use of TM to deliver video‐interpreting for dementia assessments has never been investigated and represents a significant gap in the literature.
Convergent neural substrates of inattention in bipolar disorder patients and dopamine transporter‐deficient mice using the 5‐choice CPT
Authors: Young Jared W. , Geyer Mark A. , Halberstadt Adam L. , van Enkhuizen Jordy , Minassian Arpi , Khan Asma , Perry William , Eyler Lisa T. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractObjectivesBipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness affecting 2%‐5% of the population. Although mania is the cardinal feature of BD, inattention and related cognitive dysfunction are observed across all stages. Since cognitive dysfunction confers poor functional outcome in patients, understanding the relevant neural mechanisms remains key to developing novel‐targeted therapeutics.MethodsThe 5‐choice continuous performance test (5C‐CPT) is a mouse and fMRI‐compatible human attentional task, requiring responding to target stimuli while inhibiting responding to nontarget stimuli, as in clinical CPTs. This task was used to delineate systems‐level neural deficits in BD contributing to inattentive performance in human subjects with BD as well as mouse models with either parietal cortex (PC) lesions or reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) expression.ResultsMania BD participants exhibited severe 5C‐CPT impairment. Euthymic BD patients exhibited modestly impaired 5C‐CPT. High impulsivity BD subjects exhibited reduced PC activation during target and nontarget responding compared with healthy participants. In mice, bilateral PC lesions impaired both target and nontarget responding. In the DAT knockdown mouse model of BD mania, knockdown mice exhibited severely impaired 5C‐CPT performance versus wildtype littermates.ConclusionsThese data support the role of the PC in inattention in BD—specifically regarding identifying the appropriate response to target vs nontarget stimuli. Moreover, the findings indicate that severely reduced DAT function/hyperdopaminergia recreates the attentional deficits observed in BD mania patients. Determining the contribution of DAT in the PC to attention may provide a future target for treatment development.
Loss of PTPN4 activates STAT3 to promote the tumor growth in rectal cancer
Authors: Zhang Bing‐Dong , Li Yue‐Rui , Ding Li‐Dan , Wang Yin‐Yin , Liu Hong‐Yi , Jia Bao‐Qing 
Published: April 2019

AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of malignant tumor. Many genetic factors have been proved to show high association with the occurrence and development of CRC and many mutations are detected in CRC. PTPN4/PTP‐MEG1 is a widely expressed non–receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase. Over the past three decades, PTPN4 has been demonstrated in the literature to participate in many biological processes. In this study, we identified a nonsense mutation of PTPN4 with a mutation ratio of 90.90% from 1 case of rectal cancer, leading to loss of function in PTPN4 gene. Several somatic mutations occurred in 5/137 rectal cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas Rectum Adenocarcinoma (TCGA READ) database. Interestingly, we found that PTPN4 negative cytoplasm staining was more prone to lymphatic metastasis (N = 50, P = 0.0153) and low expression of PTPN4 in rectal cancer was highly associated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of PTPN4 suppressed the cell growth, and moreover, the loss of PTPN4 accelerated cell growth and boosted clonogenicity of CRC cells. Furthermore, we revealed that the deletion of PTPN4 promoted the tumor formation of NCM460 cells in vivo. In terms of the molecular mechanism, we demonstrated that PTPN4 dephosphorylates pSTAT3 at the Tyr705 residue with a direct interaction and suppresses the transcriptional activity of STAT3. In summary, our study revealed a novel mechanism that the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer might be caused by the loss of PTPN4 through activating STAT3, which will broaden the therapy strategy for anti–rectal cancer in the future.
Species‐specific and temporal scale‐dependent responses of birds to drought
Authors: Cady Samantha M. , O'Connell Timothy J. , Loss Scott R. , Jaffe Nick E. , Davis Craig A. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractGlobal climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of weather extremes, including severe droughts in many regions. Drought can impact organisms by inhibiting reproduction, reducing survival and abundance, and forcing range shifts. For birds, considering temporal scale by averaging drought‐related variables over different time lengths (i.e., temporal grains) captures different hydrologic attributes which may uniquely influence food supplies, vegetation greenness/structure, and other factors affecting populations. However, studies examining drought impacts on birds often assess a single temporal grain without considering that different species have different life histories that likely determine the temporal grain of their drought response. Furthermore, while drought is known to influence bird abundance and drive between‐year range shifts, less understood is whether it causes within‐range changes in species distributions. Our objectives were to (a) determine which temporal grain of drought (if any) is most related to bird presence/absence and whether this response is species specific; and (b) assess whether drought alters bird distributions by quantifying probability of local colonization and extinction as a function of drought intensity. We used North American Breeding Bird Survey data collected over 16 years, generalized linear mixed models, and dynamic occupancy models to meet these objectives. Different bird species responded to drought at different temporal grains, with most showing the strongest signal at annual or near‐annual grains. For all drought‐responsive species, increased drought intensity at any temporal grain always correlated with decreased occupancy. Additionally, colonization/extinction analyses indicated that one species, the dickcissel (Spiza americana), is more likely to colonize novel areas within the southern/core portion of its range during drought. Considering drought at different temporal grains, along with hydrologic attributes captured by each grain, may better reveal mechanisms behind drought impacts on birds and other organisms, and therefore improve understanding of how global climate change impacts species and the landscapes they inhabit.
The furcation tunnel preparation—A prospective 5‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Rüdiger Stefan G. , Dahlén Gunnar , Emilson Claes‐Göran 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to prospectively follow furcation tunnelled molars over a 5‐year period of supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) and to identify factors associated with tooth loss.Materials and MethodsA total of 32 patients with 42 furcation tunnelled molars (all class III prior tunnelling) were recruited upon commencing SPT following active periodontal therapy. Clinical registrations, bacterial samples and standardised radiographs were taken at baseline, year 1 (no radiographs), 2 and 5. Total viable counts, total streptococci, Streptococcus sanguinis and mutans streptococci (MS) were identified through culture, a panel of periodontal pathogens through the checkerboard technique.ResultsAfter 5 years, 29 molars (69%) were still in function. Of the lost molars, eight were upper and five lower molars. Recurrent periodontal disease and caries were reasons for tooth loss. A multilevel regression analysis showed that a smoking habit, bleeding on probing and the presence of MS in furcations were associated with an increased risk of tooth loss.ConclusionsFurcation tunnelled molars can in most cases be kept over a period of 5 years of SPT. A smoking habit, baseline bleeding scores and the presence of MS in the furcation were risk indicators for loss.
The influence of consumer behavior on energy, greenhouse gas, and water footprints of showering
Authors: Shahmohammadi Sadegh , Steinmann Zoran , King Henry , Hendrickx Hilde , Huijbregts Mark A.J. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractUnderstanding variability in consumer behavior can provide further insights into how to effectively reduce environmental footprints related to household activities. Here, we developed a stochastic model to quantify the energy, greenhouse gas (GHG), and water consumption footprints of showering in four different countries (Australia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America). We assessed the influence of two broadly distinct categories of behavior on the footprints of showering: habitual behaviors and one‐off reasoned actions. We also investigated whether changing showering behavior has a substantial impact on the associated energy, GHG, and water footprints. Our results show that the variation in environmental footprints within the countries due to differences in consumer behavior is a factor of 6–17 (95th percentile/5th percentile) depending on the country and the indicator selected. Both consumers’ reasoned actions (especially the choice of a specific heater and shower type) and habitual behaviors (length of showering in particular, are the dominant sources of footprint variability. Significant savings are achievable by making better one‐off decisions such as buying an efficient water heater and by taking shorter showers.
Single Mothers' New Partners: Partnership and Household Formation in Germany
Authors: Bastin Sonja 
Published: April 2019

AbstractObjective: This article investigates single mothers' repartnering by analyzing two distinct transitions: the formation of a partnership with separate households and the subsequent formation of a household with a partner.Background: Previous research found impacts of repartnering on the well‐being of single‐mother families. However, detailed investigations of single mothers' repartnering have been rare and have mostly failed to differentiate the process of finding a partner from the process of forming a household with him.Method: Using pairfam data (
www.pairfam.de; Waves 1–3, 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2010–2011), the study provides event history analyses of a sample of 786 single mothers. It investigates the durations between (a) becoming a single‐mother family and finding a new partner and (b) finding a new partner and forming a household or, alternatively, dissolving.Results: Although a large proportion of the women were living alone with their children for several years, many maintained a relationship in separate households. Neither education nor employment status is found to affect the likelihood of repartnering, which suggests that socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers are not able to use repartnering as a strategy for quickly addressing their economic needs. The mother's age, the children's ages, and the partnership context at the time of entry into single motherhood are shown to affect partnership formation and household formation differently.Conclusion: The results illustrate that when investigating repartnering among single mothers, it is necessary to separate the analysis of partnership formation from the analysis of household formation.
Effects of dietary inclusion levels of palm oil on growth performance, antioxidative status and serum cytokines of broiler chickens
Authors: Long Guang‐Lian , Hao Wen‐Xue , Bao Long‐Fei , Li Jun‐Hui , Zhang Yu , Li Guan‐Hong 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThis study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary palm oil inclusion levels on growth performance, serum antioxidative status and cytokines in Sanhuang broiler chickens. A total of 208 one‐day‐old female Sanhuang chickens were randomly allocated to four treatment groups with four replicates per group and of 13 birds each for a 42‐day feeding trial. Dietary treatments were basal diet without palm oil (control) and diets containing 2%, 4% or 6% palm oil. During days 22 to 42 and the overall experimental period, chickens fed diets supplemented with 4% and 6% palm oil had a lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p = 0.019) and feed to gain ratio (F/G) (p = 0.031). Average daily gain (ADG) tended to be higher (p = 0.089) for palm oil inclusion treatments compared with the control treatment from days 1 to 42. Dietary 2% and 4% palm oil treatments significantly lowed serum malondialdehyde concentration on day 21 when compared to the control and 6% palm oil treatments (p = 0.027). Dietary 6% palm oil treatment significantly reduced the catalase (CAT) activity (p = 0.018) and total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) (p = 0.027) in serum in comparison with the control treatment on day 21. No significant differences were observed in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities in serum among dietary treatments on day 21. There were no significant differences in T‐AOC, CAT, SOD and GSH‐Px activities among dietary treatments on day 42. Dietary inclusion of 4% and 6% palm oil significantly increased (p = 0.01) serum interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) content, but improved transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) content in serum on both days 21 and 42 (p = 0.032 and 0.022 respectively) as well as IL‐10 content on day 42 (p = 0.022) when compared with the control treatment. Furthermore, dietary inclusion of 6% palm oil significantly reduced tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) content on days 21 and 42 (p = 0.021 and 0.001 respectively) compared with the control treatment. These results suggest that dietary inclusion of 4% and 6% palm oil could improve the growth performance, modulate the balance between pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines, and show limited effect on antioxidative status in Sanhuang broiler chickens.
Desert cyanobacteria prepare in advance for dehydration and rewetting: The role of light and temperature sensing
Authors: Oren Nadav , Raanan Hagai , Kedem Isaac , Turjeman Adi , Bronstein Michal , Kaplan Aaron , Murik Omer 
Published: April 2019

AbstractCyanobacteria inhabiting desert biological soil crusts must prepare towards dehydration, or their revival after rewetting is severely impaired. The mechanisms involved are unknown but signalling of forthcoming dehydration by dawn illumination was demonstrated. Accurate and reproducible simulation of desert conditions enabled examination of physiological activities and transcript profiles in a model organism, Leptolyngbya ohadii, in response to specific conditions. Exposure to far red light or lack of ground warming during dawn severely reduced revival after rewetting and altered the network of gene expression. The data implicated phytochromes in light and temperature sensing. Many genes were up‐ or down‐regulated before water content decline, while others were strongly affected by the progression of dehydration and desiccation. Transcription continues during the desiccated phase but only barely during early rewetting, although photosynthetic activity was regained. Application of rifampicin with or without a preceding dehydration phase demonstrated that RNA is stabilized/protected during desiccation, possibly by intrinsically disordered proteins. We conclude that increasing light and temperature at dawn activates a network of genes that prepare the cells towards dehydration. Quick resumption of photosynthesis upon rewetting in contrast to the slow change in the transcript profile suggested that in addition to preparing towards dehydration the cells also prepare for forthcoming rewetting, during dehydration. Unravelling the presently unknown function of many responding genes will help to clarify the networks involved.
High prevalence of chronic kidney disease among patients with diabetic foot: A cross‐sectional study at a tertiary hospital in China
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen , Cui Tianyuan , Cui Meiyu , Kong Xianglei 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACTObjectiveChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the prevalence of CKD among DM patients with diabetic foot (DF) is unknown. Accordingly, we conducted a cross‐sectional study at a tertiary hospital to explore the prevalence of CKD among DF patients.MethodsA total of 42 132 inpatients with DM were enrolled from May 2015 to October 2018. Four hundred and forty‐seven DF patients were selected, and 116 patients with incomplete data were excluded. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or presence of proteinuria (urine protein ≥1). We compared the CKD prevalence of DF patients with non‐DF patients and general CKD patients hospitalized in China. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between different variables in DF patients and CKD.ResultsA total of 361 DF patients aged 67.9 ± 12.2 years were analyzed. Of these patients, 63.7% of were males. The prevalence of CKD was 49.0% (n = 177), which was higher than that observed for the general inpatients (4.5%, n = 871 742). However, 59.9% of CKD patients were not diagnosed during their hospitalizations. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders, the following variables were correlated with CKD: uric acid (odds ratio (OR) = 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–1.82), homocysteine (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00–1.10), and HBA1C (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.04–1.47).ConclusionThis study revealed that the prevalence of CKD among DF patients was high, and special attention should be paid to these patients.