Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Determinants of Individual Trade Policy Preferences: International Survey Evidence

What determines trade policy? While this may seem to be mainly a question for political scientists, it is of increasing concern to international trade theorists, faced with the obvious disjunction between the free trade prescriptions of standard trade models and the protectionist policies pursued by so many governments.1 The intellectual stakes for economists have increased further with the advent of endogenous growth models, which predict that policies can have important, long-run growth effects, as opposed to the fairly trivial deadweight losses implied by static constant returns models. Clearly it is not sufficient to take these policies as exogenous and examine their implications. To understand growth, the theory seems to be telling us, we need to understand why some countries pursue appropriate policies and others inappropriate ones. When faced with such questions, the instinct of economists is to eschew state-centered or cognitive theories and to reach for the rational choice approach: politicians supply policies; voters and interest groups demand them; the institutional environment helps determine the ways in which these demands
BDNF-TrkB Pathway Mediates Neuroprotection of Hydrogen Sulfide against Formaldehyde-Induced Toxicity to PC12 Cells

Formaldehyde (FA) is a common environmental contaminant that has toxic effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Our previous data demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the third endogenous gaseous mediator, has protective effects against FA-induced neurotoxicity. As is known to all, Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin gene family, mediates its neuroprotective properties via various intracellular signaling pathways triggered by activating the tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB). Intriguingly, our previous data have illustrated the upregulatory role of H2S on BDNF protein expression in the hippocampus of rats. Therefore, in this study, we hypothesized that H2S provides neuroprotection against FA toxicity by regulating BDNF-TrkB pathway. In the present study, we found that NaHS, a donor of H2S, upregulated the level of BDNF protein in PC12 cells, and significantly rescued FA-induced downregulation of BDNF levels. Furthermore, we found that pretreatment of PC12 cells with K252a, an inhibitor of the BDNF receptor TrkB, markedly reversed the inhibition of NaHS on FA-induced cytotoxicity and ablated the protective effects of NaHS on FA-induced oxidative stress, including the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), 4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal (4-HNE), and malondialdehyde (MDA). We also showed that K252a abolished the inhibition of NaHS on FA-induced apoptosis, as well as the activation of caspase-3 in PC12 cells. In addition, K252a reversed the protection of H2S against FA-induced downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression and upregulation of Bax protein expression in PC12 cells. These data indicate that the BDNF-TrkB pathway mediates the neuroprotection of H2S against FA-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and apoptosis in PC12 cells. These findings provide a novel mechanism underlying the protection of H2S against FA-induced neurotoxicity.
Learning-Related Cognitive Self-Regulation Measures for Prekindergarten Children: A Comparative Evaluation of the Educational Relevance of Selected Measures

Many cognitive self-regulation (CSR) measures are related to the academic achievement of prekindergarten children and are thus of potential interest for school readiness screening and as outcome variables in intervention research aimed at improving those skills in order to facilitate learning. The objective of this study was to identify learning-related CSR measures especially suitable for such purposes by comparing the performance of promising candidates on criteria designed to assess their educational relevance for pre-K settings. A diverse set of 12 easily administered measures was selected from among those represented in research on attention, effortful control, and executive function, and applied to a large sample of pre-K children. Those measures were then compared on their ability to predict achievement and achievement gain, responsiveness to developmental change, and concurrence with teacher ratings of CSR-related classroom behavior. Four measures performed well on all those criteria: Peg Tapping, Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders, the Kansas Reflection-Impulsivity Scale for Preschoolers, and Copy Design. Two others, Dimensional Change Card Sort and Backwards Digit Span, performed well on most of the criteria. Cross-validation with a new sample of children confirmed the initial evaluation of these measures and provided estimates of test–retest reliability.
Experience of parental cancer in childhood is a risk factor for psychological distress during genetic cancer susceptibility testing.

BACKGROUND This study explores the effect of age at the time of parental cancer diagnosis or death on psychological distress and cancer risk perception in individuals undergoing genetic testing for a specific cancer susceptibility. PATIENTS AND METHODS Cancer-related distress, worry and risk perception were assessed in 271 applicants for genetic testing of an identified mutation in BRCA1/2 (BReast CAncer) or a HNPCC (Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer) related gene before, one week after, and six months after genetic test disclosure. The course of distress and risk perception were compared between individuals having witnessed parental cancer or loss due to cancer in childhood, adolescence, adulthood and having unaffected parents. RESULTS Individuals with parental cancer in childhood (under age 13) reported the highest level of cancer related distress, worry and risk perception. Women having their mother affected by breast cancer in puberty (aged 10-13 years) perceived higher breast cancer risks than women with an affected mother in adulthood or without an affected mother. Individuals with an affected parent perceived cancer risks as higher than individuals without an affected parent, but were not more distressed. CONCLUSIONS Experience of parental cancer in childhood is a risk factor for psychological distress during the genetic testing process.
Pineal ribbon synapses: regulated by the gland's central innervation.

OBJECTIVE The pineal gland is part of the circadian clock system and is under the predominant influence of the endogenous oscillator located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. A polysynaptic pathway involving hypothalamus, spinal cord and sympathetic system regulates the so far best-studied aspect of its neuroendocrine output, i.e., the synthesis and secretion of melatonin. This parameter increases dramatically at night upon sympathetic activation in rats and many other mammals including man. In addition, parasympathetic, trigeminal, diencephalic and other sites or mechanisms connect the gland, mainly via its stalk, to the nervous system. However, their function for pineal metabolic or morphological features are hardly known. An interesting ultrastructural attribute of the pineal gland are ribbon synapses. These presynaptic structures in pinealocytes are composed of a ribbon and vesicles. They are thought to regulate and facilitate multivesicular release, and display a circadian rhythm with higher levels at night paralleling melatonin synthesis but regulated differently. METHODS To gain more insight into the roles of both, the non-sympathetic ("central") innervation and the regulation of pineal ribbon synapses, a surgical transection of the pineal stalk was conducted in rats and the number of synaptic ribbons (SR) were determined by electron microscopy from experimental, sham-operated and control animals. RESULTS The transection resulted in normal daytime levels but diminished the nocturnal increase of SR numbers when compared to controls or sham-operated rats. CONCLUSION These data provide first evidence that the central innervation of this neuroendocrine organ plays an important role in SR (up)regulation, and that this pathway is antagonistic to the sympathetic innervation.
The Utility of Race and Ethnicity in the Multidimensional Identities of Asian American Students

In a qualitative study we examined the constructs race and ethnicity and their relative importance in the multidimensional identities of 52 Asian American undergraduates across 2 universities. Findings suggest these constructs are useful for Asian American students’ identity claims and that multiple contextual influences (e.g., stereotypes, being recognized, and demographics) influence how these constructs are differentially claimed. From the findings, we present a model for how race and ethnicity may function differently as Asian American students encounter contexts that force them to answer various identity-based questions.
The Impact of Physical Processes along the Louisiana Coast

GEORGIOU, I.Y. ; FITZGERALD, D.M. , and STONE, G.W. , 2005. The Impact of Physical Processes along the Loui siana Coast. Journal of Coastal Research, SI(44), 72-89. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The present-day coast of Louisiana is undergoing unprecedented change when compared with other coastal regions of the United States. Whereas most of its shoreline is retreating and its coastal bays expanding at the expense of wetlands, the Wax Lake and Atchafalaya deltas are prograding and forming new delta plains. Coastal processes responsible for reworking the lower delta plain and modifying the coast are modest, including very low-wave energy and a microtidal regime. However, occasional hurricanes and more frequent frontal systems produce elevated water levels and large waves (heights >1 to 2 meters), which produce erosion, overwash, and barrier breaching. High subsidence rates coupled with eustatic sea-level rise and wave erosion are converting wetlands to open-water bays. Along barrier shorelines, this process is increasing tidal exchange, which is enlarging tidal inlets and the volume of sand captured in ebb-tidal deltas. Sequestration of sand in offshore ebb shoals depletes sand resources to the barrier chain. The segmentation, landward migration, and overall decrease in size of the barriers are a product of relative sea-level rise and the lack of contribution of new sediment to the system. Restoration of the barriers should be planned with an understanding that the Louisiana coast is evolving in a transgression.
Sexual Satisfaction in Women with Physical Disabilities: Results of an Online Survey

s. 10, 675. (As cited in Komisaruk, B. R., & Whipple, B., 1984). Kraut, R. , Olson, J., Banaji, M. , Bruckman, A. , Cohen, J., & Couper, M. (2004). Psychological research online: Report of board of scientific affairs' advisory group on the conduct of research on the internet. American Psychologist, 59(2), 105-117. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.59. 2.105 Leibowitz, R. Q. (2005). Sexual rehabilitation services after spinal cord injury: What do women want? Sexuality and Disability, 23(2), 81-107. doi: 10.1007/s11195-005-
Activation of nuclear factor-κB during retinal degeneration in rd Mice

Purpose Transcription factors of the nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF–κB) family have been demonstrated to play an important role in the regulation of gene expression in the chronic neurodegenerative disorders. The aims of the current study were to investigate the alteration of NF-κB activity during retinal degeneration in rd mice and further explore its role in photoreceptor apoptosis. Methods Activation of NF-κB and its nuclear translocation in the retina of rd mice at postnatal days (P) 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 28 were studied by immunohistochemical analysis using NF-κB P65 antibody. The amount of NF-κB P65 protein and NF-κB DNA-binding activity in the whole retina were assessed by western blot analysis and gel shift analysis, respectively. Expression of NF-κB in microglial cells labeled with CD11b was determined by double labeling. Results NF-κB P65 nuclear translocation and its DNA binding activity started to increase in the rd retina at P10 and reached a peak at P12. Expressions of P65 remained at high levels from P12 to P18. Double labeling of P65 with CD11 at P14 showed colocalization of P65 in the microglial cells in the outer nuclear layer. Conclusions NF-κB was activated in the retinal degeneration of rd mice. NF-κB modulation may play a role in the retinal degeneration through microglial activation.
Edge detection model based on involuntary eye movements of the eye-retina system

Traditional edge-detection algorithms in image processing typically convolute a filter operator and the input image, and then map overlapping input image regions to output signals. Convolution also serves as a basis in biologically inspired (Sobel, Laplace, Canny) algorithms. Recent results in cognitive retinal research have shown that ganglion cell receptive fields cover the mammalian retina in a mosaic arrangement, with insignificant amounts of overlap in the central fovea. This means that the biological relevance of traditional and widely adapted edge-detection algorithms with convolutionbased overlapping operator architectures has been disproved. However, using traditional filters with non-overlapping operator architectures leads to considerable losses in contour information. This paper introduces a novel, tremor-based retina model and edge-detection algorithm that reconciles these differences between the physiology of the retina and the overlapping architectures used by today's widely adapted algorithms. The algorithm takes into consideration data convergence, as well as the dynamic properties of the retina, by incorporating a model of involuntary eye tremors and the impulse responses of ganglion cells. Based on the evaluation of the model, two hypotheses are formulated on the highly debated role of involuntary eye tremors: 1) The role of involuntary eye tremors has information theoretical implications 2) From an information processing point of view, the functional role of involuntary eye-movements extends to more than just the maintenance of action potentials. Involuntary eye-movements may be responsible for the compensation of information losses caused by a non-overlapping receptive field architecture. In support of these hypotheses, the article provides a detailed analysis of the model's biological relevance, along with numerical simulations and a hardware implementation.
Preconditioning with Associated Blocking of Ca2+ Inflow Alleviates Hypoxia-Induced Damage to Pancreatic β-Cells

Objective Beta cells of pancreatic islets are susceptible to functional deficits and damage by hypoxia. Here we aimed to characterize such effects and to test for and pharmacological means to alleviate a negative impact of hypoxia. Methods and Design Rat and human pancreatic islets were subjected to 5.5 h of hypoxia after which functional and viability parameters were measured subsequent to the hypoxic period and/or following a 22 h re-oxygenation period. Preconditioning with diazoxide or other agents was usually done during a 22 h period prior to hypoxia. Results Insulin contents decreased by 23% after 5.5 h of hypoxia and by 61% after a re-oxygenation period. Preconditioning with diazoxide time-dependently alleviated these hypoxia effects in rat and human islets. Hypoxia reduced proinsulin biosynthesis (3H-leucine incorporation into proinsulin) by 35%. Preconditioning counteracted this decrease by 91%. Preconditioning reduced hypoxia-induced necrosis by 40%, attenuated lowering of proteins of mitochondrial complexes I–IV and enhanced stimulation of HIF-1-alpha and phosphorylated AMPK proteins. Preconditioning by diazoxide was abolished by co-exposure to tolbutamide or elevated potassium (i.e. conditions which increase Ca2+ inflow). Preconditioning with nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, partly reproduced effects of diazoxide. Both diazoxide and nifedipine moderately reduced basal glucose oxidation whereas glucose-induced oxygen consumption (tested with diazoxide) was unaffected. Preconditioning with diaxoxide enhanced insulin contents in transplants of rat islets to non-diabetic rats and lowered hyperglycemia vs. non-preconditioned islets in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Preconditioning of human islet transplants lowered hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-diabetic nude mice. Conclusions 1) Prior blocking of Ca2+ inflow associates with lesser hypoxia-induced damage, 2) preconditioning affects basal mitochondrial metabolism and accelerates activation of hypoxia-reactive and potentially protective factors, 3) results indicate that preconditioning by K+-ATP-channel openers has therapeutic potential for islet transplantations.
On the eigenvalues for slowly varying perturbations of a periodic Schrödinger operator

In this paper, I consider one-dimensional periodic Schr{o}dinger operators perturbed by a slowly decaying potential. In the adiabatic limit, I give an asymptotic expansion of the eigenvalues in the gaps of the periodic operator. When one slides the perturbation along the periodic potential, these eigenvalues oscillate. I compute the exponentially small amplitude of the oscillations.
Lactic Acid Bacteria in Total Mixed Ration Silage Containing Soybean Curd Residue: Their Isolation, Identification and Ability to Inhibit Aerobic Deterioration

We investigated the effects of the predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR) silage containing soybean curd residue (SC-TMR silage). The SC-TMR materials were ensiled in laboratory silos for 14 or 56 days. LAB predominant in SC-TMR silage were identified (Exp. 1). Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) and Streptococcus bovis (S. bovis) were found in the untreated materials, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (L. pseudomesenteroides) in 14-day silage and Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) in all silages. Pediococcus acidilactici (P. acidilactici), Lactobacillus paracasei (L. paracasei), and Lactobacillus brevis (L. brevis) formed more than 90% of the isolates in 56-day silage. Italian ryegrass and whole crop maize were inoculated with P. acidilactici and L. brevis isolates and the fermentation and aerobic stability determined (Exp. 2). Inoculation with P. acidilactici and L. brevis alone or combined improved the fermentation products in ryegrass silage and markedly enhanced its aerobic stability. In maize silage, P. acidilactici and L. brevis inoculation caused no changes and suppressed deterioration when combined with increases in acetic acid content. The results indicate that P. acidilactici and L. brevis may produce a synergistic effect to inhibit SC-TMR silage deterioration. Further studies are needed to identify the inhibitory substances, which may be useful for developing potential antifungal agents.
Preparation and Characterization of Microcapsules Based on Biodegradable Polymers: Pectin/Casein Complex for Controlled Drug Release Systems

Controlled release of drugs is an important strategy to diminish the drug dose and adverse side effects. Aqueous mixtures of polysaccharides and proteins are usually unstable above a certain biopolymer concentration and phase separation occurs either because of repulsive (segregative) or attractive (associative) interactions. Herein, pectin/casein microcapsules were prepared by complex coacervation aiming at prolonged drug release. The morphological characteristics, particle size, distribution, and release kinetics of microcapsules were studied using as a model the hydrophilic drug acetaminophen. It was detected that complexation of pectin/casein particles occurs at pH values lower than 6, resulting in the formation of spherical particles after spray drying. Microcapsules had a mean diameter of 3.138 and 4.929 μm without drug, and of 4.680 and 5.182 μm with drug using USP and 8003 pectin, respectively. The in vitro release of acetaminophen from microcapsules was slow and the drug release mechanism was controlled by diffusion following first-order kinetics. There was greater release of acetaminophen in simulated gastric fluid than simulated intestinal fluid conditions. Concluding, the polymeric system present herein seemed to be appropriate for a prolonged release of acetaminophen throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, it is likely that it is a promising pectin/casein complex for lipossoluble drugs, which merits further investigation.
Integrated Expression Profiling and ChIP-seq Analyses of the Growth Inhibition Response Program of the Androgen Receptor

Background The androgen receptor (AR) plays important roles in the development of male phenotype and in different human diseases including prostate cancers. The AR can act either as a promoter or a tumor suppressor depending on cell types. The AR proliferative response program has been well studied, but its prohibitive response program has not yet been thoroughly studied. Methodology/Principal Findings Previous studies found that PC3 cells expressing the wild-type AR inhibit growth and suppress invasion. We applied expression profiling to identify the response program of PC3 cells expressing the AR (PC3-AR) under different growth conditions (i.e. with or without androgens and at different concentration of androgens) and then applied the newly developed ChIP-seq technology to identify the AR binding regions in the PC3 cancer genome. A surprising finding was that the comparison of MOCK-transfected PC3 cells with AR-transfected cells identified 3,452 differentially expressed genes (two fold cutoff) even without the addition of androgens (i.e. in ethanol control), suggesting that a ligand independent activation or extremely low-level androgen activation of the AR. ChIP-Seq analysis revealed 6,629 AR binding regions in the cancer genome of PC3 cells with an FDR (false discovery rate) cut off of 0.05. About 22.4% (638 of 2,849) can be mapped to within 2 kb of the transcription start site (TSS). Three novel AR binding motifs were identified in the AR binding regions of PC3-AR cells, and two of them share a core consensus sequence CGAGCTCTTC, which together mapped to 27.3% of AR binding regions (1,808/6,629). In contrast, only about 2.9% (190/6,629) of AR binding sites contains the canonical AR matrix M00481, M00447 and M00962 (from the Transfac database), which is derived mostly from AR proliferative responsive genes in androgen dependent cells. In addition, we identified four top ranking co-occupancy transcription factors in the AR binding regions, which include TEF1 (Transcriptional enhancer factor), GATA (GATA transcription factors), OCT (octamer transcription factors) and PU1 (PU.1 transcription factor). Conclusions/Significance Our data provide a valuable data set in understanding the molecular basis for growth inhibition response program of the AR in prostate cancer cells, which can be exploited for developing novel prostate cancer therapeutic strategies.
RF Energy Transfer for Cooperative Networks: Data Relaying or Energy Harvesting?

This letter deals with a three-node cooperative network where the relay node harvests energy from radio frequency (RF) radiation. The source node is the only available RF generator and introduces a fundamental switching between energy harvesting and data relaying. A greedy switching (GS) policy where the relay node transmits when its residual energy ensures decoding at the destination is investigated. The GS policy is modeled as a Markov chain for a discretized battery; the stationary distribution and the outage probability of the system are derived in closed form expressions. In addition, an optimal switching policy that incorporates a-priori knowledge of the channel coefficients is proposed and solved by a mixed-integer linear programming formulation.