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This study aims to investigate whether globalisation promotes economic output in Sub-Saharan African countries in both the short run and the long run. Based on the latest version of the KOF globalisation index, we employ a newly developed bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag model to analyse this question. Compared to the traditional autoregressive distributed lag model, which ignores the degenerate cases, the new approach could avoid spurious cointegration. Results show that globalisation and economic output are positively correlated for most Sub-Saharan African countries, while the causal effect cannot be concluded except for a couple of exceptions. This finding implies that globalisation cannot guarantee an increase in economic output in the long run for most Sub-Saharan African countries. The Granger causality test shows that globalisation leads to economic output for Burundi, Gabon, Rwanda, Senegal and Zambia in the short run. Conversely, economic output leads to globalisation for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal. For Senegal, globalisation and economic output mutually determine each other and therefore form a positive spiral development path. Policymakers should be aware of the specific features of different economies in making sound globalisation policies to avoid the underlying adverse effects of global integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese governments at all levels have been using various policies to encourage innovation by firms. However, few studies considered the superimposed effects of multilevel innovation policies. Based on the panel data of 443 Chinese innovation–oriented firms from 2008 to 2011, this study investigates the complementarities between national and local science and technology programmes. The heterogeneous effects across stages of the innovation process are also considered. Results show that the national science and technology (S&T) programmes significantly increase firms' external research and development (R&D) expenditure but inhibit the commercialisation. In addition, the national and local S&T programmes complement each other in promoting external R&D expenditure while presenting substitutive in increasing patent outputs. This paper further finds that national and local programmes are more likely to be complementary at high subsidy intensity. This study contributes to the development of policy mix theory and has manifold implications for designing pertinent innovation policy systems [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ a ternary eutectic Mg 76.87 Ni 12.78 Y 10.35 alloy to achieve a fine eutectic structure with long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure, and investigate the corresponding hydrogen storage behavior. The as-cast Mg 76.87 Ni 12.78 Y 10.35 alloy is composed of Mg 15 NiY, Mg 2 Ni, MgNi 4 Y and Mg phases. A high density of stacking faults and 14H-type LPSO structures form in the Mg 15 NiY phase. This fine ternary eutectic structure has shown significant improvement in promotion of the activation and following hydrogen absorption kinetics compared with as-cast non-eutectic structure. Pressure-Composition-Temperature (PCT) curves demonstrate two major pressure platforms due to the presence of Mg 15 NiY and Mg 2 Ni in our Mg–Ni–Y alloys. Nanosized Mg 2 NiH x , MgH 2 and YH x are in situ generated from the decomposition of LPSO structure during hydrogenation. The fine ternary eutectic structure and dispersed nanocatalysts from decomposition of LPSO structure synergistically facilitate the activation and hydrogen absorption kinetics of ternary eutectic Mg–Ni–Y alloy. Image 1 • A fine ternary eutectic Mg–Ni–Y hydrogen storage alloy is designed and prepared. • A 14H-type long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure is induced in this alloy. • In situ dispersed nanocatalysts are produced in LPSO during hydrogenation. • Activation and kinetics are improved by ternary eutectic microstructure with LPSO. • Hydrogenation mechanism of ternary eutectic Mg–Ni–Y alloy with LPSO is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary eutectic Mg 76.87 Ni 12.78 Y 10.35 (at. %) ribbons with mixed amorphous and nanocrystalline phases were prepared by melt spinning. The microstructures of the melt-spun, hydrogenated and dehydrogenated samples were examined and compared by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The amorphous structure transforms into a thermally stable nanocrystalline structure with a grain size of about 5 nm during hydrogen ab/desorption cycles. The Mg, Mg 2 Ni and phases with Y in the melt-spun state transform into MgH 2 , Mg 2 NiH 4 , Mg 2 NiH 0.3 , YH 2 and YH 3 after hydrogenation, and transform back to Mg, Mg 2 Ni and YH 2 upon subsequent dehydrogenation. The reaction enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) of the higher plateau pressure corresponding to Mg 2 Ni hydride formation are −53.25 kJ mol−1 and −107.74 J K−1 mol−1, respectively. The amorphous/nanocrystalline structure effectively reduces the enthalpy and entropy of Mg 2 Ni hydride formation, but has little effect on Mg. The activation energy for dehydrogenation of the hydrogenated ribbons is 69 kJ mol−1. This suggests that Mg–Ni–Y with ternary eutectic composition can form an amorphous/nanocrystalline structure by melt spinning, and this nanostructure efficiently improves the thermodynamics and kinetics for hydrogen storage. • Ternary eutectic Mg–Ni–Y and melt spinning are used to maximize the amorphous. • Amorphous Mg–Ni–Y becomes nanocrystalline structure with a grain size of only 5 nm. • Nanocrystalline structure is stable in hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes. • Low enthalpy and activation energy are achieved in this nanostructured alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the effectiveness of intranasally-administered unadjuvanted spike protein or mRNA vaccines in boosting mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 sarbecoviruses. Topics include factors that have led to decreased effectiveness of vaccines developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the approval of FluMist as the only one respiratory mucosal vaccine, and a description of the preclinical development of an alternative vaccine strategy called prime and spike.

Influenza A virus (IAV) causes up to half a million deaths worldwide annually, 90% of which occur in older adults. We show that IAV-infected monocytes from older humans have impaired antiviral interferon production but retain intact inflammasome responses. To understand the in vivo consequence, we used mice expressing a functional Mx gene encoding a major interferon-induced effector against IAV in humans. In Mx1-intact mice with weakened resistance due to deficiencies in Mavs and Tlr7, we found an elevated respiratory bacterial burden. Notably, mortality in the absence of Mavs and Tlr7 was independent of viral load or MyD88-dependent signaling but dependent on bacterial burden, caspase-1/11, and neutrophil-dependent tissue damage. Therefore, in the context of weakened antiviral resistance, vulnerability to IAV disease is a function of caspase-dependent pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Exposure to chronic stress in rodents and psychosocial stress in humans has been shown to alter cognitive functions and has been linked to the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects and possible mechanisms of a chronic mild stress (CMS) procedure on cognitive behaviors in Swiss albino mice using the object recognition test (ORT) and object location test (OLT). Results showed that CMS exposure impaired cognitive performance and produced amnesia of acquired information in both ORT and OLT. Furthermore, the cognitive impairment was coexistent with increased plasma levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), as well as with enhanced plasma levels of corticosterone (CORT), corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). In addition, severe neuronal cell damage was found, as bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) positive cells and the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus were decreased after 5 weeks CMS procedure. Taken together, these findings indicated that CMS exposure-induced impairment of cognitive behaviors might be attributed to the stress-related alterations in brain homeostasis that were reflected in changes in the neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems as well as in neurogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]