Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation, New Venture Creation, and Resource-Advantage Theory: An Analysis of the U.S. Brewing Industry

Regulation is an important means by which policymakers address social costs. However, recent research suggests that managing social costs often comes at the expense of entrepreneurial activity. We explore this duality by extending resource-advantage theory to examine the effects of excise taxes, small business tax credits and exemptions, and sales restrictions on rates of new venture creation in the U.S. brewing industry. Our longitudinal analysis of state-level brewery regulations reveals that taxes and sales restrictions have adverse but limited effects on new venture creation over time. Furthermore, tax credits and exemptions are positively associated with growth rates of new ventures.
Peer-Assessment and Student-Driven Negotiation of Meaning: Two Ingredients for Creating Social Presence in Online EFL Social Contexts

With the current availability of state-of-the-art technology, particularly the Internet, people have expanded their channels of communication. This has similarly led to many people utilizing technology to learn second/foreign languages. Nevertheless, many current computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs still appear to be lacking in interactivity and what is termed social presence, which is in turn an obstacle to the learners assuming active roles in their online experience of L2 learning. Consequently, the existing CALL programs do not seem to have updated themselves from the obsolete behavioristic and communicative genres to reach for the integrative one to yield optimum interactivity. The present study has attempted to cast light on the prospect of creating an online learning community that could optimize the patterns of interaction among the students and the teacher with the intention of creating online social presence. Using a qualitative research based on grounded theory, the researchers attempted to collect and analyze the data vis-a-vis the participants’ feedback on the research questions that were cyclically obtained from 42 English students of the first researcher’s weblog through 41 semi-structured interviews at the end of each virtual class on Skype and Discord over one year. The results suggested that content-based instruction (CBI) in which the students can opt for and create the content of the course through engaging in asynchronous activities and performing peer-assessment in the comment forms and discussion boards before practicing negotiation of meaning in each synchronous class could maximize the level of student-student interactivity and social presence among the L2 learners.
Preferential Use of B7.2 and Not B7.1 in Priming of Vaccinia Virus-Specific CD8 T Cells1

Recent studies have demonstrated that CD28 provides critical costimulatory signals required for optimal CD8 T cell expansion and effector function in response to several viruses, including influenza, HSV, and vaccinia virus (VACV). CD28 has two ligands expressed largely on professional APC, named B7.1 (CD80) and B7.2 (CD86). Although some results suggest that these ligands are equivalent and both promote CD28 signaling, it is not clear whether they are equally important for priming of antiviral T cells. Herein we show that B7.2 is critical for early CD8 T cell responses to both dominant and subdominant VACV epitopes, correlating with its strong induction on CD8α+ dendritic cells. In contrast, B7.1 plays no significant role. Signals from an exogenously applied adjuvant can recruit B7.1 activity and lead to further enhanced priming of VACV-reactive CD8 T cells. However, during a natural infection, B7.1 is not functional, likely related to inefficient up-regulation or active suppression by VACV. These studies provide evidence that B7.2 is the major ligand for the CD28 receptor on VACV-specific CD8 T cells, that B7.2 can promote efficient CD8 T cell priming without B7.1, and that B7.1 and B7.2 can be differentially utilized during antiviral responses.
Biological properties of the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line SW 620 grown as a xenograft in the athymic mouse.

The biological and cell kinetic properties of the poorly differentiated human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line SW 620 grown as xenografts in BALB/c athymic mice are described. The SW 620 cells consistently produced tumors when inoculated i.v. , i.p., and s.c. The lowest cell inoculum requirements were seen i.p. where 10(7) cells produced a 100% incidence. Intravenous inocula (10(5) to 10(8) cells) produced microscopic lung colonies within 30 days, becoming macroscopic nodules after 60 days. Subcutaneous tumors exhibited a marked Révész effect, using a thromboplastic brain extract which increased both tumor incidence and growth rate. All SW 620 xenografts presented a poorly differentiated morphology with extensive necrotic foci. No metastatic involvement was noted in any murine tissues. No demonstrable levels of carcinoembryonic antigen were present in the sera of animals bearing s.c. xenografts greater than 5.0 cu cm. Early SW 620 xenografts (0.3 to 0.6 cu cm) exhibited a characteristically human cell kinetic profile (Tc congruent to 34 to 43 hr; Ts congruent to 22 hr), with a growth fraction of 30.5% as measured by the primer-available DNA polymerase-index and a high cell loss factor (45%). Among late xenografts (1.1 to 1.6 cu cm), the kinetic events noted were an increase in the Tc, cell loss and, unexpectedly, an increase in the primer-available DNA polymerase index. A colony formation assay was established with the use of mechanical mincing plus collagenase (150 IU/ml; 37 degrees; 30 min), which produced a mean plating efficiency of 33.6 +/- 7.2% (S.E.) for s.c. xenografts (range, 14.6 to 51.0%). The SW 620 xenograft model possesses the biological and cell kinetic profile of many human colonic adenocarcinomas in situ. These properties, coupled with the capacity for large-scale xenograft production, should provide a clinically relevant model for the screening of potential antitumor agents and procedures.
Calling, Addressing, and Appropriation

What explains the difference in black and non-black use of the n-word? In the mouths of black speakers the n-word can take on friendly, or at least benign significance. This chapter will be concerned with providing an explanation. First, it will present three accounts—i.e., the Ambiguity thesis, an Expressivist account, and an Echoic account, ultimately arguing that none of them is satisfactory. Next, it introduces the concepts of a speech community and a community of practice and explicates their roles in in-group uses. It concludes with a distinction between calling and addressing, introduced by Geneva Smitherman, to explain the specific illocutionary act undertaken by in-group members that allows for endearing or neutral uses of slurs and argues that membership in the relevant community of practice licenses one to access the relevant illocution.
Automatic Detection of Scoliotic Curves in Posteroanterior Radiographs

Spinal deformities are diagnosed using posteroanterior (PA) radiographs. Automatic detection of the spine on conventional radiographs would be of interest to quantify curve severity, would help reduce observer variability and would allow large-scale retrospective studies on radiographic databases. The goal of this paper is to present a new method for automatic detection of spinal curves from a PA radiograph. A region of interest (ROI) is first extracted according to the 2-D shape variability of the spine obtained from a set of PA radiographs of scoliotic patients. This region includes 17 bounding boxes delimiting each vertebral level from T1 to L5. An adaptive filter combining shock with complex diffusion is used to individually restore the image of each vertebral level. Then, texture descriptors of small block elements are computed and submitted for training to support vector machines (SVM). Vertebral body's locations are thereby inferred for a particular vertebral level. The classifications of block elements for all 17 SVMs are identified in the image and a voting system is introduced to cumulate correctly predicted blocks. A spline curve is then fitted through the centers of the predicted vertebral regions and compared to a manual identification using a Student t-test. A clinical validation is performed using 100 radiographs of scoliotic patients (not used for training) and the detected spinal curve is found to be statistically similar (p < 0.05) in 93% of cases to the manually identified curve.
Modulation of environmental light alters reception and production of visual signals in Nile tilapia

SUMMARY Signal reception and production form the basis of animal visual communication, and are largely constrained by environmental light. However, the role of environmental light in producing variation in either signal reception or production has not been fully investigated. To chart the effect of environmental light on visual sensitivity and body colouration throughout ontogeny, we measured spectral sensitivity, lens transmission and body pattern reflectance from juvenile and adult Nile tilapia held under two environmental light treatments. Spectral sensitivity in juveniles reared under a broad-spectrum light treatment and a red-shifted light treatment differed mostly at short wavelengths, where the irradiance of the two light treatments differed the most. In contrast, adults held under the same two light treatments did not differ in spectral sensitivity. Lens transmission in both juveniles and adults did not differ significantly between environmental light treatments, indicating that differences in spectral sensitivity of juveniles originated in the retina. Juveniles and adults held under the two environmental light treatments differed in spectral reflectance, and adults transferred to a third, white light treatment differed in spectral reflectance from their counterparts held under the two original treatments. These results demonstrate that environmental light plays a crucial role in shaping signal reception in juveniles and signal production throughout ontogeny, reinforcing the notion that environmental light has the capacity to influence animal communication, and suggesting that the characteristics of environmental light should be considered in models of ecological speciation.
Noninvasive imaging for monitoring of viable cancer cells using a dual-imaging reporter gene.

UNLABELLED Molecular imaging methods have been used recently to investigate biologic events. To develop a molecular imaging method suitable for monitoring viable cancer cells, we made a dual-imaging reporter gene system and examined the correlation between cancer cell number and signals from 2 reporter genes, sodium iodide symporter (NIS) and luciferase. METHODS NIS and luciferase genes were linked with the internal ribosomal entry site and transfected into SK-HEP1 cells to generate SK-HEP1-NL cells. (125)I uptake assays, luciferase assays, and scintigraphic and luminescence imaging were performed on SK-HEP1-NL cells. After treating with doxorubicin, cell counting, assays, and imaging were performed. SK-HEP1 and SK-HEP1-NL cells were inoculated subcutaneously into the flanks of nude mice. After incubation, scintigraphic and luminescence images were acquired and quantitated. RESULTS The results of radioiodide uptake, luciferase assay, and scintigraphic and luminescence imaging in vitro correlated well with viable cell numbers. Upon increasing the concentration of doxorubicin, cell numbers decreased, and this correlated with a decrease in radioactivity and luminescence intensity. The radioactivity from in vivo scintigraphic images and the intensity from luminescence images were also found to be proportional to the tumor weight. CONCLUSION The developed dual-reporter imaging method using NIS and the luciferase gene reflected viable cancer cell numbers and could detect changes in cell number after doxorubicin treatment.
Methylphenidate Transdermal System in Adult ADHD and Impact on Emotional and Oppositional Symptoms

Objective: This trial evaluated the effect of methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) on the full spectrum of adult symptoms (attention-disorganization, hyperactivity-impulsivity, emotional dysregulation [ED], and oppositional-defiant disorder [ODD]) found in this disorder. Method: This placebo-controlled, double-blind, flexible-dose, crossover trial employed the Wender—Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS) and Connor’s Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) and two measures of adult ODD. Treatment responses of all participants and four subgroups (ADHDalone, ADHD + ED, ADHD + ODD, and ADHD + ED + ODD) were assessed. Results: Around 23% of baseline participants were ADHD alone, 31% were ADHD + ED, 10% were ADHD + ODD, and 36% were ADHD + ED + ODD. There was a significant treatment effect for all symptom areas and all four subgroups. MTS was associated with significantly more adverse events, especially dermatologic side effects. Conclusions: MTS was effective in treating adult ADHD. This clinical trial included numerous participants meeting criteria for ED and ODD. All ADHD symptoms responded positively to treatment with MTS.
The influence of national holiday structure on domestic tourism expenditure

This study attempted to examine the influence of national holiday structure on the domestic tourism expenditure in the context of China. Using a multiprovincial survey data set from China National Tourism Administration, we developed a utility–consumption model to empirically analyze the consumption effects of Weekend Getaway, Paid Leave, National Day Golden Week Holiday, and National Festivals and Memorial Days (NFMDs). Results show that while the consumption effects of the first three types of holiday are significant and robust, the effect of NFMDs on tourism consumption is not statistically significant. This suggests that the first three types of holiday in China may function more effectively than NFMDs in promoting willingness to travel and tourist consumption. Policy recommendations and implications are discussed based on the study results.
Chemically Induced Conditional Rescue of the Reduced Epidermal Fluorescence8 Mutant of Arabidopsis Reveals Rapid Restoration of Growth and Selective Turnover of Secondary Metabolite Pools1[C][OPEN]

Activation of the wild-type gene in an Arabidopsis phenylpropanoid mutant at different developmental stages has distinct impacts on metabolic changes and plant growth. The phenylpropanoid pathway is responsible for the biosynthesis of diverse and important secondary metabolites including lignin and flavonoids. The reduced epidermal fluorescence8 (ref8) mutant of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which is defective in a lignin biosynthetic enzyme p-coumaroyl shikimate 3′-hydroxylase (C3′H), exhibits severe dwarfism and sterility. To better understand the impact of perturbation of phenylpropanoid metabolism on plant growth, we generated a chemically inducible C3′H expression construct and transformed it into the ref8 mutant. Application of dexamethasone to these plants greatly alleviates the dwarfism and sterility and substantially reverses the biochemical phenotypes of ref8 plants, including the reduction of lignin content and hyperaccumulation of flavonoids and p-coumarate esters. Induction of C3′H expression at different developmental stages has distinct impacts on plant growth. Although early induction effectively restored the elongation of primary inflorescence stem, application to 7-week-old plants enabled them to produce new rosette inflorescence stems. Examination of hypocotyls of these plants revealed normal vasculature in the newly formed secondary xylem, presumably restoring water transport in the mutant. The ref8 mutant accumulates higher levels of salicylic acid than the wild type, but depletion of this compound in ref8 did not relieve the mutant’s growth defects, suggesting that the hyperaccumulation of salicylic acid is unlikely to be responsible for dwarfism in this mutant.
Multi-Scale Regional Attention Networks for Pain Estimation

Pain is a common treatment response of patients in clinical medicine, which indicates the patient’s status. Of late, automatic pain estimation methods have received more and more attention due to their convenience and objectivity. However, the previous researches mostly employ existing models or frameworks, without the exploration of pain locality. In this paper, we propose Multi-Scale Regional Attention Networks (MSRAN), to adaptively capture the importance of facial pain regions. Specifically, the proposed MSRAN aggregates and embeds varied number of multi-scale region features by a convolutional neural network with self-attention module for the locality of pain. Then, the proposed relation-attention module is leveraged to explore the relationship of pain regions. Last, the well-designed loss function is employed to increase the discrimination of model. We validate our MSRAN on the public pain dataset, which shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Social Networks Near and Far: The Role of Bonding and Bridging Social Capital for Assets of the Rural Poor

With formal insurance and credit markets either absent or inaccessible to rural agents in most poor rural economies, social networks play a highly important role in mitigating the risks that agricultural households face. These kinds of informal insurance schemes are presumed to be most effective in the face of idiosyncratic risk. However, social mechanisms also exist in developing countries that may reduce locally correlated risk such as the adverse economic effects of climatic conditions that affect multiple residents in a village. This paper analyzes the role of localized (bonding) and of spatially dispersed (bridging) social capital in mitigating the impact of idiosyncratic and of locally correlated shocks on farm households’ livestock endowments. Using dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) system estimation with seven‐period panel dataset of over 400 households, we find that bonding social capital is able to protect households’ livestock assets against idiosyncratic shocks, but bridging social capital does not play a role in mitigating the impact of correlated shocks. The results hold up to multiple robustness checks. A test of different hypotheses about the nature of these assets’ trajectories rejects the asset poverty trap hypothesis, and instead finds that livestock asset dynamics are characterized by a single stable equilibrium.
Personal Finances vs. the Overall Economic Conditions: What Drives the New EU Member States’ Stock Markets?

Abstract This paper analyses the leading characteristics of the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) with respect to stock market returns for 11 New EU Member States. It proposes novel CCI weights by minimizing mean squared errors from regression forecasting equations, using CCI lags as regressors. With regards to the obtained “optimal” weights, the examined countries are grouped into micro‑ and macro‑oriented clusters. A strong shift is found in the weights due to the recent recession. The micro aspects (reflecting the wealth effect) severely lose their importance in the crisis, while the consumers’ macroeconomic sentiments grow in significance and constitute a separate transmission channel.
Vector Competence of Aedes aegypti and Aedes polynesiensis Populations from French Polynesia for Chikungunya Virus

Background From October 2014 to March 2015, French Polynesia experienced for the first time a chikungunya outbreak. Two Aedes mosquitoes may have contributed to chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmission in French Polynesia: the worldwide distributed Ae. aegypti and the Polynesian islands-endemic Ae. polynesiensis mosquito. Methods To investigate the vector competence of French Polynesian populations of Ae. aegypti and Ae. polynesiensis for CHIKV, mosquitoes were exposed per os at viral titers of 7 logs tissue culture infectious dose 50%. At 2, 6, 9, 14 and 21 days post-infection (dpi), saliva was collected from each mosquito and inoculated onto C6/36 mosquito cells to check for the presence of CHIKV infectious particles. Legs and body (thorax and abdomen) of each mosquito were also collected at the different dpi and submitted separately to viral RNA extraction and CHIKV real-time RT-PCR. Results CHIKV infection rate, dissemination and transmission efficiencies ranged from 7–90%, 18–78% and 5–53% respectively for Ae. aegypti and from 39–41%, 3–17% and 0–14% respectively for Ae. polynesiensis, depending on the dpi. Infectious saliva was found as early as 2 dpi for Ae. aegypti and from 6 dpi for Ae. polynesiensis. Our laboratory results confirm that the French Polynesian population of Ae. aegypti is highly competent for CHIKV and they provide clear evidence for Ae. polynesiensis to act as an efficient CHIKV vector. Conclusion As supported by our findings, the presence of two CHIKV competent vectors in French Polynesia certainly contributed to enabling this virus to quickly disseminate from the urban/peri-urban areas colonized by Ae. aegypti to the most remote atolls where Ae. polynesiensis is predominating. Ae. polynesiensis was probably involved in the recent chikungunya outbreaks in Samoa and the Cook Islands. Moreover, this vector may contribute to the risk for CHIKV to emerge in other Polynesian islands like Fiji, and more particularly Wallis where there is no Ae. aegypti.
DNA repair-related functional assays for the classification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants: a critical review and needs assessment

Mutation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 is the most common cause of inherited breast and ovarian cancer. Genetic screens to detect carriers of variants can aid in cancer prevention by identifying individuals with a greater cancer risk and can potentially be used to predict the responsiveness of tumours to therapy. Frequently, classification cannot be performed based on traditional approaches such as segregation analyses, including for many missense variants, which are therefore referred to as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Functional assays provide an important alternative for classification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 VUS. As reviewed here, both of these tumour suppressors promote the maintenance of genome stability via homologous recombination. Thus, related assays may be particularly relevant to cancer risk. Progress in implementing functional assays to assess missense variants of BRCA1 and BRCA2 is considered here, along with current limitations and the path to more impactful assay systems. While functional assays have been developed to independently evaluate BRCA1 and BRCA2 VUS, high-throughput assays with sufficient sensitivity to characterise the large number of identified variants are lacking. Additionally, because of relatively low conservation of certain domains of BRCA1, and of BRCA2, between humans and rodents, heterologous expression in rodent cells may have limited reliability or capacity to assess variants present throughout either protein. Moving forward, it will be important to perform assays in human cell lines with relevance to particular tumour types, and to strengthen risk predictions based on multifactorial statistical analyses that also include available data on cosegregation and tumour pathology.