bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elucidating the Size‐dependent FRET Efficiency in Interfacially Engineered Quantum Dots Attached to PBSA Sunscreen
Authors: Mubeen Muhammad , Khalid Muhammad Adnan , Mukhtar Maria , Sumreen Poshmal , Gul Tehreem , ul Ain Noor , Shahrum Saba , Tabassum Mamoona , Ul‐Hamid Anwar , Iqbal Azhar 
Published: January 2022

AbstractApplying sunscreen on human skin provides photoprotection against the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the sun. Sunscreen absorbs UV radiations and dissipates the absorbed energy through various radiative and nonradiative pathways. The attachment of functionalized quantum dots (QDs) to the sunscreen component is a novel idea to enhance the absorption cross‐section of UV radiations. Therefore, the attachment of the sunscreen component to the ligand functionalized biocompatible QDs and the absorbed energy transfer from sunscreen to the QDs could work as a model system to overall improve the efficiency of the sunscreen. This study elucidates the mechanism of size‐dependent Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency and its rate between 2‐phenylbenzimidazole‐5‐sulfonic acid (PBSA) and mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) functionalized CdS QDs. In the PBSA‐QDs dyad, the PBSA (donor) dissipates UV‐absorbed energy to the CdS QDs (acceptor). Following excitation at 306 nm, the steady‐state photoluminescence (SSPL) and time‐resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) techniques measurements demonstrate that both the nonradiative energy transfer efficiency and rate are QDs size‐dependent in addition to donor‐acceptor distance, and suggest that bigger sized‐QDs result in an increase of the FRET efficiency.
A unique race of the wheat stem rust pathogen with virulence on Sr31 identified in Spain and reaction of wheat and durum cultivars to this race
Authors: Olivera Pablo D. , Villegas Dolors , Cantero‐Martínez Carlos , Szabo Les J. , Rouse Matthew N. , Luster Douglas G. , Bartaula Radhika , Lopes Marta S. , Jin Yue 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, is a re‐emerging disease, posing a threat to wheat production. In Spain, stem rust has been rarely detected since the 1970s, but infection was observed in wheat fields in 2018. We analysed six stem rust samples collected in Rota, Cádiz province and one from Monteagudo del Castillo, Teruel province. All the samples from Rota were typed as race TKTTF, whereas the sample from Monteagudo del Castillo, collected in a wheat field adjacent to barberry bushes, was typed as race TKHBK. This race has a unique and significant virulence combination that includes virulence to Sr31, Sr33, Sr53 and Sr59, and is avirulent to Rusty, a durum line developed for universal susceptibility to the wheat stem rust pathogen. TKHBK is the first race outside the Ug99 race group with virulence to Sr31 and the first known race with virulence to Sr59. Genotyping studies indicate that race TKHBK does not belong to the Ug99 or TKTTF race groups and constitutes a previously unknown lineage. Two hundred bread and durum wheat cultivars and breeding lines from Spain were evaluated against TKHBK, TKTTF, and six additional races. Resistance was observed to all the races evaluated. Molecular markers confirmed the presence of Sr7a, Sr24, Sr31, Sr38 and Sr57 in bread wheat, and Sr13 in durum wheat. The re‐emergence of wheat stem rust in Spain and the occurrence of unique virulences underscore the need to continue surveying and monitoring this disease.
Unraveling the contribution of OsSOS2 in conferring salinity and drought tolerance in a high‐yielding rice
Authors: Kumar Gautam , Basu Sahana , Singla‐Pareek Sneh L. , Pareek Ashwani 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAbiotic stresses are emerging as a potential threat to sustainable agriculture worldwide. Soil salinity and drought will be the major limiting factors for rice productivity in years to come. The Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway plays a key role in salinity tolerance by maintaining the cellular ion homeostasis, with SOS2, a S/T kinase, being a vital component. The present study investigated the role of the OsSOS2, a SOS2 homolog from rice, in improving salinity and drought tolerance. Transgenic plants with either overexpression (OE) or knockdown (KD) of OsSOS2 were raised in one of the high‐yielding cultivars of rice—IR64. Using a combined approach based on physiological, biochemical, anatomical, microscopic, molecular, and agronomic assessment, the evidence presented in this study advocates the role of OsSOS2 in improving salinity and drought tolerance in rice. The OE plants were found to have favorable ion and redox homeostasis when grown in the presence of salinity, while the KD plants showed the reverse pattern. Several key stress‐responsive genes were found to work in an orchestrated manner to contribute to this phenotype. Notably, the OE plants showed tolerance to stress at both the seedling and the reproductive stages, addressing the two most sensitive stages of the plant. Keeping in mind the importance of developing crops plants with tolerance to multiple stresses, the present study established the potential of OsSOS2 for biotechnological applications to improve salinity and drought stress tolerance in diverse cultivars of rice.
Species‐specific variation of photosynthesis and mesophyll conductance to ozone and drought in three Mediterranean oaks
Authors: Hoshika Yasutomo , Paoletti Elena , Centritto Mauro , Gomes Marcos Thiago Gaudio , Puértolas Jaime , Haworth Matthew 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMesophyll conductance (gmCO2) is one of the most important components in plant photosynthesis. Tropospheric ozone (O3) and drought impair physiological processes, causing damage to photosynthetic systems. However, the combined effects of O3 and drought on gmCO2 are still largely unclear. We investigated leaf gas exchange during mid‐summer in three Mediterranean oaks exposed to O3 (ambient [35.2 nmol mol−1 as daily mean]; 1.4 × ambient) and water treatments (WW [well‐watered] and WD [water‐deficit]). We also examined if leaf traits (leaf mass per area [LMA], foliar abscisic acid concentration [ABA]) could influence the diffusion of CO2 inside a leaf. The combination of O3 and WD significantly decreased net photosynthetic rate (PN) regardless of the species. The reduction of photosynthesis was associated with a decrease in gmCO2 and stomatal conductance (gsCO2) in evergreen Quercus ilex, while the two deciduous oaks (Q. pubescens, Q. robur) also showed a reduction of the maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) and maximum electron transport rate (Jmax) with decreased diffusive conductance parameters. The reduction of gmCO2 was correlated with increased [ABA] in the three oaks, whereas there was a negative correlation between gmCO2 with LMA in Q. pubescens. Interestingly, two deciduous oaks showed a weak or no significant correlation between gsCO2 and ABA under high O3 and WD due to impaired stomatal physiological behaviour, indicating that the reduction of PN was related to gmCO2 rather than gsCO2. The results suggest that gmCO2 plays an important role in plant carbon gain under concurrent increases in the severity of drought and O3 pollution.
Behavioral biases and heuristics in perceptions of COVID‐19 risks and prevention decisions
Authors: Botzen W. J. Wouter , Duijndam Sem J. , Robinson Peter J. , van Beukering Pieter 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis study adds to an emerging literature on the factors associated with individual perceptions of COVID‐19 risks and decision‐making processes related to prevention behaviors. We conducted a survey in the Netherlands (N = 3600) in June–July 2020 when the first peak of COVID‐19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths had passed, and lockdown measures had been eased. Dutch policies relied heavily on individual prevention behaviors to mitigate a second infection wave. We examine whether biases and heuristics that have been observed in how people perceive and respond to other risks also apply to the newly emergent risks posed by COVID‐19. The results indicate that people simplify risk using threshold models and that risk perceptions are related with personal experiences with COVID‐19 and experiences of close others, supporting the availability heuristic. We also observe that prevention behavior is more strongly associated with COVID‐19 risk perceptions and feelings toward the risk than with local indicators of COVID‐19 risks, and that prevention behavior is related with herding. Support for government lockdown measures is consistent with preferences that may contribute to the not‐in‐my‐term‐of‐office bias. In addition, we offer insights into the role of trust, worry, and demographic characteristics in shaping perceptions of COVID‐19 risks and how these factors relate with individual prevention behaviors and support for government prevention measures. We provide several lessons for the design of policies that limit COVID‐19 risks, including risk communication strategies and appeals to social norms. Perhaps more importantly, our analysis allows for learning lessons to mitigate the risks of future pandemics.
Corruption and economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Paulo Lucas Dutra de , Lima Ricardo Carvalho de Andrade , Tigre Robson 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate the effect of corruption on the economic development of the Latin American and Caribbean countries. Using panel data covering the period from 2000 to 2018 and leveraging on two‐way fixed‐effect and system generalized method of moments estimators, we show that a one standard deviation increase in corruption, as measured by the reversed Transparency International's corruption perception index, is associated with a decrease of 12.2% in gross domestic product per capita and a decrease of 3.05% in economic growth. This supports the view that corruption “sands the wheels” of the development of Latin American and Caribbean countries rather than “grease the wheels” perspective that corruption may help compensate for bad governance. We also assess the potential mechanisms through which corruption affects economic performance, providing evidence that corruption is associated with lower investment in physical capital and lower foreign investment flow. Finally, a panel Granger causality test indicates a bidirectional causality between higher corruption and lower economic development.
To adjust or not to adjust? Spatial price variation and the measurement of poverty*
Authors: Kjelsrud Anders 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPublicly provided goods and services influence household consumption levels. Consumption estimates based solely on private expenses are therefore biased. Given that we usually are unable to account for consumption from public provision, I argue that we often should ignore spatial price differences in inter‐household comparisons. The key reason is that prices and levels of public provision are likely to be positively correlated across space. I provide a simple framework to evaluate this, and I apply it to the measurement of poverty in India. The analysis reveals that a uniform poverty line might be preferable to the currently used price‐adjusted poverty lines.
Tax smoothing and optimal inflation persistence in RBC monetary models revisited
Authors: Kiarsi Mehrab 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis article re‐examines the optimality of tax smoothing and optimal inflation persistence in the context of monetary models with cash constraints where the Friedman rule is not optimal. I consider distortionary taxes on either consumption or labor income. As a consequence of the non‐optimality of the Friedman rule, the Ramsey‐optimal policy features a tax rate volatility that is orders of magnitude larger than the cornerstone tax‐smoothing result of the standard Ramsey literature. The Ramsey results also imply an optimal inflation rate that is much more persistent than the existing results. When all consumption goods are subject to a cash constraint, purposeful tax and interest rate volatilities are used to smooth wedges. Therefore, in contrast to the widely accepted view in the literature that in RBC models wedge smoothing implies tax smoothing, this paper shows that this is not necessarily true. I also discuss the Ramsey problem in the context of the cash‐credit goods framework with non‐homothetic preferences where neither tax‐smoothing nor wedge smoothing result necessarily holds when the Friedman rule ceases to be optimal.
Incarceration and subsequent risk of suicide: A statewide cohort study
Authors: Morgan Erin Renee , Rivara Frederick P. , Ta Myduc , Grossman David C. , Jones Karl , Rowhani‐Rahbar Ali 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIntroductionIncreasing suicide rates across the United States are disproportionate among populations most impacted by mass incarceration. We sought to determine if incarceration is associated with risk of suicide and firearm suicide after release from prison.MethodsUsing a population‐based Washington cohort from Department of Corrections and vital statistics administrative records 1990–2017, individuals were compared to the sex‐, age‐, and race‐matched population of Washington using Poisson regression. Among previously incarcerated individuals, we included incarceration history characteristics to calculate sub‐hazard ratios using Cox proportional‐hazards models.ResultsOf 140,281 individuals released from prison, 484 died by suicide. Suicide risk was 62% higher among previously incarcerated individuals compared with the general population (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.46–1.79). Suicide risk was higher among individuals convicted of firearm‐involved crimes (RR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.79–2.89). Individuals released prior to age 18 had substantially higher risk of firearm suicide than those whose first release occurred between ages 18–24 (sHR: 11.91; 95% CI: 4.30–32.96).ConclusionOur findings highlight the need for improved mental health resources and lethal means safety in this population. Mental health and substance use treatment have been proposed as effective alternatives to incarceration—continuing to study their impacts may reveal additional benefits of reducing suicide.
Voting in the Echo Chamber? Patterns of Political Online Activities and Voting Behavior in Switzerland
Authors: Ackermann Kathrin , Stadelmann‐Steffen Isabelle 
Published: January 2022

AbstractUnderstanding the political consequences of digitalization is among the key challenges for modern societies. A pressing issue is the question whether political online activities make individuals more close‐minded and less willing to consider alternative arguments. We examine this question using a peculiarity of the Swiss electoral system – the possibility to split votes – as a behavioral outcome measure. We argue that political online activities might either make individuals less likely to split votes (“echo chamber”‐argument) or more likely to spread their votes across parties (“deliberation”‐argument). Empirically, we use data from the Swiss Election Study Selects 2019 to test these arguments. The results of a hierarchical logistic regression analysis do not support any of the conflicting arguments. Yet, additional analyses suggest that political interest moderates the relationship between online activities and vote splitting: political interest makes online activists more likely to split votes.
A global survey of the transcriptome of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) based on single‐molecule long‐read isoform sequencing
Authors: Xu Tun , Yang Xiaofei , Jia Yanyan , Li Zihang , Tang Guangbo , Li Xiujuan , Wang Bo , Wang Tingjie , Lin Jiadong , Guo Li , Ye Kai 
Published: January 2022

SUMMARYOpium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which produces benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), is an important medicinal plant. However, due to the 70.9% repetitive content and the whole‐genome duplication event of the opium poppy genome, it is difficult to generate accurate and comprehensive gene annotations. To overcome this problem, we used the PacBio single‐molecule long‐read isoform sequencing (IsoSeq) technology to improve opium poppy genome annotation and identify genome‐wide alternative splicing (AS). In total, we identified 410 699 full‐length isoforms, correcting 1007 misannotated genes and identifying 10 473 unannotated genes. Notably, the annotations of two BIA metabolism genes, CYP80B1 (PS0533980.1) and BBE (PS1014490.1), were corrected, and a novel copy of CYP80B1 was discovered. In addition, we found current opium poppy genome annotation was biased on GC content and exon number, leading to missing of some younger genes. Furthermore, 474 169 novel splicing junctions were identified, revealing splicing sites characteristics difference of genes originating from different phylostratums. Based on the splicing junctions identified by the full‐length transcripts, we discovered the tissue‐ and development‐specific AS modes. More specifically, we found the percentage of retained introns (RIs) in the petal and stamen decreased, correlating with the lower GC content of the transcriptome. Also, there was a decrease in the percentage of splicing (PSI) at RI sites after cotyledon growth. The development‐related pathways were also enriched among the genes of the RI sites, indicating the post‐transcriptional mechanism during the seedling development of opium poppy. Our data provide abundant transcriptome insights into the AS of the opium poppy.
Tocilizumab in the management of posttransfusion hyperhemolysis syndrome in sickle cell disease: The experience so far
Authors: Meenan John , Hall Rhys , Badle Saket , Chatterjee Basabi , Win Nay , Tsitsikas Dimitris A. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundPosttransfusion hyperhemolysis syndrome is a rare but life‐threatening form of delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction with lysis of both transfused and autologous red cells, seen predominantly in patients with sickle cell disease. Macrophage activation is thought to play a major role in its pathophysiology. Standard treatment is with intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids but refractory cases pose a major clinical problem. Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the IL‐6 receptor that can inhibit IL‐6 induced macrophage activation.Methods and materialsWe describe the case of a 33‐year‐old woman with sickle cell anemia and posttransfusion hyper hemolysis syndrome refractory to standard therapy, treated with Tocilizumab. We also review all cases reported in the literature where Tocilizumab was used for posttransfusion hyperhemolysis.ResultsTreatment with Tocilizumab was well tolerated with no observed adverse events. There was no further drop in Hb after day 2 of treatment with subsequent continuous gradual improvement. Her bilirubin dropped significantly after the first dose and continued to improve, while ferritin and LDH reduced significantly after day 2 of treatment with Tocilizumab and continued to drop thereafter. Like in our case, all other cases in the literature where Tocilizumab was used for posttransfusion hyperhemolysis led to rapid clinical responses and no adverse events.DiscussionEven though the number of cases of posttransfusion hyper hemolysis syndrome treated with Tocilizumab are few, they have all been associated with rapid clinical responses with no observed adverse events suggesting that the role of Tocilizumab in this context needs to be further explored.
Control Strategy Development for Optimized Operational Flexibility From Humidified Microgas Turbine: Saturation Tower Performance Assessment
Authors: De Paepe Ward , Pappa Alessio , Coppitters Diederik , Montero Carrero Marina , Tsirikoglou Panagiotis , Contino Francesco 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Waste heat recovery through cycle humidification is considered as an effective tool to increase the operational flexibility of micro gas turbines (mGTs) in cogeneration in a decentralized energy system (DES) context. Indeed, during periods with low heat demand, the excess thermal power can be reintroduced in the cycle under the form of heated water/steam, leading to improved electrical performance. The micro humid air turbine (mHAT) has been proven to be the most effective route for cycle humidification; however, so far, all research efforts focused on optimizing the mHAT performance at nominal electrical load, in the absence of any thermal load. Nevertheless, in a DES context, the thermal and electrical load of the mGT need to be changed depending on the demand, requiring both optimal nominal and part load performances. To address this need, in this paper, we present the first step toward the development of a control strategy for a Turbec T100 mGT-mHAT test rig. First, using experimental data, the global performance, depending on the operating point as well as the humidity level, has been assessed. Second, the performance of the saturation tower, i.e., the degree of saturation (relative humidity) of the working fluid leaving this saturator, is analyzed to assess the optimal water injection system control parameter settings. Results show that optimal mHAT performance can only be obtained when the working fluid leaving the saturation tower is fully saturated, but does not contain a remaining liquid fraction. Under these conditions, a maximal amount of waste heat is transferred from the water to the mGT working fluid in the saturation tower. From these data, some general observations can be made to optimize the performance, being maximizing injection pressure and aiming for a water flow rate of ≈5m3/h. Besides these general recommendations, having a specific control matrix, that allows setting the saturation tower control parameters for any set of operational setpoint and the inlet conditions would lead to optimized performance. Therefore, future work involves the development of a control matrix, using advanced data postprocessing for noise reduction and accuracy improvement, as well as an experimental validation of this methodology on the actual test rig.
Student Research Projects With Industrial Impact
Authors: Grimshaw S. D. , Clark C. J. , Taylor J. V. , Spataro R. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
This paper describes six final year undergraduate research projects supported by a collaboration between the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and Reaction Engines (RE), a UK aerospace company. The collaboration is now in its fourth year of projects relating to RE's synergetic air breathing rocket engine (SABRE). The approach taken in these projects combines modern teaching pedagogy with a best practice methodology for industrial-academic collaboration and a well established framework for structuring research problems. This paper explains how the three methodologies are tailored and adapted for use with final year undergraduate research projects. The approach is mapped on to an annual project cycle which begins with the industry and academic partners deciding which topics to investigate and proceeds through student selection, the project work itself and concludes with student assessment and end-of-year reporting. The projects combine analytical, computational and experimental work and have covered counter-rotating turbomachinery, S-ducts in compressors and Helium Turbine design, all of which are topics of primary importance to the design of SABRE. Following descriptions of each of the six completed projects, the impact of the work and lessons learned are considered from the point of view of the students, the industrial partner and the academic supervisors. Overall, the students found the work extremely engaging and have all been encouraged to pursue careers in engineering, either in industry or through postgraduate study. For the industry partner the collaboration provides expertise and an approach which is not available in-house as well providing a “second look” at key technical questions. For the academics involved, the opportunity to lead research on a “real” problem with an industrial partner has proved highly motivating as well as providing opportunities for personal and career development.